December 17, 2010 at 8:26 am
How would an iPad allow me to do my job better? There are a mind boggling number of possibilities, but there are two that stand out from all the others.
First it would allow me to reduce the number of devices that interact with on a daily basis and save me time. I mean, everyone know that multi-tasking makes us more productive. Right? RIGHT?! If you were to walk into my office right now you would see a PC with two monitors, a wide-screen multi-touch PC, a nook with all my eBooks, an iPhone and of course my laptop. Offloading all my non-software development tasks to a single device would truly be life altering. No more fumbling or switching between different applications on different devices; most everything I would need would be on one single device.
This becomes even more important to me in another month and half, when my employer will be moving my office to a new building about a mile away from my current location and I will still be required to visit both locations. Having one device that allows me to check on the status of all our applications and servers in production, while still being able to do many other things that come up on a daily basis is going to absolutely essential and will save me quite a bit of time every day. (In the new building, there is even a workout room. Being able to catch up on my technical reading while on a treadmill would be another big win.)
The second area would be having a device to explore and test new applications for my employer. Currently, I am working on a multi-touch kiosk for one of our product lines that uses a local SQL Database for displaying product information and our current inventory. In the second phase of the project, I want to move the database to SQLAzure (synchronized with an on-premise install of SQL Server) and expose the data using OData so that I can start to build applications for other device platforms. My vision? To have an application platform that allows me to publish data for any type of device that salespeople would like to use. I could help move them out from behind their desks by giving them the means to view, search and display product information as they are working with customers in the office or out on sales calls.
A device like an iPad would be phenomenal step in that direction because it would allow me to show others what is possible not by describing it, but by actually doing it.
December 17, 2010 at 9:06 am
WOW. The ability to VPN/RDP into work over a 3G network on a lightweight and truly portable device would be fantastic. Yes, 3G dongles abound, but the monthly commitments and having to lug a laptop around pretty much kills that idea. (I also couldn't get it past the family accountant. We are already paying for a smartphone, satellite TV and satellite internet connections as well.) I would drop the smartphone and go back to a basic phone and use the iPad for everything else.
I monitor a couple of development database servers that host databases for several dozen DEV and QA environments. We have lots of jobs that run to monitor parts of the development process and notify by e-mail when things are out of sorts. It would be really nice if I could aggregate all those statuses into a single dashboard where I could see them all at a glance and drill down into those that need attention. For example, yesterday I had to change a password and I forgot that was the one associated to all my schema comparison jobs (Red Gate SQL Compare, of course!). This morning on my way to work I had 10 different e-mails that told me athere was a failure, but I couldn't get to enough info via my smartphone to know why.
Actually, my biggest productivity gain would probably happen at the office. Our network security is ratcheted up to a pretty high level. We have WebSense blocking lots of sites (granted, most of which are not appropriate for work) and very often when trying to research solutions to a new problem I encounter possible solutions whose sites are blocked as "Social Networking". As a result, I bring a lot of my research home and problems may take another day to get resolved.
Less work at home, more productivity at the office, and quick notification and ability to respond to issues when they do arise after hours, would make everyone around here happier.
December 17, 2010 at 10:29 am
An iPad (or other tablet device) paired with SQL Monitor would add an unimaginable amount of value. Honestly, since we really don't have any monitoring solution in place (outside of jobs that I have set up to email me when things are going badly), the SQL Monitor by itself would be a fantastic prize (and even without winning this, I am going to recommend purchasing it). We have 4 production SQL boxes and 2 dev SQL boxes operating right now, and with our IT staff of three people to support a 3PL warehousing company with almost 4 million sq ft, over 200 employees, spanning 13 buildings with another two slated to come on board in the next couple of months. We need all the tools we can get to be able survive, let alone be efficient!
Personally, I manage the databases, develop in house applications, support two different Warehouse Management Systems, develop and train the trainers and end users, and back up our network administrator. All of us are on call 24/7 for pretty much anything you can think of.
The iPad would offer a wonderful piece of hardware to balance portability and productivity. By adding Kindle or using built in Ebook Reader I can continue my education. Add on a dongle, and tie into projectors for presentations and training. Use it from the warehouse floor with rdp to run test/troubleshoot, as well as monitor the databases from anywhere without trying to find a place to sit down a laptop or plug in. The quick power up is great for answering questions quickly when there are no computers up (in bed, while watching tv, in the car, etc).
