My Top 10 Interview Tips For Junior Dbas
1. Are You a Problem Solver?
At the core of being a successful Database Administrator is an ability and a drive to problem solve.
You need to be able to effectively demonstrate your passion for problem solving. Problem solving is not really a skill that you can teach but it can certainly be improved and enhanced through practice.
You must be able to demonstrate a good level of problem solving to the interviewer.
Be prepared for your interview whether it be face to face or over the telephone, with a whole host of examples that demonstrate your ability and flair to problem solve.
2. Do You Know The Primary Responsibility of a DBA?
Do you know what the primary responsibility of a DBA is? If not then you need to read this now! Think of it as the DBA Prime Directive. Everything that you do as a data professional is built on this.
3. What do You Know About Database Backups?
Ideally you should get to grips with the basics of SQL Server backups but as a very minimum you must know why they are necessary and why they are important.
4. Why do You Want to be a DBA?
I look for candidates who know why they want to be a Database Administrator. There is no right or wrong answer here but you must be able to demonstrate to the interviewer that your reasons are clear and have been thought out.
5. Can you provide quality examples of your previous projects?
- Working in groups
- Working independently and without supervision
- Planning
6. Can you Demonstrate Overcoming Adversity?
How To Prepare For Questions
Technical questions are a must. These help the employer in judging the skills of the candidates. These questions will be based on the nature of the job applied for. There are certain essential factors that should be kept in mind while answering them. For instance, the way the answers are presented, the confidence level, the candidates knowledge about the industry and the latest technical knowhow are some of the important factors in this regard. Preparing for an interview beforehand is preferred as it helps to avoid stressful situations during the process. It is also important to work on both the strength and weak areas. The interview process must be able to emphasize on your strengths. In addition you should also work on your weaknesses so that you can handle issues pertaining to them deftly.
Interview Preparation Guidance For Sql Server Dba
Do you want to prepare for interview of SQL server DBA position, but confusing with how to start and where to start, which topics to prepare and you want to know what are the latest real time interview questions for SQL DBA position for various companies. We are here to help you in your interview preparation just with a service fee.
Don’t Miss: How To Reschedule A Phone Interview For Food Stamps
Questions About Dba Experience And Background
Prospective employers may also ask you these questions about your relevant experience and education to better understand your professional qualifications:
- Why did you choose database administration?
- Tell me about your experience as a DBA.
- Why did you leave your last DBA job?
- What are your top technical skills?
- Describe your workflow without direct supervision.
- How do you learn new applications?
- What do you feel is the role of a DBA?
- What are the most common tasks performed as a DBA?
- What do you feel are the most valuable skills you gained from your last position?
Related:Technical Skills: List, Definitions and Examples
Can You Explain The Limitation Of Basic Availability Groups
Basic availability groups replace database mirroring features. It provides us to maintain a single secondary replica. Below is its main limitation when we compare it with standard availability groups.
- Only 2 replicas can be created. One primary replica and another one is a secondary replica
- Only 1 database will work as an availability database just like in database mirroring
- Secondary replica cannot be used for reading transactions, database backups, or other database maintenance activities
- Basic availability groups cannot be part of distributed availability groups
- We cannot upgrade basic availability groups to standard availability groups. We need to drop them and reconfigure standard availability groups from scratch
Don’t Miss: How To Prepare For Microsoft Interview
Do Extensive Research On The Company
You should thoroughly research the company you are interviewing with, as you want to make sure you understand the business and anticipate the kinds of questions the interviewer may ask. Good research would include the following:
- Do a Google search on the company.
- Review the companys website .
- Review press releases from the company.
- Read over the companys blog if it has one.
- Review press articles written about the company.
- If the company is public, review its SEC filings at sec.gov.
- Review the companys LinkedIn page.
- Review information about the companys competitors.
- Tap into your network of contacts to get any insight into the company you can.
Interview Tips For Candidates
- Top Ten Questions to Ask at Your Own Job Interview avoid taking a crappy job that youll regret later!
- How to Get a Telecommuting Job Ive been telecommuting off and on since 2000, and Ive accumulated a set of tips on how to get a remote DBA job.
- Being the Porsche of Job Candidates you can get a decent job by being a decent candidate, but to get the best jobs, you have to be the best candidate. That means having an online presence.
- Ask for a List of Servers DBA candidates need to ask as many questions as they answer during the interview.
Recommended Reading: How To Interview For A Recruiter Position
Explain How Will You Change The Physical File Name Of A Data File
Changing the physical database file name is multistep activity. We must not perform such activities on regular basis and only do them on a need basis. Below are the high-level steps to change a physical file of a database.
