4 ms·

Hence columnar stores. But parent is right that the choice of what shouldn't be coming from your DBA; they should be more interested in how.

by ska 7y ago

JoshTriplett 7y ago
It is the DBA's job to advise, and that includes advice like "this isn't a good idea", or "could you do something else instead", or "this will require XYZ rearchitecting, which will affect these other factors/queries/etc". The DBA isn't the final decision-maker, but they're a critical advisor.
- ska 7y ago
  Yes of course, but it's the business need that should drive that discussion, not the DB architecture. "I'm not putting X in my database" is very different than "Well, if we need to do Y, I think we'll have to change A, B & C". Up to others to decided if it is worth it or not.
  - DagAgren 7y ago
    You should also consider that that was a loose, humorous description of what happened, and not something really worth analysing to the last letter.
    - ska 7y ago
      Fair. I have multiple times run into that attitude seriously, otoh.
  - JoshTriplett 7y ago
    It's also completely reasonable to say "We shouldn't do Y". The response to everything shouldn't be to go immediately into solution space and list off trade-offs on the assumption that Y is happening. With people you trust for both their integrity and their expertise, "we shouldn't do Y" is a reasonable shorthand for "there are a pile of valid reasons we shouldn't do Y, and you and I both know I can list them for you off the top of my head, and it might well be possible anyway but it would take a lot more work and trade-offs than you might expect". That isn't the end of the conversation; if the response to "we shouldn't do Y" is "it'll be a pain if we can't do Y", then you can explore solution space together, where that solution space includes both trade-offs to support doing Y and alternatives to doing Y. Use experts for their expertise, rather than the equivalent of "I don't care, make it happen". Or, in short: yes, of course the DBA doesn't unilaterally dictate the architecture, but maybe listen to their expertise anyway.
    - ska 7y ago
      As far as I can tell, we are agreeing.

Hence columnar stores. But parent is right that the choice of what shouldn't be coming from your DBA; they should be more interested in how.

by ska 7y ago

Hence columnar stores. But parent is right that the choice of what shouldn't be coming from your DBA; they should be more interested in how.

JoshTriplett 7y ago

It is the DBA's job to advise, and that includes advice like "this isn't a good idea", or "could you do something else instead", or "this will require XYZ rearchitecting, which will affect these other factors/queries/etc". The DBA isn't the final decision-maker, but they're a critical advisor.

ska 7y ago
Yes of course, but it's the business need that should drive that discussion, not the DB architecture. "I'm not putting X in my database" is very different than "Well, if we need to do Y, I think we'll have to change A, B & C". Up to others to decided if it is worth it or not.
- DagAgren 7y ago
  You should also consider that that was a loose, humorous description of what happened, and not something really worth analysing to the last letter.
  - ska 7y ago
    Fair. I have multiple times run into that attitude seriously, otoh.
- JoshTriplett 7y ago
  It's also completely reasonable to say "We shouldn't do Y". The response to everything shouldn't be to go immediately into solution space and list off trade-offs on the assumption that Y is happening. With people you trust for both their integrity and their expertise, "we shouldn't do Y" is a reasonable shorthand for "there are a pile of valid reasons we shouldn't do Y, and you and I both know I can list them for you off the top of my head, and it might well be possible anyway but it would take a lot more work and trade-offs than you might expect". That isn't the end of the conversation; if the response to "we shouldn't do Y" is "it'll be a pain if we can't do Y", then you can explore solution space together, where that solution space includes both trade-offs to support doing Y and alternatives to doing Y. Use experts for their expertise, rather than the equivalent of "I don't care, make it happen". Or, in short: yes, of course the DBA doesn't unilaterally dictate the architecture, but maybe listen to their expertise anyway.
  - ska 7y ago
    As far as I can tell, we are agreeing.