SQL Server Administration
- Install, configure, and harden Microsoft SQL Server (2016/2017/2019/2022) in standalone and Always On (AGs) / cluster configurations.
- Own patching, service packs, cumulative updates, and inplace/sidebyside upgrades with rollback plans.
- Implement and maintain backup/restore strategies (Full/Diff/Log), log shipping, and DR (site failover tests).
- Manage security: logins, roles, permissions, encryption (TDE), auditing, and compliance (e.g., CIS benchmarks).
- Performance management: indexing strategies, query tuning (execution plans), statistics maintenance, I/O & memory tuning, and baseline + capacity planning.
Migration to AWS
- Lead endtoend migrations from onprem SQL Server to AWS using AWS DMS and native tools (BACPAC, backup/restore, log shipping, replication, SSDT).
- Migrate to Amazon RDS for SQL Server or Amazon EC2 SQL Server, and perform heterogeneous migrations to Aurora MySQL/PostgreSQL, MySQL, or PostgreSQL when required.
- Assess schema and code compatibility (e.g., SQL Server features not supported in target engines), recommend refactoring or alternatives, and plan cutover strategies (full load + CDC, blue/green, canary).
- Build migration runbooks: discovery, assessment, PoC, dry runs, cutover, and postmigration validation (data parity, performance, security).
- Optimize network and connectivity (VPC, security groups, VPN/Direct Connect, parameter groups, option groups).
Troubleshooting & Reliability
- Diagnose and resolve issues during and after migrations: DMS task failures, CDC lag, data type mismatches, collation conflicts, LOB handling, constraint/index rebuilds, longrunning queries, and replication/log shipping breaks.
- Respond to P1/P2 incidents, conduct root cause analysis (RCA), and implement preventive measures (alerts, runbooks, automation).
- Monitor and tune AWS RDS/Aurora parameters, storage autoscaling, IOPS, and CloudWatch alarms.
Required Qualifications
- 69 years as a SQL Server DBA/Administrator with strong production support experience.
- Proven handson delivery of onprem AWS database migrations using AWS DMS (full load & CDC).
- Practical experience with Amazon RDS for SQL Server and migrations to Aurora (MySQL/PostgreSQL), MySQL, or PostgreSQL.
- Deep understanding of HA/DR (Always On AGs, log shipping, backups/restore strategies).
- Proficient with Performance Troubleshooting (execution plans, waits, locks/latches, tempdb, memory & storage).
- Solid grasp of security (TDE, auditing, least privilege, secrets management).
- Comfortable with CloudWatch, Performance Insights, and general AWS services (VPC, IAM, KMS, S3, EC2, RDS).
- Excellent incident management, communication, and stakeholder coordination during cutovers.
- Knowledge of cost optimization and licensing considerations for SQL Server on AWS.
- Certifications: AWS Certified Database Specialty, AWS Solutions Architect Associate/Professional, Microsoft DP300 / MCSE (or equivalent).
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).
Soft Skills
- Strong ownership and problemsolving mindset.
- Excellent documentation and communication skills (clear runbooks, status updates, RCAs).
- Ability to work in fastpaced, oncall environments and lead crossfunctional war rooms.
