When I started at my current company I was the 3rd DBA so I was on call every third week. Before I joined the two DBAs would alternate, one would take day call the other would take night call and then switch back and forth every other week. Now we have 5 DBAs so I am on call every 5th week.

When we are on call it is 24/7. The night time calls are rare, maybe once a week or less on average, but an average is just that. We can go a week without night time calls and a week when the service center calls with a problem after midnight 3 or 4 times in the same week. (Sleep, what is sleep?) :hehe:

We strictly handle SQL Server support. No Access, no applications, just SQL Server. We have well over 100 instances of SQL Server to administrate spread throughout the state of Iowa.

Our manager wants whoever is on call to do just that - take care of issues as they happen through the day, freeing up the other DBAs to do their project work. It also frees the on call person from project work and allows them to do things that usually get pushed to the side such as documentation. 😀

This is the first time where I am part of a team of DBAs and I like it. There can be more stress, but it is a stress that I can deal with rather than at smaller companies where I would have to be DBA, Developer, Analyst, and have non SQL Server problems shoved in my direction and they want all problems solved at the same time. :w00t:

I just plan my schedule around the on-call week. No trips, no outings, nothing that would keep me from responding to a call within 20 minutes.

So it is a planned stress vs. a chaotic stress. 😎