- Set database in OFFLINE state
- Go to the location where your database files are saved and rename each file as per your desired naming convention
-
Update system catalog with new files names by running ALTER DATABASE statement for each file separately
1 ALTERDATABASESQLSHACKMODIFYFILEGO - Bring database ONLINE
Q How To Upgrade Sql Server 2000 To Sql Server 2008
To upgrade SQL Server 2000 to SQL Server 2008, the safest approach would be a side-by-side upgrade. We can do this either by using backup and restore or by detaching/attaching the database files. However, it is suggested to use the former as it is a safer approach. The steps are as follows:
- Run the Upgrade Analysis tool from Microsoft. Address any issues raised there, first
- Identify DTS packages. These must be migrated manually unless we buy Pragmatic Works
- Rebuild the DTS packages as SSIS
- Script out all SQL Agent jobs
- Script out all security
- Backup the systems and validate the backups
- Run the security script on the new system
- Run restore on the new system
- Validate the databases by running DBCC
- Manually update all statistics
- Run the SQL Agent script
Read Also: Where To Watch Interview With A Vampire
Preparing For An Interview
Preparing for an interview primarily means taking time to thoughtfully consider your goals and qualifications relative to the position and employer. To accomplish this, you should perform research on the company and carefully review the job description to understand why you would be a good fit. Lets look at the steps to preparing for an interview.
What Are The Different Sql Server Versions You Have Worked On
The answer would be depending on the versions you have worked on, I would say I have experience working in SQL Server 7, SQL Server 2000, 2005, and 2008. If you have worked only on some versions be honest in saying that, remember, no one would be working on all versions, it varies from individual to individual.
Recommended Reading: What Are Some Good Responses To Interview Questions
What The Different Types Of Replication And Why Are They Used
There are basically 3 types of replication: Snapshot, Transactional and Merge Replication. The type of Replication you choose depends on the requirements and/or the goals one is trying to achieve. For example, Snapshot Replication is useful only when the data inside the tables does not change frequently and the amount of data is not too large, such as a monthly summary table or a product list table, etc.
Transactional Replication would useful when maintaining a copy of a transactional table such as sales order tables etc. Merge Replication is more useful in the case of remote / distributed systems where the data flow can be from multiple sites, for example, sales done at a promotional event that might not be connected to the central servers always.
Q36 Youre At A Clients Office And You Are Expected To Solve A Problem In Their Database The Client Is Not Sure About Their Database Version And You Want To Find Out The Version Of Their Existing Database Describe Three Different Methods You Can Use To Find The Version Of Database Software
Ans.
- You can find the version by connecting to the database with SQL*Plus. SQL*Plus will print the name and the version of the database software once youre connected to the database. A sample output will look like below:
Connected to:Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.4.0 ProductionWith the Partitioning, OLAP, Data Mining, and Real Application Testing options
- You can find the version by querying the vs version view. You can execute the SQL query below to find the version of the database:
SQL: SELECT * FROM v$version A sample output would look like below:BANNEROracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.4.0 ProductionPL/SQL Release 11.2.0.4.0 ProductionCORE 11.2.o.4.o ProductionTNS for Linux: Version 11.2.0.4.0 ProductionNLSRTLVersion 11.2.0.4.0 Production
- You can find the version from Enterprise Manager. If you logon to Oracle Enterprise Manager, the version of the database software will be listed on the home page under the General web part.
Also Check: How To Prepare For Java Interview
Q How Can Sql Server Instances Be Hidden
To hide a SQL Server instance, we need to make a change in SQL Server Configuration Manager. To do this, we have to follow the below steps:
- First, in SQL Server Configuration Manager, we have to expand SQL Server Network Configuration
- Right-click on Protocols for < server instance> and select Properties
- Once we do that, we will find a HideInstance box in which, on the Flags tab, we have to select Yes
- After that, click on OK
Note: While hiding a named instance, we need to provide the port number in the connection string so that even if the browser is running it is possible to connect to the hidden instance.
What Is The Difference Between Clustered And Non
In a clustered index, the leaf level pages are the actual data pages of the table. When a clustered index is created on a table, the data pages are arranged accordingly based on the clustered index key. There can only be one Clustered index on a table.In a Non-Clustered index, the leaf level pages do not contain data pages instead it contains pointers to the data pages. There can multiple non-clustered indexes on a single table.
Read Also: How Does A Phone Interview Work
Q Why Is Shrinkfile/shrinkdb/autoshrink Not Preferable
- In the SHRINKFILE command, SQL Server isnt careful about where it puts the pages that are moved from the end of the file toward the beginning of the file.
- Data becomes fragmented, potentially up to 100 percent, and hence it is a performance killer for the database.
- Slow operation: All pointers, being moved to/from the page/rows, have to be fixed and the SHRINKFILE operation is single-threaded, so it can be really slow
Recommendations:
- First, use TRUNCATEONLY to shrink the file. It removes the inactive part of the log and then performs the shrink operation.
