5 Key Backup Strategies for Unbeatable SQL Server Security

June 19, 2024

This post is part of our SQL Server security blog series, 30 SQL Server Security Checks in 30 Days. We’re publishing a new security check every day in the month of June. Visit our sp_CheckSecurity page to learn about our free SQL Server tool you can download and run to check your own server. There

Audit Your Database Backup Chain!

October 30, 2023

All database administrators know that safeguarding data is paramount and having a strong restore strategy is crucial. In this post, I would like to add another tool to your arsenal that I have found helpful in auditing server health and configurations as it pertains to backups and the backup chain. A backup chain is important

Essential SQL Server Database Maintenance Tasks Every DBA Should Know

August 23, 2023

Database maintenance is a critical aspect of the DBA role, ensuring the smooth operation of SQL Server environments. Some folks will implement a SQL Server maintenance plan without fully digesting what they are doing, but we prefer you to do this with eyes wide open. In this post, we will explore key tasks and areas

SQL Server Migration Considerations from a Jr. DBA

November 16, 2022

SQL Server migrations are a necessary and expected part of keeping a modern SQL Server deployment. We have worked with many clients on migration projects, and I have organized some considerations for you and your team before, during, and after your SQL Server migration. We recommend working with a SQL server DBA on these kinds

SQL Server Health Check Worst Offenders

November 1, 2022

After performing hundreds of SQL Server Health Checks over the years, we wanted to share the most common repeat offenders we find time and again. These are: This topic is part of our monthly SQL Server webinar series. Webinar registrants get access to the entire recording, which includes the office hours Q&A. If you would

A Simple SQL Server Health Checklist

June 30, 2022

Being part of a consulting team has given me experience with many environments, and part of the work I do every week is to check for the various best practices and monitor server health across over 20 environments. This post condenses the tools that can help and the configurations that are most likely to cause

Restoring SQL Server – Are you Ready?

April 9, 2021

It’s 5 AM on Wednesday. Your CIO has called your cell phone at home. “We need you to log in right now! Someone or something deleted all of the inventory. I tried to help out the team right before the inventory disappeared, and I was running some SQL commands I found and a couple of