Introducing sp_CheckTempdb: Check Your SQL Server tempdb for Performance Issues

May 8, 2025

Most database folks might know the tempdb database in SQL Server is used for temporary tables, but many folks don’t realize all the other things that use this critical system database. It’s also used by table variables, cursors, aggregations, joins, and sorts. And by memory spills when you don’t have enough memory. And by integrity

Introducing sp_CheckBackup: Check Your SQL Server Backups for Recoverability Issues

August 14, 2024

Whether you are backing up your SQL Server databases with Ola Hallengren’s scripts, Maintenance Plans, or some third-party software, your backups are your lifeline for recovering your data in case of a disaster. So…are your databases recoverable? Do you know WHERE your most recent backups were written? Do you know WHEN they were written? Did

xp_cmdshell in SQL Server: Risks, Security & Safer Options

June 25, 2024

xp_cmdshell lets SQL Server run OS commands. That’s powerful (and dangerous.) It expands the blast radius of a SQL compromise. In most shops, it should be disabled, with rare, auditable exceptions and safer substitutes for routine admin tasks. Lets unpack that here – and visit our sp_CheckSecurity page to learn about our free SQL Server

Fixing SQL Server Vulnerabilities With GDRs

June 24, 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. For

OLE Automation: Just As Much Vulnerability As xp_cmdshell

June 21, 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. It’s

Why Enabling TRUSTWORTHY Is an Untrustworthy SQL Server Security Practice

June 20, 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. If

How Database Mail XPs Can Become a SQL Server Security Liability

June 16, 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. If

Local Windows Administrators Are Basically SQL Server sysadmins, Too

June 15, 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. If

SQL Server Logins: The Bad, the Worse, and the Ugly

June 7, 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. SQL