Category: SQL Server

SQL Server Blog Archives, by Peter Whyte (Database Administrator).
Includes: Database Admin, Management Studio (SSMS), Windows Admin, PowerShell, WSL, MSSQL Backups, Restores & more…

  • Check & Restart SQL Server Services on Linux

    As of the 2017 Edition of SQL Server we have been able to install SQL Server on Linux. Linux will likely be more of an unfamiliar environment for traditional Microsoft SQL DBAs. This guide should hopefully help you when you need to check the status of SQL Services…

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  • Forcing Encryption in SQL Server

    If you’re ever planning to allow external connections to a SQL Server, one of the first things to ensure is that the data is encrypted at rest and in transit. SQL Server has an option where we can force all connections on a SQL Server to be encrypted,…

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  • Include Execution Trace Messages in SQL Server Error Logs

    Logs are always important if you’re supporting systems. The SQL Server Agent has always been a heavily used tool in my experience, so writing execution trace messages to the logs might help investigate an issue one day. This guide follows the Microsoft Docs page – Write Execution Trace…

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  • Backing up a SQL Server Database with Encryption

    Backing up a SQL Server database with encryption is an essential practice when dealing with sensitive data, particularly if backups are stored off-site or include private customer information. SQL Server provides a secure method to back up databases using encryption by specifying an encryption certificate with the BACKUP…

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  • How to Backup a SQL Server Certificate

    Backing up SQL Server certificates is essential if you use them, especially for encrypted database backups that may need restoration on another server. This guide explains how to securely back up a SQL Server certificate and its private key. Backing up a SQL Server Certificate 1. Check Existing…

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  • How to Check What Features are Installed in SQL Server

    This is a quick guide on how to check which features are installed on a SQL Server. Open your SQL Server installation files. You may find them within the Setup Bootstrap folder (“C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\150\Setup Bootstrap\SQL2019”) or you might already have the ISO handy. We can open…

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  • Installing SQL Server on Linux

    A post on installing SQL Server on Linux, following the Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Guide (Red Hat). > 1. Install SQL Server.> 2. Install the SQL Server Command-Line Tools.> 3. Connect to SQL Server Locally.> 4. Connect to SQL Server Remotely. 1. Install SQL Server 1. Get connected…

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  • How to Enable TCP/IP Connections in SQL Server

    Some network protocols, like TCP/IP, are disabled by default in SQL Server. To allow TCP connections, you need to enable them and restart the SQL Server service. Here’s a simple guide to do this via GUI & command: :# Option 1: Enable TCP/IP via SQL Server Configuration Manager.…

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  • What’s New in the SQL Server 2019 Installation Wizard

    SQL Server 2019 was released on November 4, 2019, at Microsoft Ignite, following months of testing with release candidates. In this post, I’ll share my experience with the SQL Server 2019 installation wizard, highlighting key features and improvements that will be useful for DBAs. Key Features of SQL…

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  • Running Scheduled Tasks in SQL Server Express

    Running scheduled tasks in SQL Server Express requires an alternative approach since this edition lacks SQL Server Agent. Tasks like index maintenance, backups, or other recurring operations can be scheduled using Windows Task Scheduler. Below is a straightforward method to set up and execute such tasks using sqlcmd…

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