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Database Administrator Interview Questions

"Database administrators specialize in ensuring the safety of the client's data. Candidates should be well-versed in database design, security, and backup. Expect a technical-based interview that will test your ability to restore or find a file, manage databases, and increase the efficiency of a backup. Excellent organizational and communication skills will show that you are the right fit for maintaining the company's database."

Top Database Administrator Interview Questions & How to Answer

Question 1

Question #1: Tell me about your experience with AI.

How to answer
How to answer: Artificial intelligence is becoming more important in database administration. The hiring manager is assessing your skills in this area. Talk about data administration projects in which you used machine learning, developed an AI infrastructure, and deployed AI algorithms. If you have no on-the-job experience, talk about an industry event or a project you worked on independently that involved the use of AI.
Question 2

Question #2: A senior colleague disagrees with you. How do you handle this?

How to answer
How to answer: A database administrator must collaborate with IT professionals, such as data analysts and senior managers, to administer the database and ensure data accessibility. Show the hiring manager that you can work effectively in a team, resolve conflicts, and communicate persuasively with your answer. Provide a strategy involving a series of behavioral steps. Develop your strategy in advance, ask a professional contact for feedback on it, and revise it if necessary before your interview.
Question 3

Question #3: Tell me about your experience managing cloud data.

How to answer
How to answer: More companies are migrating their on-site databases to the cloud, and the hiring manager wants to know whether you have the skills to operate a cloud-based database. Provide expertise examples in this area. For example, talk about working with specific cloud storage systems, such as AWS; transitioning on-site company data to enterprise cloud; managing and securing cloud data; and improving how data interacts with distributed apps.

3,444 database administrator interview questions shared by candidates

How would you identify a long running query? How would would find out the execution plan of that query? If you have a SPID how could you see what query that spid was executing? Name the types of waits in SQL-Server? What do they mean? Is there another way besides SQL Server Profiler, Extended Events and Performance Monitor to see waits, I/O, etc? What is the difference between an Implicit and Explicit query in SQL? With a large database using Blobs what sort of configuration changes do you have to make? How do you setup indexing specifically? What steps do you take to tune SQL queries? How would you go about rewriting a poorly performing query? How could you tell where indexes were missing? Why would you choose SQL-Server over Oracle?
avatar

SQL Server Database Administrator

Interviewed at MetLife

3.7★
Apr 20, 2016

How would you identify a long running query? How would would find out the execution plan of that query? If you have a SPID how could you see what query that spid was executing? Name the types of waits in SQL-Server? What do they mean? Is there another way besides SQL Server Profiler, Extended Events and Performance Monitor to see waits, I/O, etc? What is the difference between an Implicit and Explicit query in SQL? With a large database using Blobs what sort of configuration changes do you have to make? How do you setup indexing specifically? What steps do you take to tune SQL queries? How would you go about rewriting a poorly performing query? How could you tell where indexes were missing? Why would you choose SQL-Server over Oracle?

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