Steve Jones - SSC Editor (8/19/2013)SQL Server is complex. We can't easily reduce the solutions to problems to a set of rigid protocols that ensure optimal performance. If we could, there truly wouldn't be as much of a need for DBAs as there is.
Good read and to the point. I would add one thing. Since SQL Server is complex and the configuration etc of the product depends ... There is very little chance that the SQL configuration out of the box will be optimal for most if any applications/systems. Due to both the complexity of the product and the business practices there is a high probability that the simple, default, generic configuration will need to be significantly altered to optimize the services needed.
Not all gray hairs are Dinosaurs!