So this would help us manage our SQL Servers better, support our internal and external clients quicker at any time of the day or night, will help me keep up to date with the newest technology and learn more about existing options (through ebooks, videos, and podcasts), and make me more effective while I am moving in and between facilities and campuses, while allowing us to keep from hiring on new personnel for a longer period of time.
But the number one benefit which will add to the bottom line of our business is to conveniently watch "Voice of the DBA" from anywhere on a screen which is easier to see than my iphone! 😉
- Bret
Bret Fledderjohn
December 17, 2010 at 11:22 am
I'd love to use an iPad to monitor SQL Server, if only for the irony, and to shove iPad access to the domain down security's throat.
December 17, 2010 at 11:43 am
ATM, going somewhere during a weekend when I'm on support leaves me with two options. I can either take the laptop with me or just carry a Blackberry and hope that nothing really urgent happens while I'm away (or that I can ask someone to jump in if really needed). I have to admit I often just go with the Blackberry. I'd be much more willing to take the iPad with me, because it is much smaller and lighter than the laptop (and much-much cooler, if I want to be really honest), so it'd be more likely that weekend support calls find me with proper equipment to remote in. My company would probably appreciate it. 🙂 Better still, with a proper monitoring tool we could fight the issues more proactively and hopefully we'd have fewer urgent calls. Even happier company.
The other advantage of the iPad is that it's much quieter than the laptop so I could probably solve most of the night support issues from bed without waking my wife up. ATM, I have to walk downstairs to fire the laptop up for every call out. Saving 5-10 minutes (few times) a night could be lifesaving and happier employees should make the employer happier as well, shouldn’t it?
December 17, 2010 at 12:51 pm
I work for a member-based, not-for-profit organization. I am the iSeries system administrator, one of a team of Windows system administrators and the SQL Server DBA. Our company is really a conglomeration of many different lines of businesses for services that we provide for school districts in Texas. We have over 40 SQL server instances with upwards of 200 databases for production, test and development. It is often difficult to properly monitor and maintain this environment during business hours, much less during off hours. As is everyone, we are being asked to be more available than ever before, which causes conflicts in our personal lives. Taking time to fully participate in church, go to the movies, attend a sporting event or do other personal activities is getting more and more difficult.
Having this iPad and SQL Monitor would allow me to provide my employer with greater service while allowing me to not be chained to the laptop at home all the time. Remote technology is a double-edged sword making you more available than ever on one side while allowing productivity away from the office and allowing a little more freedom on the other side.
December 17, 2010 at 2:00 pm
With an iPad, I would be free to work effortlessly with clients of my department, both internal and external. As a company that builds financial data software, we have internal analysts using our tools to audit our data. An iPad would help me in trouble shooting their problems as I could sit next to them (wherever they are), and see how their use of our tools impacts our systems – web servers, database servers, etc. Externally, I could use the iPad to demo our products to clients, while at the same time, easily be able to switch to monitoring our systems; hopefully illustrating the ease of use of products, as well as our commitment to up-time, and possibly generating new business. Of course this is all in addition to using the iPad to stay on top of email, blogs & twitter (#sqlhelp). At events like local SQL PASS meetings, SQL Saturdays, SQL Summit, an iPad can be used to help illustrate/explain database concepts to lesser experienced DBA/DBDs, as well as acting as a repository for my questions & supporting material to more senior DBA/DBDs.
Happy holidays.
December 17, 2010 at 3:46 pm
For me the blurring between work and personal time is already a reality-- more from my sense of responsibility to keep things running smoothly than from the business chaining me to the computer (I am already working remotely). Even though I can remote in with a laptop to troubleshoot a problem, I am less likely to go out to exercise or go to my daughter's school event because it means packing up and lugging around a laptop to be able to connect in to the office. A smart phone isn't a viable solution for remoting in because the screen interface is too small. So the iPad and SQL Monitor would be a freedom from dragging heavier/bulkier gadgets and would be an enabler for me to actually move away from the desk, get out on a bike to ride on a trail or down to a cafe, spend more time with my family.
At present, the appeal of the iPad is the mobility and ease of use factor with a practical size screen. It will be interesting to see how the platform, apps and services evolve to make my 6 year old daughter wonder how we ever lived without such devices.
