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disk latency in azure

Analyzing Disk Latency in Azure Virtual Machines – Part 1

If you’ve moved your SQL Server workload to Azure Virtual Machines, you’ve noticed there’s no shortage in the number of options available. Virtual machine sizes, disk types, caching vs no caching, support for bursting, etc. When hosting SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines, choosing the right combination of VM size and disk types is essential…
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SQL Server DBA celebration

Preview Our New SQL Server Daily Health Check in an Upcoming Focus Group

Our team has been hard at work building the new SQL Server Daily Health Check Email and Dashboard. It’s designed to proactively deliver the information needed to keep your SQL Server environment healthy, secure, reliable, and running smoothly. And, we’d like your feedback on it. How the new SQL Server Daily Health Check works Here’s…
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Make data security your new years resolution

New Year Resolution: Recommitting to Data Security and Lessons from the Xfinity Breach

As we ring in 2024, many are reflecting on the past year and making resolutions for the future. For businesses, one resolution should stand out: recommitting to data security. The late-2023 Xfinity breach, where 36 million customers had their personal information compromised, serves as a stark reminder of the ever-present threat of cyberattacks. What happened?…
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SEROShield SQL Server dashboard

Coming Soon: The All-New SQL Server Daily Health Check and Dashboard

SQL Server is a critical component for many businesses, and its health and performance can have a significant impact on operations. If SQL Server is having a bad day, a lot of people are having a bad day. Users, patients, loan officers, etc, and of course, IT. That’s why we recommend performing a SQL Server…
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archiving data in sql server

Archiving and Deletion Strategy…KonMari for Data Management?

Welcome to the third and final post in our series on Data Lifecycle Management (DLM), where we will talk about archiving and purging company data. In the last post, we talked about applying the Kaizen approach to data management to achieve a culture of continuous improvement on our data teams. In this post, we will…
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Secure Azure SQL Database

Recent Attacks on SQL Server VMs in Microsoft Azure

Poorly secured SQL Server VMs in Microsoft Azure are being attacked. And they are being used as a beachhead for additional exploits. According to a recent Microsoft warning, these attacks allow the bad actors to gain access to cloud resources without having to compromise the underlying infrastructure. How the attack works In the warning, Microsoft…
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enhanced data security

5 Reasons You Should Use SQL Audit to Enhance Database Security

We know better than to click a link from the son of an unfairly deposed Nigerian Prince who needs our help. Yet, according to Deloitte’s 2023 Global Risk Management Survey, 91% of all cyberattacks begin with a phishing email. And many of them are successful. No business or industry is off limits. So, it’s important…
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DB#JAMMER targets SQL Server

DB#JAMMER is Targeting Poorly Secured SQL Servers

SQL Server is being targeted again. This attack is called DB#JAMMER. And it’s targeting poorly secured SQL Servers. What’s happening? Attackers begin by brute-forcing access into poorly secured SQL Servers. Once they have gained access, the attackers use xp_cmdshell to deploy tools. They manipulate the firewall, if needed, and transfer files to and from the…
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the zen of sql server data management

Data Management Strategy: A Kaizen Approach

“Take time to improve our data management processes? Sorry, we are just too busy”… fixing errors from broken data processes. This refrain is more common than you think in IT departments of all sizes. Or maybe you live that reality every day and are fully aware that clunky, error-laden processes eat away at your team’s…
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sql server deadlocks

Deadlocks Could Mean Data Loss!

Deadlocks in SQL Server are more than just a nuisance, they can be problematic, and even lead to data loss and inconsistencies.