Database administration is an inherently “remote”-able job, right? Long gone are the days when we had to babysit the bare-metal DB server because it was “acting up”. These days, it’s a VM (or a container), and if it’s not in the cloud yet, the bean counters are furiously debating whether when it should be. And yet…

Excellent database administration (and development) doesn’t happen in a bubble. The data we manage represents real stuff – employees, vendors, purchase orders, specifications, invoices, finished goods, and much more. For many of us, a trip to the factory floor, the warehouse, or even someone’s desk can provide instant clarity on concepts that would take days of back-and-forth emailing to explain.

But here we are – waist deep in the new normal – and it’s becoming clear that the strategy is not to unclog the drain, but to learn to swim. Here at Kitchen Table DBA, we love to talk about data and data tools, but we also want to open a discussion about the challenges of using those tools in a 100% remote environment.