What I've been reading.

SQL Server 2019 Revealed from Bob Ward is my most current read, here's the Apress link which allows you to view a short preview of each chapter as well as directly downloading all of the source code for the book.

Anyone who uses SQL Server should be reading this. SQL Server 2019 is a very different release and there's a lot of new technology to understand but what I found great about this book is that it also explains the "why" behind the evolution of SQL Server into being a more complete Data Platform. 

The book introduces Big Data Clusters which includes a big technical stack including Apache Spark, Hadoop, Containers, Linux and the current top trend, Kubernetes. Naturally the book also includes all of the feature enhancements made inside the SQL 2019 engine and throughout is packed with example and it's nice to see Azure Data Studio feature in those too.

As said, if you're working with SQL Server you need this book, it's as simple as that!

If you haven't read it already then I can also recommend Pro SQL Server on Linux by Bob Ward (again), here's the Apress link (which again features previews). This book is a bit older and focuses on the 2017 release of SQL Server which was the first release to support Linux. It's a much heavier read (as in literally) and it does cover a lot of SQL Server functionality that seasoned professionals may be already aware of. 

That said the book is concise, again full of examples and introduces a lot of Linux code too that depending on background you might not be familair with. Linux is way more than just an option for SQL Server, it's a fundamental piece of the Data Platform vision so I would personally view this book as a necessity. In addition to this book I also purchased a copy of the Linux Bible which has been recommended by a good friend of mine, the copy I have dates back to 2015 and I've just seen that a newer edition is scheduled for release in June this year.

These two books perfectly demonstrate how the scope of SQL Server is embracing different technologies, none more so than Containers and Kubernetes, both of which (in my opinion) Microsoft are betting big on. With that in mind I'd recommend a couple of books from Nigel Poulton, Docker Deep Dive and The Kubernetes Book both of which I referred to numerous times since originally reading them. The Kubernetes book is more of an introductory read and covers many examples to get you going. As the name suggests, Docker Deep Dive is much more of a technical read but a technology as important as this does warrant a thorough understanding.

My final read is based purely on a personal learning choice and it's the official study guide for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect exam. Last year I passed the Azure Fundamentals exam and I always intended to take the AWS equivalent next (Cloud Practitioner) but this book covers that and the architect material as well and so far it's been really useful. 

So that's what I've been reading, I recommend all of the above, especially the SQL Server reads if you work on that platform. Would love to hear about any other recommendations!

In the defence of certification.

The usefulness of IT certification is a constant question and I don't actually think there's a definitive answer just lots of opinions, here's a couple:

https://www.scarydba.com/2019/08/26/certifications-are-a-bonus-not-a-path-to-employment/

https://itsalljustelectrons.blogspot.com/2017/04/Certified-And-Inexperienced-The-Kiss-Of-Death.html

Here's mine:

Certification is very useful.

Now I totally get why many people see them as surplus (or a bonus). I've met so many talented and highly skilled IT pros who don't have a single cert to their name and it has to be said that I've also met a few people who have an abundance of certs that haven't quite necessarily lived up to them.

There's also the age old problem of certification not equating to real-life experience, which is absolutely a fair point. At the end of the day you just cannot substitute actually doing the job, but does make certification a waste of time?

I honestly don't believe so. Although I only have one SQL related cert to my name (well I did but then it expired shortly after William the Conqueror took the helm) it proved to be an extremely valuable thing to have early on my career when it undoubtedly got me through the door to a few interviews where it was always mentioned (and subsequently led to my first "proper" DBA job).

Now it would be easy to ask that if they were that useful then why did I never take any more? In all honesty until recent times I've never really needed to but now with the emergence of so many new technologies I've hit the studying again. Taking certification in unfamiliar technology is a great way to learn because of the structured path that it provides and let's not forget the sense of achievement in actually gaining certification in something that has often started from very little knowledge.

I use the word achievement because gaining a cert really isn't easy, providing you do it in the right way. It takes hours upon hours of repeated studying, practice, not to mention an exam at the end of it which isn't everyone's favourite activity! Unfortunately though there are some short cuts available and there are people that take them but there's absolutely miles between someone who has taken a cert properly and someone who hasn't and that shouldn't devalue what certification stands for - that's not fair.

I've been on the other side of the interview table many times. For me certification really stands out and I can fully appreciate the efforts that people have taken to get it, and what it really means to them. I've interviewed people that are really trying hard to get into a role but they lack the significant experience but they've done the exam(s) to at least try to prove that they want to do it and for me that stands for a lot because I think it shows a great deal about the person, it's not just the cert.

Some people that I have met also take the certification path because they do stand for a certain level of expertise. I've seen more experienced people be very dismissive of certs, just like the MCTS which was the one I had. In fact I saw a whole social media conversation on that very subject shortly after I got mine. That really sucked because I think the point was missed; alright, I was in no way an expert (neither would I make out to be) but I'd learnt a lot, from nothing and at that time I had something to show for my efforts.

Like I said at the beginning, there is no definitive answer because many people haven't needed them and just as many have found them extremely useful. They don't substitute real world experience but then you can't really compare the two, they're completely different things but certification helps people get there, that, based on my own experience is the most beneficial factor.