SQL DBA Blog

Category: Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server Blog which includes troubleshooting, performance tuning, and database administration guides from an experienced SQL DBA, Peter Whyte.

  • Get Estimated Database Backup/Restore Example

    When you’re waiting on a database backup or restore to complete in SQL Server, we can run the script below to get an estimated time of how long the backup has left to go – We have one 5GB database here currently being backed up at the time…

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  • Get Last Backup Times for all Databases in SQL Server

    Ensuring your databases are regularly backed up is critical for data recovery in case of corruption, accidental deletions, or other failures. If you don’t have a backup, recovering lost data may be impossible. As a Database Administrator, it’s your number one Priority along-side ensuring your SQL Service is…

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  • How to Check Table Sizes in SQL Server

    In this post, I’m sharing different ways of checking table sizes in SQL Server. There’s many ways to get this information, and whether you prefer using T-SQL scripts for automation, or SSMS tools for quick checks, these methods offer flexibility for different situations as a SQL Database Administrator.…

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  • Drop Table if Exists in SQL Server

    The DROP TABLE command in SQL Server is used to remove a table from the database permanently. However, attempting to drop a non-existent table can result in execution errors. To prevent this, SQL Server 2016 introduced the DROP TABLE IF EXISTS command, which makes the process more efficient…

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  • Get Last Database Restore Date and Time in SQL Server

    This guide provides a script to retrieve the last restore date and time for each database in SQL Server. It’s particularly helpful for tracking restore operations or verifying backups during disaster recovery scenarios. The script below queries the sys.databases and dbo.restorehistory system tables to get the most recent…

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  • List All SQL Agent Jobs in SQL Server

    SQL Server Agent jobs are needed for automating tasks such as backups, index maintenance, and data processing. This post provides a SQL script to list all SQL Server Agent jobs on an instance, along with useful tips to help understanding. How to List SQL Agent jobs in SQL…

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  • How to Restore a Database in SQL Server

    Restoring a database in SQL Server is an essential task for Database Administrators (DBA’s). We need to be able to quickly restore databases as part of Disaster Recovery (DR), as well as for configuring SQL features such as Always On or Database Mirroring. You can restore databases using…

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  • What’s New in the SQL Server 2022 Install

    SQL Server 2022 was officially unveiled at Microsoft Build 2022, an annual event aimed at software developers passionate about Microsoft technologies. The conference, which focuses on Microsoft Azure updates and other key tools, is a fantastic opportunity for professionals to stay informed, learn, and network. It includes a…

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  • Why Use WHERE 1=2 in SQL

    In a previous blog post, I explained why WHERE 1=1 is often used in SQL queries. This time, let’s discuss WHERE 1=2 — or any condition that results in a FALSE value, such as WHERE 1=9. Essentially, the point is to use a condition that is guaranteed to…

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Always On Availability Groups (AAG) (4) AWS (4) AWS Redshift (6) Database Admin (72) Database Backups & Recovery (14) Database Mirroring (2) Error Messages (5) Failover Cluster Instances (FCI) (1) Git Commands (6) Importing & Exporting Data (2) Linked Servers (3) Linux Administration (2) Logging & Monitoring (1) Microsoft Patching (2) MySQL (4) Postgres (6) PowerShell Scripts (2) SQL Certificates & Encryption (3) SQL Server Agent (5) SQL Server CDC (2) SQL Server Data Types (2) SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) (17) SQL Server Networking (3) SQL Server on Linux (1) SQL Server Patching (2) SQL Server Performance Tuning (6) SQL Server Processes (SPIDs) (7) SQL Server Replication (2) SQL Server Scripts (13) SQL Server Security (4) SQL Server Storage (10) Windows Admin (20) Windows Authentication (2) Windows Automation (1) Windows Events (2) Windows Firewall (4) Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) (18)