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How To Begin Your Career As a SQL Server DBA (Udemy.com)

Your First Step In Becoming A Production SQL Server DBA

4.1
3,156 reviews

Created by: Mike West

Last updated March 2018

Our take

Based on the ratings of 3,156 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in March 2018. No course pays to be reviewed.

This is a short orientation to the SQL Server DBA job, not a technical deep dive. It runs about 1.9 hours across 40 lectures, and the first section is spent on what DBAs actually do and which job titles are entry points. After that it touches installation, tables, Transact-SQL, security and backups. The listing calls it a 101 course, and the audience list even says it is not for accidental or junior DBAs. Think of it as a map of the profession, with a few hands-on stops along the way.

Reviewers like how direct it is. One calls it the most valuable, straight to the point course they have bought on Udemy, and several say it gave them the basics with no experience needed. His delivery gets a nod for sounding clear and professional. Backups, the biggest section at 11 lectures, helped at least one reviewer finally understand them. The complaints are about depth. Some videos move fast, a beginner found the structure confusing in places, and one reviewer wanted recovery models, file systems and high availability covered. Another asked for a downloadable table to follow along.

The last update was March 2018, so expect dated material. For a career overview that matters less than it would for a tooling course, though a 2023 reviewer still asked for a refresh. Most of the roughly 3,150 ratings are four or five stars, and about 54,000 students have enrolled. Our advice: watch it to decide if the DBA path suits you, then move to a longer, hands-on SQL Server course. Don't treat it as job preparation on its own.

Best forCareer changers deciding whether a SQL Server DBA job is for them, before they commit to longer training.
Skip it ifYou already work with SQL Server and want high availability, performance tuning or recovery models in depth.

Pros

  • Short at 1.9 hours, with a first section on what DBAs do and which job titles to aim for
  • Reviewers say it needs zero experience and gives a clear picture of the basics
  • Backups get the most time, 11 lectures, and one reviewer says it made them click
  • Clear, studio quality audio, plus notes and summaries as extra text documents

Cons

  • Last updated in March 2018, and a 2023 reviewer asked for a refresh
  • Thin on depth: one reviewer wanted recovery models, file systems and high availability
  • Some lectures go fast, and one beginner found the structure confusing
This course covers the basics that anyone with zero experience needs.
Joshua Crane, a student

Genuinely 101: basic computer skills only, and the listing says it is not for junior or accidental DBAs.

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What you will learn

  • A the end of this course you'll know what IT positions are starting roles for SQL Server DBAs
  • You'll learn how to sift through job descriptions specific to your level of expertise.
  • You learn what a day in the life of a DBA looks like.

Course content

7 sections · 40 lectures · 1.9 hours of video 6 quizzes, 18 articles

  1. 1What Does A SQL Server DBA Do? Let's Define The Various Roles. 4 free previews10 lectures · 1 quiz · 25 min
  2. 2Installation and Configuration. Let's Talk About Versions and Do An Install.5 lectures · 1 quiz · 10 min
  3. 3Working With The Table Object. Let's Talk About The Most Important Object.6 lectures · 1 quiz · 19 min
  4. 4Transact-SQL. The Language of SQL Server. We Need To Speak It.4 lectures · 1 quiz · 10 min
  5. 5Security. Let's Talk About The Fundamentals of SQL Server Security.2 lectures · 1 quiz · 8 min
  6. 6Backing Up and Restoring. The Most Important Thing You'll Do as a DBA11 lectures · 1 quiz · 39 min
  7. 7Conclusion. Let's Talk About What We've Learned.2 lectures · 1 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • This course is a 101 level course. Anyone with basics computer skills can take this course.
  • This course is not for accidental DBAs or junior level DBAs.
  • If you are thinking about a career as a SQL Server DBA or developer then this course is for you.

What you need before you start

  • This course was designed for anyone with basic computer skills.
  • There are no prerequisites for this course.
  • All the materials for the course are free and will be downloaded as part of our lessons.

How it compares

Against the other 388 rated Udemy courses in SQL on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.1 out of 5higher than 8% of them
  • Reviews3,156#66 of 389 by number of reviews
  • Length1.9 hoursshorter than 86% of them
  • Last updatedMarch 2018earlier than 80% of them

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Course Description

"One of the best courses I have taken on Udemy. Short and straight to the point. I have been trying to get into DBA job and have been watching long videos and this by far is THE best course to understand DBA jobs before going into more depth."  -- Lopsang Gurung

Welcome to the Course

Congratulations are in order for having chosen to pursue the path of the DBA. YOU'VE made an EXCELLENT decision and one that I have no doubt will be very rewarding should you so wish.

As with any serious endeavor, YOU want to give YOURSELF the very best possible start in order to ensure things can move forward.

This course focuses on what YOU need to know in order to become a REAL WORLD SQL Server DBA.

