Category: DBA

Scripts SQL Server Logins

Useful Scripts For SQL Server Logins and Permissions

Since security and permissions are a big part of a DBA’s job, it’s important to be able to find out things like who has elevated login permissions or when a login was last used. Here are a few queries to help you check your server and database access. Most of these scripts are based off…
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Image of a lost person reading a road map. This is your SQL Server when you use the "sp_" prefix to name a stored procedure and send it the long way around.

Quick Tips for Faster SQL Servers: Don’t Name Your Stored Procedures Using The “sp_” Prefix

A common mistake database developers make in SQL Server is naming their stored procedures with the “sp_” prefix. Organizations sometimes even adopt this as a standard convention (along with the “tbl_” prefix for tables!). So, why is this considered a bad practice? It’s inefficient. The “sp_” prefix is used by SQL Server to designate internal…
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Overcome the roadblocks between you and a better SQL Environment

“We Want a Better SQL Environment, Just Not Yet.”

No one wants a slow, unreliable SQL Server that leaks data like a sieve. No, they want a fast, reliable, and secure database environment. However, they may not want it right now. Creating a better SQL environment can wait until later, right? It might seem that way, but the risks will only grow while you…
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Take steps to improve your SQL environment

The Perfect SQL Server: Striving for Excellence in an Imperfect World

Does the perfect SQL Server exist? And what would that even look like? Let’s think about it for a moment. If the perfect SQL Server exists, it would be flawlessly tuned for its workload. It would have the ideal amount of hardware resources, and its settings would be perfectly optimized. The perfect SQL Server would…
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wrangling sql server log files

Log-Wrangling 101: 7 Tips for Managing Your SQL Server Transaction Logs

In my last post, I broke down the parts of the anatomy of the SQL Server transaction log. In this post, I will share a few tips for keeping your transaction logs well-maintained and your SQL Server databases happy and healthy. Here are 7 important tips for managing your transaction logs: Now, let’s break these…
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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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putting out a SQL Server fire

How to Align Your SQL Server to Your RPO and RTO Goals

Many businesses depend on data systems. Data systems help doctors schedule appointments with patients. They allow construction companies to manage projects and calculate costs. The list goes on and on. And if a key data system isn’t available, it hurts. It’s disruptive. And users, customers, patients, and leadership get unhappy. That’s why it’s important to…
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SQL Server database corruption can make you sick

A Severe Error Occurred! 5 Ways to Detect Database Corruption Early

No one likes to think about how to detect database corruption. But, Imagine this: you’re arriving at your job expecting an ordinary day. You begin receiving calls that the main application is returning a weird error when submitting or updating data; A severe error occurred on the current command.  The results, if any, should be…
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Who's caring for your SQL Servers?

Who’s Caring for Your SQL Servers?

“If three people are responsible for feeding the dog, the dog is going to starve. You must have clear areas of responsibility.” In his book Risk, retired United States Army General Stanley McChrystal shared this quote. It’s from a mentor he had as a young officer. And It helped shape his career. As a family…
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sql maintenance

SQL Server Maintenance: 10 Things to Keep Your SQL Server Running Well

I’m not really a car guy. My daily driver is 10 years old but it serves me well. It’s reliable. It gets me where I want to go and back again. And I want to keep it that way so I maintain it. I change the oil regularly, I rotate the tires almost as often,…
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