Question:
Do I need to know programming as SQL Server DBA?
fredasita
2007-12-15 08:02:23 UTC
Wonder if I can only stick with the administration part? Or should I learn C# as well? What about Oracle? Should I just concentrate on SQl Server 2005 for now?
Four answers:
anonymous
2007-12-15 13:39:05 UTC
The DBA in a large shop won't always have to program, but will definitely need to be responsive to programmers. It will be very difficult for you to help programmers do their work if you don't understand the minimum about what they're doing.



If you're using MS SQL server, it's most likely you're talking about a MS shop. This means the programmers will likely be using C# and VB.NET. You should have a basic understanding of these languages, how the work with data, and their inherent strengths and weaknesses.



If you're in a smaller shop, the DBA often is also a programmer. In this case you'll definitely need formal programming languages.



I'm not sure I know what you mean by "sticking with the administration part." If you're creating and maintaining data design, normalizing the data, and managing the data queries, updates, backups, joins, and back-end logic, you're half-way to programming already.



Another note. One of the other respondents referred to SQL Server as SQL. This is not technically correct and very misleading. SQL is the (mostly) universal language of databases. SQL Server is Microsoft's proprietary database server environment.



It's absolutely critical that you learn generic SQL if you want to be a data administrator. The actual environment (SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL) is important too, but as an implementation of the SQL.



To return to your original question, it's never a bad career move to know some programming. If you've already got a data job , you'll be better at it if you can see the programmer's perspective. If you don't currently have this type of employment, a combination DBA / Programmer is far more valuable than somebody with only one skill or the other.
?
2016-05-24 05:53:21 UTC
Do don't really say in what sphere. MySQL is widely used in web site as it's cheap but less scalable (IMHO). Oracle and MS SQL (T-SQL) is used in business for data storage so from an analysis point Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle are the ones to go for. However much of SQL syntax is portable upto a point and knowing your way around and understanding large relational data structures is key. The differneces lie deeper down in the security and maintenance of the SQL systems. So as long as you know your left outer joins from your right inner joins, if you get posed at an interview to write a simple SQL script to join 2 tables etc any of the above Transact SQL will show the interviewer you understand and grasp the concept.
Vera C
2007-12-15 08:11:00 UTC
If you want to be a SQL Server DBA then you should know some programming. Even as an Administrator, you will be required to know some scripting.



Oracle is another beast all together. It isn't necessary to know both SQL & Oracle.
Pinal Dave
2007-12-17 05:55:42 UTC
You should learn SQL Server.



There are plenty of articles for beginners at

http://www.SQLAuthority.com


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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