- Rebuild/reorganize indexes once the shrink is done so that the fragmentation level is decreased.
Q25 Explain How Shared Server Architecture Works
Ans. In shared server architecture, the clients connect to a dispatcher process. This dispatcher is responsible for delivering the SQL requests to the request queue.
The shared server process monitors the request queue. When they find an incoming request, they execute this SQL query and place the results in the response queue. The request queue and the response queue reside in the system global area.
The dispatcher processes also monitor the response queue. When it receives a result, they deliver the result to the relevant client.In this architecture, there will be multiple shared server processes and dispatcher processes.
Don’t Miss: How To Successfully Interview Someone
What Happens At A Phd Interview
The format for a PhD interview can vary, depending on your subject area and the circumstances of your application.
You might be in front of a recruitment panel. Or you might just meet your supervisor in the campus coffee shop and chat about your research interests.
This makes it quite difficult to describe a standard PhD interview.
Theres a bit of a difference between going over the finer points of your MSc thesis before a panel and discussing your favourite historians in a canteen.
But two things unite both formats. Each hinges on a discussion of your academic interests, achievements and goals. And that discussion is important, however it takes place.
Even the most informal interview aims to establish this.
Depending on the format for your interview it could involve:
- A formal question and answer session in front of a postgraduate recruitment panel.
- A presentation, based on your research proposal or area of expertise.
- A one-to-one discussion with your prospective supervisor.
- An informal lunch with your prospective supervisor, other members of your interview panel and / or current PhD students.
- Various orientation activities. These might include visits to research spaces and opportunities to chat with staff and students.
Research The People Who Will Be Interviewing You
Before your interview, try and get a list of the people you will be meeting with. Then research these individuals, including:
- Do a Google search on each person.
- Review their individual LinkedIn pages .
- Review any information about these individuals on the companys website.
The goal is to learn about your interviewers backgrounds and interests so that it will be easier to establish a rapport. Show interest in them and their role in the company.
You May Like: How To Prepare For A Phone Call Interview
How Do You Troubleshoot Errors In A Sql Server Agent Job
Inside SSMS, in Object Explorer under SQL Server Agent look for Job Activity Monitor. The job activity monitor displays the current status of all the jobs on the instance. Choose a particular job that failed, right-click, and choose view history from the drop-down menu.
The execution history of the job is displayed and you may choose the execution time . There would information such as the time it took to execute that Job and details about the error that occurred.
Technical Screening Dba Interview Questions
The technical screening interview almost always comes first. Why? The technical screen filters out candidates who may not have the technical skills needed for the role and thereby ensures the hiring company doesnt invest too much time in candidates who would fail to meet the technical demands of the job. I cant tell you what youll be asked or how. I hope youll have an interview experience that tries to measure your potential more than your memorization skills, but theres certainly no guarantee of that. At the same time, DBAs have a well-documented set of essential skills they must master. So, there are some areas you can brush up on to make sure youre ready for a productive conversation:
Also Check: How To Do An Online Video Interview
Employer’s Perspective For A Sql Server Dba Phone Interview
In some respects, employers handle phone interviews in such a manner that theyuse the same questions to assess the skills of the candidates as a means to compareand contrast their skills to determine a ‘candidate ranking’. By this I mean candidatesare ranked in terms of best to worst skill set as well as determine who should progressto the next step in the process, the on-site interview.
From an employer’s perspective, they are trying to determine a few differentitems during the phone interview:
- Communication skills
- How they could fit into the team
Q51 What Are The Contents Of The Control File
Every Oracle database has a control file. A control file is a small binary file that records the physical structure of the database and includes:
Recommended Reading: How To Interview An Accountant
Consider Your Answers To Common Interview Questions
While you wont be able to predict every question youll be asked in an interview, there are a few common questions you can plan answers for. You might also consider developing an elevator pitch that quickly describes who you are, what you do and what you want.
There are some jobs that may involve a test or evaluation during the interview process. For example, if you are interviewing for a computer programming, development or analytics role, you might also be asked to write or evaluate lines of code. It might be helpful to consult with colleagues in the industry for examples of tests theyve been given to prepare.
You should also prepare to discuss your salary expectations, just in case. If youre unsure about what salary is appropriate to ask for the position youre applying to, visit Indeed’s Salary Calculator to get a free, personalized pay range based on your location, industry and experience.
Here are a few examples of common interview questions:
Why do you want to work here?The best way to prepare for this question is to learn about the products, services, mission, history and culture of the company. In your answer, mention the aspects of the company that appeal to you and align with your career goals.
Example:Id love the opportunity to work with a company thats making a difference. Finding a company with a positive work environment and values that align with my own has remained a priority throughout my job search, and this company ranks at the top of the list.
