SQL DBA Blog

  • Testing Connectivity to Remote Server Ports with PowerShell

    All admins need a tool to test connectivity to remote servers on TCP ports. In Windows, this is commonly done using PuTTy or PowerShell. This post is a note on my favourite way of testing remote TCP connections in Windows, which is using PowerShell:> Check a Port is…

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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

    Execution trace messages in SQL Server Agent error logs can be helpful for diagnosing issues. This guide explains how to enable this option. Logs are always important if you’re supporting systems. The SQL Server Agent is used very often by DBA’s and Software Devs, so writing 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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  • Running PowerShell Scripts as Scheduled Tasks in Windows

    When you need to schedule tasks in Windows, Task Scheduler is the tool for the job. Running PowerShell (.ps1) scripts as Scheduled Tasks differs from running standard batch (.bat) scripts. I often find myself needing a refresher on the process, so I decided to document it in this…

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  • How to Check Features Installed in SQL Server

    This guide explains how to check which features are installed on a SQL Server instance. When downgrading from SQL Server Enterprise to Standard, checking the installed features is crucial to ensure compatibility and avoid losing critical functionality. Some Enterprise features may not be available in the Standard edition,…

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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 Install Firewalld on Linux

    Firewalld is a firewall management tool that simplifies rule configuration for Linux systems. It dynamically manages firewall rules, supports zone-based configurations, and integrates with D-Bus. In this post I’m showing how to install Firewalld on an Amazon Linux 2 EC2 Instance. Hope you find this useful! Installing Firewalld…

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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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Useful SQL DBA Posts

Performance & High Availability
– Get Full SQL Server System Info Fast
– Quick Performance Troubleshooting Scripts
– Identify Missing & Unused Indexes
– Get Wait Stats & Top Consuming Queries
– Get Exclusive Locks on Tables
– Get Always On Availability Group (AAG) Latency
– Get Mirroring Status & Latency
– Get Replication Latency
– Get Last Node Blip in SQL Server FCI
Security & Maintenance
– Get Estimated Database Backup/Restore Time
– Get Last Database Backup Dates/Times
– Get Database Sizes & Space Used
– How to Get Table Sizes
– Get Index & Heap Fragmentation Levels
– Get SQL User Permissions and Roles
– Creating SQL Users on Availability Groups
– Audit Failed Login Attempts

Categories

– Microsoft SQL Server
– Windows Server
– PowerShell
– Linux & WSL
– Other

Tags

Always On Availability Groups (AAG) (4) Certificates & Encryption (3) Change Data Capture (CDC) (2) Database Admin (76) Database Backups & Recovery (14) Database Mirroring (2) Deleting Data (1) Error Messages (5) Git Commands (5) Importing & Exporting Data (2) Linked Servers (3) Linux Admin (2) Logging & Monitoring (1) Measuring Databases (10) Microsoft Patching (2) PowerShell Scripts (1) SQL Server Agent (5) SQL Server Database Files (1) SQL Server Data Types (2) SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) (15) SQL Server Network Connectivity (3) SQL Server on Linux (1) SQL Server Patching (2) SQL Server Performance (5) SQL Server Permissions (2) SQL Server Processes (5) SQL Server Replication (2) SQL Server Scripts (13) Windows Admin (21) Windows Authentication (2) Windows Automation (1) Windows Events (2) Windows Firewall (4) Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) (19)