Tag: Database Development

SQL Server piecemeal restores

SQL Server Piecemeal Restores: Minimize Downtime & Speed Up Recovery

Restoring large databases can be time-consuming, but online piecemeal restores in SQL Server Enterprise offer quicker access to data. This method allows partial restoration while keeping the primary filegroup online, minimizing downtime. Requirements include using the Enterprise edition, multiple filegroups, a full recovery model, and available log backups. Best practices enhance efficiency.

Database Design SQL Server

How Proper Database Design Improves SQL Server Performance and Scalability

When a SQL Server database is the backbone of your application, its design will have a huge impact on the application’s performance. While many developers just view the database as a container for storing data, the truth is that a well-designed database is critical to your application’s speed, reliability, and ability to scale with your…
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How to Encrypt Sensitive Text in SQL Server with ENCRYPTBYPASSPHRASE

How to Encrypt Sensitive Text in SQL Server with ENCRYPTBYPASSPHRASE

Storing sensitive information in a database, like passwords or social security numbers, is common practice. However, storing them securely is less common. Unfortunately, one of the most typical approaches is to store sensitive information in a table as clear text. That means that anyone with access to that table can see all of that sensitive…
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Reduce the Cost of a SQL Server Estate

8 Ways to Reduce the Cost of a SQL Server Estate

Whether in the cloud or a data center, the cost of maintaining a SQL Server estate can escalate quickly. Beyond the direct expenses, indirect costs can quietly unbalance and outpace your IT budget. Let’s look at 8 ways to reduce the costs of your SQL Server estate. Direct and Indirect Costs of a SQL Server…
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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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Basic Availability Groups: Affordable High Availability with Key Limitations

Basic Availability Groups: Affordable High Availability with Key Limitations

In SQL Server 2022, Basic Availability Groups provide a limited, cost-effective solution for high availability and disaster recovery in the Standard Edition. However, they have several limitations when compared to a standard Availability Group in the Enterprise Edition. Although Basic AGs were introduced before SQL Server 2022, we’ll focus strictly on the latest version. Let’s…
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Reducing Business Risks for a SQL Server Estate

Reducing Business Risks for a SQL Server Estate

Your SQL Servers are the backbone of your company’s data operations. They power critical applications and store valuable information. They enable financial decisions, undergird operational activities, and support your sales processes. But what happens if there’s a problem? What happens when data is lost or corrupted? Or if one of your key systems is down…
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Explore IT Strategies

Essential IT Strategies and Tips: Discover Our Most Referenced Blog Posts

Ready to dive into our most popular blog posts? We’ve compiled a list of the top five blog posts that have resonated the most with our readers. Whether you’re new to our blog or a long-time reader, read on for valuable insights into data management, IT strategies, and more. Want to stay up to date…
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Streamline your failovers with contained Availability Groups

Streamline SQL Server Management with Contained Availability Groups

SQL Server Availability Groups can present challenges after a failover, such as missing logins, outdated passwords, or absent SQL Server Agent jobs. Some clients address these issues by requiring the primary replica to remain on the same instance. If a failover occurs due to an outage or patching, they generally request to revert the AG…
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Conference hall, IT Symposium

Join Us: 8/21 IT Symposium in Louisville

The SERO Group will be at the IT Symposium in Louisville on August 21st! I’m looking forward to connecting with industry leaders, sharing insights, and discussing the latest trends and innovations. The event will be at the Louisville Marriott East from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. If you’re in the area, stop by our table…
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