I am all about sharing knowledge and bettering others. HOWEVER! I am also extremely insulted when someone asks me to teach them how to do everything in a cliff's notes version. Why? It is INSULTING! We have spent many years learning and perfecting what we do. If there was the ability to provide an adequate Cliffs Notes version we wouldn't need to have DBA's. We recently rolled out a new SQL Server based product and our training group wants to give our installers enough knowledge to function with SQL. I like that. I don't like that they want me to summarize EVERYTHING i do into a 2 hour session because the Installer WILL NEED it. Give them enough to install the product and do the initial troubleshooting. There is a reason we have a support staff of DBAs at their beconned call.

The best thing my mentor did for me when i started was say 'Figure it out'. Seldom are all problems identical. If you take if then else approach at SQL Server troubleshooting you will limit yourself. You must treat each situation as a new dynamic living issue. I like the post earlier along the same lines. I also follow the Figure it Out yourself then we can discuss before you implement. It is a great teaching\learning process and yet safeguards the new person from failure.