Mike WalshMike Walsh

Mike loves mentoring clients on the right Systems or High Availability architectures because he enjoys those lightbulb moments and loves watching the right design and setup come together for a client. He started Straight Path in 2010 when he decided that after over a decade working with SQL Server in various roles, it was time to try and take his experience, passion, and knowledge to help clients of all shapes and sizes. Mike is a husband, father to four great children, and a Christian. He’s a volunteer Firefighter and EMT in his small town in New Hampshire, and when he isn’t playing with his family, solving SQL Server issues, or talking shop, it seems like he has plenty to do with his family running a small farm in NH raising Beef Cattle, Chickens, Pigs, Sheep, Goats, Honeybees and who knows what other animals have been added!

SQL Server: Standard vs Enterprise Edition

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Do you need SQL Server Enterprise Edition? Maybe. Maybe not. This blog post will help you figure out if you can make the move from SQL Server Enterprise Edition to SQL Server Standard. Lately, we’ve been finding more and more folks who can answer that probably not. I’ve lost track of the number of clients … Read more

Cluster Validation – BEWARE!!!

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Subtitle: SHAME ON YOU MICROSOFT! This is not a new behavior. It’s not a new risk. It’s the same old risk that’s been in Windows Failover Clustering for quite some time. But it’s worse for SQL Server environments that use a Windows failover cluster for an Availability Group – since you are not sharing storage … Read more

SQL Server In Place Upgrades: Too Expensive?

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In Place SQL server Upgrades Stink

About eight years ago, I wrote a (kind of long) answer to a DBA. Stackexchange question, “Are SQL Server In-Place upgrades as ill-advised as they used to be?” My summary answer on the top of my tome was: Short Answer – In Place is okay. You can review your configuration afterward and implement the best practices … Read more

Welcome, Sandra Delany!

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But First… A Quick Note… “In Times Like These!” Hey There! What a weird time to be announcing a change on the roster. But here I am – announcing a change on the roster!! Straight Path is doing well so far with the shifting economy in these times, and we’ve been working closely with our … Read more