[dba-SQLServer] My Relative Absence Here

Hi Arthur

Exciting and Scary at the same time

Do well Arthur - Do well

Darren
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-----Original Message-----
From: dba-sqlserver-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-sqlserver-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Arthur Fuller
Sent: Friday, 10 February 2006 12:49 PM
To: dba-sqlserver at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: [dba-SQLServer] My Relative Absence Here

I just peeked and there are numerous unread messages from this group in my
inbox. I do try to pay attention to this list, but I just got a new gig and
subsequently got tossed into a situation where there are serious deadlines
impending, serious enough that I have been given permission to work Saturday and
Sunday too. The database is what is known as large rather than rich: a rich
database has many hundreds of tables containing relatively few rows; a large
database has many millions of rows in relatively few tables. This one is
medium-rich (200+ tables) and fairly large (some tables contain 50 million
rows). To further complicate matters, "the database" is actually comprised of
about a dozen databases, each residing on its own server, so all joins typically
contain a reference to the server as well as the
table(s) of interest. 
I am charged with double-checking the Erwin PDM model against the Data
Modeller's LDM and comments on the last printout. 779 comments and one week to
do it. 
When I got the gig, I received a file containing 279 issues, and I expressed
confidence that I could do it in a week, though overtime might be required.
Several days later, I was informed that I had been sent an old version of the
Issues file; the current version contains 779 issues.
I replied, "I can tell you with 100% confidence that I will not meet the
deadline. 779 issues / 40 hours = 19.475 issues resolved per hour; each issue
resolved in 3.15 minutes, on average. Many issues (i.e. are the indexes on this
table enough, or redundant, or incorrectly designed?) will require a meeting,
which will consume a minimum of 10 minutes, if we are lucky and there are no
politics. Some will require an hour or two to settle.
So my confidence in my inability to meet the one-week deadline is 100%. You have
two chances: a fat one and a slim one."
They said, "Monday?"
I said, "Maybe. No guarantees, but I will work overtime and do my best to make
it happen. Think Tuesday or maybe Wednesday and maybe even next Friday.
There are consequences to failing to meet the deadline: not for me personally,
but for the whole team. So I am trying my best. I have to read the critique,
then modify the Erwin physical model to suit, then inform the DD (Database
Design) guys that column X has become NOT NULL, etc., or that index Y has been
removed due to redundancy, or that it's time for another meeting with the DM
(Data Modellers) and this time let's not come to blows.
All this, and I have to commute and dress business-casual, too. If it wasn't for
the filthy lucre, I'd rather be doing something else. That isn't true! I love
this kind of thing! Thrown off the pier and expected to swim immediately. It's a
thrill.
I am on a team of very smart people, each of whom has an expertise in a SQL area
that pales my own knowledge of that area. The data architect guy is brilliant
and has written a book about SQL that proves it (Google Dejan Sunderic for a
list of his books). The DTS guy is brilliant. The sprocs guy is brilliant. The
manager guy is brilliant. The Data Modeller guy is brilliant, and to make it
more interesting, he and the Data Architect have frequent arguments.
I'm neck deep in intelligence. As poker players say, "Look around the table and
if you don't see the fool, you're it." I look around the table and conclude that
I am the dumb guy. This week alone I learned about 10 really cool things, some
about SQL Server itself, some about Erwin, some about pure database design.
I just hope that I am able to demonstrate enough intelligence to keep up with
these boys. They KNOW their stuff. And I hope to come close enough to the
arbitrarily imposed deadline to retain the gig and not be fired for
incompetence. The opposite of the poker player's perspective is, "What a
pleasure it is to be surrounded by brilliant players."
---------------------
So that, in short, is why I haven't been paying my usual attention to this list.
I have a TON of work to do in a very short time, and it requires a lot more
concentration than I have been accustomed to shelling out of late:) Most
important is to complete the task at hand. By that time, I may have 100 emails
to visit on this thread alone.
All I wanted to say, I guess, is that I still consider myself a member of this
list, and I will catch up next week, maybe even as soon as Monday.
Arthur

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