Tag: Database Admin

Database Admin Blog Archives: Includes practical guides, troubleshooting strategies, and best practices, written by an experienced Microsoft SQL Server DBA.


  • 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 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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  • How to Install SQL Server on Linux

    As from SQL Server 2017, we now have support for running our favorite RDMS on Linux, as well as Windows! This guide walks you through installing SQL Server 2019 on Red Hat Linux, setting up command-line tools, and connecting both locally and remotely. Hope it helps! Topics Included:…

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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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  • How to Run Scheduled Tasks with SQL Server Express

    SQL Server Express lacks SQL Server Agent, which means scheduling tasks like index maintenance, backups, and other recurring operations requires an alternative approach. The best way to achieve this is by using Windows Task Scheduler with sqlcmd and a batch script. In this guide, we will walk through…

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  • How to Rename Schema’s in SQL Server

    Changing the schema of a table in SQL Server can be a rare task for database administrators but a more common requirement for database developers. This guide walks through how to move a table from one schema to another using the ALTER SCHEMA statement. During my time as…

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  • Adding & Removing SQL Features via Command

    This post will guide you on how to add and remove features from SQL Server via the command line. The process includes checking installed features, installing a new feature (such as replication), and uninstalling a feature when no longer needed. The following areas will be covered within this…

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