SQL Server is one of the most complicated software offerings Microsoft has. It requires YOU have a foundation in networks, databases and programming. This wide range of skills is often difficult to obtain without rigorous learning and years of hands on experience.

The REWARDS YOU will OBTAIN are worth effort. Here are just a few. DBAs are very well compensated. YOU will get to work with some of the SMARTEST people in the IT world. You'll LEARN something EVERY DAY. The profession has been and will continue to be one of the highest growth professions.

SQL Server Database Administrators are responsible for the design, implementation, support and maintenance of SQL Server Databases. The role also includes architecting, building and scaling databases for future data growth and capacity.

DBA are also responsible for security, performance and availability of data to users and customers.

This course will give you some direction on how to begin your journey as a SQL Server DBA. I don't want to create any false promises. In addition to years of experience most Senior Level SQL Server resources have read a voluminous amount of product related material.

WE have to start somewhere and THIS COURSE will provide you with the REAL WORLD insight YOU need in order to start your journey.

If YOU are seriously interested in either starting out on the path to becoming a SQL Server Database Administrator the YOU'LL need two key ingredients. Experience and product knowledge. Experience might not be easy to get but it will be impossible if you don't have a very solid foundation in SQL Server.

ENROLL now. Let's get started!!!

Read More All Levels All Levels product length iconTime: 1.9h

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Instructor Details

Mike West

I'm the founder of LogikBot. I've worked at Microsoft and Uber. I helped design courses for Microsoft's Data Science Certifications. If you're interested in machine learning, I can help.

I've worked with databases for over two decades. I've worked for or consulted with over 50 different companies as a full time employee or consultant. Fortune 500 as well as several small to mid-size companies. Some include: Georgia Pacific, SunTrust, Reed Construction Data, Building Systems Design, NetCertainty, The Home Shopping Network, SwingVote, Atlanta Gas and Light and Northrup Grumman. 

Over the last five years I've transitioned to the exciting world of applied machine learning.  I'm excited to show you what I've learned and help you move into one of the single most important fields in this space.

Experience, education and passion 

I learn something almost every day. I work with insanely smart people. I'm a voracious learner of all things SQL Server and I'm passionate about sharing what I've learned. My area of concentration is performance tuning. SQL Server is like an exotic sports car, it will run just fine in anyone's hands but put it in the hands of skilled tuner and it will perform like a race car. 

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Reviews

4.1

3,156 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

Write a review

By Vinoy Vincent on 9/11/2020

Good course..

By Gabriel Gomes on 9/3/2020

Sim. Um curso bem explicado.

By Abdul Mannan on 8/19/2020

Nice drive..

By Sangeetha H N on 8/16/2020

Hi Mike,
Thanks for this amazing course.It is really made for Beginner DBAs like me.It helped me understanding the very basic concepts of what DBAs do.
Thanks a lot again.

By Ankit Francis on 8/14/2020

Was expecting bit more details to SQL server, particularly on how to manage credentials effectively. Common mistakes made by DBA and how to use other tools in SSMS for sharing information on slow performing queries, running queries on server etc.

By Kwame Dohgbefu on 7/26/2020

Am new to sql so am understanding info he is getting in a bit hard way but i think he is good in teaching so i will get it in ma head before we done with everything

By Felipe Mendez on 7/22/2020

Yes so far it's a good match..gives you a good perspective of what to expect if you are interested in pursuing to be a JR and then a Senior Dba

By Ashok Kumar Reddy Jambula on 6/20/2020

Good

By Anonymized User on 6/18/2020

I really enjoy this course and learn a lot.

By Biyi O on 6/18/2020

The content and course delivery was good and clear. The lecturer touched on one of the most important part of being a DBA which is the backup and restore sequence. Understanding this alone for me will go a long way.

By Christopher Craddock on 6/13/2020

18 out of the 40 spots are reading. I enjoy the videos but those are 18 more locations that potential videos could have been put. I am editing also as I go along, maybe speak up just a bit more. It sounds like the voice goes from a normal pitch ot trailing off, back to normal and trailing off again. It is fine If I blast the audio but trying to avoid that. Section 4 Quiz question #6 I thing the word 'out' is used instead of 'our'. (Also, explain or hint where to find the answer when someone gets it wrong so they can go back and review that section)

By Cheryl Caldwell on 6/4/2020

Too many modules that are read only.

Showing 12 of 309 reviews

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Overall Score : 82 / 100

How To Begin Your Career As a SQL Server DBA
Visit course on Udemy Write a review
  • Video Duration: icon 1.9h
  • Price: $13.99
  • Provider: icon Udemy
  • Updated: icon March 2018
  • Level: All Levels All Levels
  • Language: icon English
  • Certificate: icon Yes
  • Lectures:40 in 7 sections
  • Practice:6 quizzes
  • Students:54,000
  • Subtitles:2 languages
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