I mean BASIC basics.
I started back to teaching class on Monday after attending PASS in Orlando. I teach a class focused mainly on SQL Server which is why I am writing today. Most college students don't even think about performance or safety of data or even the difference between SQL Server and Access. It is my job to educate them on these principles as part of the course.
We had already gone over several of the key structural differences between Access and SQL Server, but they really hadn't been exposed to the real reasons why it is so important. They knew that an Access MDB was a singular file and that a SQL Server database had a data file and a log file. They had to know this in order to get their first project completed. We focused mainly on RAID devices and the pros and cons of the major RAID arrays supported by Microsoft. They understand that Hard Drives are relatively cheap and can be unreliable, and Hard Drives are the slowest part of the system (in some cases - the user is the slowest). RAID arrays can help alleviate some of these problems. It is such a good feeling to see the lightbulbs come on as you see them understand the various RAID arrays and why it is important for Database Performance and the Safety of the data. Tomorrow, we discuss another basic feature known as Backup/Restore. It doesn't sound sexy, but it really is a concept they can get their hands/brains around .
The really difficult part for me is to NOT tell them about all of the really neat features in SQL Server 2005 coming out to aid in the High Availability space. They just aren't there yet to really appreciate a discussion on that topic yet. I usually have 1 or 2 students who are ready for that discussion; that is when it is really fun.
In a couple of weeks, I will hit them with Indexing. Most of them have an idea about what an index is, but really do not understand the underlying concepts until they are forced to do so. I have never met anyone who went to college to become a DBA as their career goal. Most people who become a DBA were “drafted” into service. Hopefully, these students will be able to have a better idea of what is coming their way.