December 17, 2010 at 7:52 pm
I work for a software company, and one of the primary responsibilities of my job is helping with customer support issues that involve the database. As you might guess, customer problems don't only occur during normal business hours. For issues that occur in the evenings or on weekends, people call my cell phone, which is a Blackberry. In the event that I get a phone call while I am away from home, I am pretty limited in my ability to help unless I have seen the issue before or have a good idea of the problem. If a customer is seeing a SQL Server error that I don't know, or if I want them to gather information using a DMV for which I cannot recall the syntax, I'm at a disadvantage. While my Blackberry does have a web browser, it's difficult to use while also on the phone and the screen is pretty small. I do have a personal iTouch with Wi-Fi that I usually carry with me, but I have to be able to find free Wi-Fi where ever I am. In the event I can get online, I can search the web or utilize the #sqlhelp hash tag on Twitter, but the screen size is still pretty small.
Enter the iPad. The iPad with 3G is something I could use to help troubleshoot customer database issues from anywhere, AND it has the nice large screen. I wouldn't have any issue carrying it with me because even though it's about 8x10 in size, it's less than two pounds and I have plenty of room in that big purse of mine. If I had the ability to search the web, utilize #sqlhelp on Twitter, and connect back to one of our test database servers at work for troubleshooting, I could provide help to our customers from virtually anywhere. Not only does this help me on nights and weekends, but when I'm traveling to customer sites I have more flexibility (airports don't always have free Wi-Fi) and if I run errands during the work day, I can still be reached to provide help. Ultimately, this ability provides value to my employer and our customers.
Thanks!
Erin
December 17, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Hi Steve,
I know my comment is cutting it to the wire, but since Monday I have been trying to think about what to write. I even took the time to look up the word synergy. I have heard this buzz word many times in the IT/Business world but never really took the time to look up the true meaning. (I have now done this - courtesy of {dictionary.com} 1. combined action or functioning; synergism. 2. the cooperative action of two or more muscles, nerves, or the like.
3. the cooperative action of two or more stimuli or drugs. <--I find this one interesting, also would have been cooler to look it up on the iPad instead of my laptop.)
As many people have already mentioned, the iPad would be a great addition for our technical options to remote login into work to resolve issues or check the status/health of our database servers. I also checked out the website and online demo for the SQL Monitor tools. It looks like a great tool which appears to provide the functionality needed to effectively monitor the health of your database server. The website says it can be used on mobile devices through the web-based monitoring. I recently entered the wonderful world of smartphones with my purchase of an Evo 4G, so it would be awesome to be able to monitor work servers from anywhere I choose to be. Now, the Evo has one of the largest mobile phone screen sizes, but I would probably prefer the real estate of the iPad or another tablet better (Of course testing this theory with one of the contest iPads would be a great exercise in test-driven development 😉 <--see I'm bringing in a little synergy already).
Anyway, I hope you consider me for an iPad w/ the Red Gate SQL Monitoring. Perhaps, we could take a picture of me testing it on a horse at the ranch with you (after we work on extending your wifi connection out there). Or perhaps, I could put on my Hawaiian shirt and you could put on one of your many Hawaiian shirts and we could head to Hawaii for the picture of us using the iPad & SQL Monitoring tools while on the beach sipping pina coladas. The sky's the limit and the synergisms are endless. Maybe I will start getting the pina coladas ready now in preparation.
Cheers,
John Dempsey
December 17, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Can an iPad make doing my job better? An iPad by itself cannot enhance my job performance, but an iPad as part of a solution can definitely make my job better and easier to accomplish. A solution that gives me real-time statistics and updates on my SQL servers. A solution that I can take into a meeting, allow me to take notes while also getting that important email about server performance. A solution that I can take home and allow me to do my job without turning on and waiting for my desktop or laptop to boot up and connect to the office. Convience is a huge benefit to allowing me to do my job. Something that is always on, lightweight, and portable. Those are characteristics of a great solution. The iPad is just one part of the whole solution.
The benefit of an iPad are the apps. I could never get buy-in to purchase an iPad for my job, but it would be an easy sell if the iPad was just part of the overall solution. Selling the iPad as part of a solution would appeal to both Enterprise and SMBs. If the solution is right, what's an extra $500-$700? Trying to sell management on buying just an iPad though will be considered frivolous and not approved. The iPad can be a great tool and is a terrific platform. iPad specific apps can be created to duplicate most of today's Windows applications. A dedicated iPad app as the front end of a monitoring application would be a terrific solution. It would also allow me to do my job better.
December 20, 2010 at 5:37 am
So I am curious, who won? I didn't think I had much of a chance to win, but I threw my response with my reasons in the hat. Still I am wondering who won?
Ben
December 20, 2010 at 8:38 am
Me too...... waiting!
December 20, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Winners are posted on Steve's blog, here:
December 22, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Apologies. I should have posted here, but I was on holiday (still am).
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