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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
SQL Server Availability Groups can present challenges after a failover, such as missing logins, outdated passwords, or absent SQL Server Agent jobs.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…
Read more
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…
Read more
A database on a specific SQL Server version doesn’t automatically have all features enabled. For example, a database on SQL Server 2019 can still use SQL Server 2014 compatibility, missing some 2019 features. Each database has a Compatibility Level setting that activates certain features of its version. When SQL Server 2014 introduced the Cardinality Estimator,…
Read more
Many developers mistakenly use WITH (NOLOCK) in their SELECT statements without fully understanding its effects. While they might aim to speed up queries or prevent deadlocking, NOLOCK can actually lead to invalid results. What does NOLOCK do? A SELECT statement in SQL Server locks data to prevent modifications during querying. The lock is released after…
Read more
Recent Comments