SQL Database design question

[David Cressey]

Re: SQL Database design question


"William Cleveland" <WCleveland@Ame ritech.Net> wrote in message
news:a3CNd.1986 $ng6.448@newssv r17.news.prodig y.com...
[color=blue]
> I'm afraid I don't have a good solution, except for the suggestion
> I've made at work that both the DBA *and* the original database
> designer sign off on changes in a database. So far, no luck.[/color]

The problem with this is the case when a database is part of a software
package that is sold to multiple clients.

The DBA typically works for a client, while the original database designer
works for the vendor, or the people the vendor bought the rights from. I
think this is not a trivial distinction.

[Erland Sommarskog]

Re: SQL Database design question

David Cressey (david.cressey@ earthlink.net) writes:[color=blue]
> "William Cleveland" <WCleveland@Ame ritech.Net> wrote in message
> news:a3CNd.1986 $ng6.448@newssv r17.news.prodig y.com...
>[color=green]
>> I'm afraid I don't have a good solution, except for the suggestion
>> I've made at work that both the DBA *and* the original database
>> designer sign off on changes in a database. So far, no luck.[/color]
>
> The problem with this is the case when a database is part of a software
> package that is sold to multiple clients.
>
> The DBA typically works for a client, while the original database
> designer works for the vendor, or the people the vendor bought the
> rights from. I think this is not a trivial distinction.[/color]

Indeed. Being on the vendor side of the fence, I say that all warranties
are waived if you meddle with the database by other means through our
application.



--
Erland Sommarskog, SQL Server MVP, esquel@sommarsk og.se

Books Online for SQL Server SP3 at

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/techinfo/productdoc/2000/books.asp

[David Cressey]

Re: SQL Database design question


"Erland Sommarskog" <esquel@sommars kog.se> wrote in message
news:Xns95F6EC8 26B9B1Yazorman@ 127.0.0.1...
[color=blue]
> Indeed. Being on the vendor side of the fence, I say that all warranties
> are waived if you meddle with the database by other means through our
> application.[/color]

I've occasionally been hired by clients to turn their data into information.
From that side of the fence, I'd have to say that turnkey systems are
generally garbage. Encapsulation, like paint, covers a multitude of sins.

I've even walked away from gigs where the client wanted to use data in ways
the vendor should have thought of, but didn't.