Microsoft SQL DBA Blog

Published by Peter Whyte, an experienced SQL Server Database Administrator.


  • Install/Uninstall SQL Server via Command

    Installing and uninstalling SQL Server via command line can be useful, especially in environments without a GUI. In this guide, I’ll walk through installing SQL Server on Windows Server Core, in a local Hyper-V test environment. At the end I’ll also uninstall SQL Server from a PowerShell terminal…

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  • Guide for Setting Up Windows Server Core

    When you need to setup Windows Server Core, it’s useful to first familiarize ourselves with the key PowerShell commands that configure the server. Windows Server Core is a minimal installation option that provides a lightweight, command-line interface (CLI)-only environment, making it ideal for environments requiring lower resource usage…

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  • Joining a Windows Host to a Domain

    This post contains a demo of joining a Windows Server onto a test Domain, which I created in my previous post (Installing Active Directory on Windows Server 2016). Joining a Windows Computer to Active Directory Domain Services is required in 99% of Corporate environments, and is usually a…

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  • Installing Active Directory on Windows Server 2016

    This post contains a demo installation of Active Directory Domain Services on Windows Server 2016. It follows a previous post for a series of test lab configuration posts. Microsoft docs on installing AD on Windows Server can be found here: Install Active Directory Domain Services Configuring a Windows…

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  • How to Install Windows Server on Hyper V

    This guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough for installing Windows Server on Hyper-V. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a fully operational Windows Server VM, ready for further configuration and testing. If you need to install the Hyper-V role on Windows first, refer to this guide –…

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  • Resolving “Windows could not start the SQL Server”

    If you encounter the message “Windows could not start the SQL Server on 127.0.0.1”, it signifies a problem preventing the SQL Server service from starting properly. This error is broad and can stem from various causes. Diagnosing the Issue To uncover the root cause, we can check Windows…

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  • Resolving “Index was out of range” in SSMS

    This post is here to help if you’ve encountered the following error while performing a task in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS): Index was out of range. Must be non-negative and less than the size of the collection. Parameter name: index (mscorlib) In my experience, I’ve seen this…

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  • “Content from the website listed below is being blocked” on Windows Server

    When managing a Windows Server, you may encounter the message:“Content from the website listed below is being blocked by the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration.” This occurs because Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration (IE ESC) is enabled by default on Windows Server to protect against malicious websites and…

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  • Creating a Linked Server for a PostgreSQL Database

    This is a post on how to create a Linked Server to a PostgreSQL database. In my previous post, I created a Linked Server to another SQL Server instance. This time, it’s a link to a Postgres database. I recommend checking out my other post for pre-requisite information…

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Useful SQL DBA Posts

SQL Server Performance
– 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 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

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