Great article, lots of good discussion as well.

As a contractor I've been hired to basically "firefight" the company's sql server problems and you do sometimes become the "Hero DBA" which like most positions of power can be quite seductive - you gain respect from your collegues; it builds your confidence and helps with the decision regarding your contract extension. 😉

However the flip side is working with the Hero DBA who just loves to be called out in the middle of the night to rescue some failed backup and then loves to tell everyone about it. Then the same thing happens when he/she goes on holiday, no documentation and your left with the client wanting to know why their website has been down for over 24hrs! :w00t:

Yes, documentation is the way to go - the geek in me even likes to produce it, how wrong is that. 😛

In reply to blandy's post, I find it pays to have a paranoid attitude ALWAYS as a DBA - today you might be looking after all that widget data, however tomorrow you might just find that execellent SQL DBA post (with great holidays and medical dental, etc) at a missile building company or simply at a bank - start with good habits (CIA is certainly one them) and you'll go far in life...

qh