Critique: SQL Agent for the Beginner DBA

  • Hello,

    I have noticed that there are not any presentations on SQL Agent at the various SQL Saturday events and thought to fill a gap:

    SQL Agent for the Beginner DBA

    "An Introduction to some basic concepts and tricks to effectively use SQL Agent on one or more production servers. We'll cover job scheduling, alerts, operators, and failure handling. Finally, a review of the capabilities of Agent vs. the Windows task scheduler. "

    Do you think there is enough material there for an hour presentation ?

    Thanks,

    Craig

  • I think there could be enough info. Have you presented this to a Usergroup or two?

    Would you like to give it a go via livemeeting for my UG?

    Presenting to UGs a few times would be a good way of knowing if the preso has enough info or not and then take it to a SQLSat.

    Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
    _______________________________________________
    I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
    SQL RNNR
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  • I definitely think there is enough material on SQL Agent to fill an hour. The only way to be sure is to write the presentation and then practice it. If you can do it between 40-60 minutes with no one around you'll probably have enough for an hour presentation. Remember that there will be questions.

    For the abstract I think it is important to list 3 specific things you expect the attendees to learn from the presentation. For SQL Agent I'd do something like:

    "After this presentation attendees will be able to:

    1. Identify scenarios where SQL Agent should be used

    2. Schedule jobs to run at selected times.

    3. Define an operator to be alerted when a job fails.

    "

  • I think you'll actually have a difficult time keeping it down to only an hour. As the others have said, the only way to know is to deliver the presentation several times. Start off by delivering it to an imaginary group of people in the comfort of your own home just as if it were a real group. Then present it at your local PASS chapter meeting or to a remote user group as has already been suggested. They'll be happy to have one of their own presenting. After you get the kinks and the butterfly's out, you do very well at an SQL Saturday or other public event.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • CirquedeSQLeil (4/9/2011)


    I think there could be enough info. Have you presented this to a Usergroup or two?

    Would you like to give it a go via livemeeting for my UG?

    .

    Yes, I would be happy to - after I get it written. I will let you know.

    Thanks, Craig

  • Jack Corbett (4/9/2011)


    For the abstract I think it is important to list 3 specific things you expect the attendees to learn from the presentation. For SQL Agent I'd do something like:

    "After this presentation attendees will be able to:

    1. Identify scenarios where SQL Agent should be used

    2. Schedule jobs to run at selected times.

    3. Define an operator to be alerted when a job fails.

    "

    That's a great point. Thanks for the feedback !

  • Jeff Moden (4/9/2011)


    I think you'll actually have a difficult time keeping it down to only an hour. As the others have said, the only way to know is to deliver the presentation several times. Start off by delivering it to an imaginary group of people in the comfort of your own home just as if it were a real group. Then present it at your local PASS chapter meeting or to a remote user group as has already been suggested. They'll be happy to have one of their own presenting. After you get the kinks and the butterfly's out, you do very well at an SQL Saturday or other public event.

    Appreciate the suggestions, Jeff. I will give it a try.

  • Craig Purnell (4/9/2011)


    Hello,

    I have noticed that there are not any presentations on SQL Agent at the various SQL Saturday events and thought to fill a gap:

    SQL Agent for the Beginner DBA

    "An Introduction to some basic concepts and tricks to effectively use SQL Agent on one or more production servers. We'll cover job scheduling, alerts, operators, and failure handling. Finally, a review of the capabilities of Agent vs. the Windows task scheduler. "

    Do you think there is enough material there for an hour presentation ?

    Thanks,

    Craig

    I think it's a great idea and you'll absolutely get an hour out of it. I agree with all the other comments. As far as the abstract goes, I'd want to see a problem definition up front. What issue are you assuming I have? Tell me that, then tell me about how you're going to address that issue. Finally, I'd like to know what I'm going to take away from the session. To my point of view, you've got a third of the abstract here, and it's good. Add the other two thirds and I'm sure you'll be there.

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

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