• Home
  • Contact

John Sansom

SQL Server DBA Blog

  • About
    • The Blog
    • John Sansom
    • Contact
  • Ebook
  • Archives
    • Start Here
    • Popular Posts
    • All Posts
    • SFTW
  • Becoming a DBA
    • What it’s Really Like
    • Interview Tips
    • Certification
    • FAQ
  • Books
  • Resources
    • Blog Tools and Technology
    • UK Events Schedule
    • References & Resource Lists
  • Subscribe

How Does Disabling an Index Affect the Index Usage DMV Counters

May 28, 2014 by John Sansom 6 Comments

IndexLetters

A question was posted to #SQLHelp on Twitter asking, if disabling an Index would clear the index usage counters stored in the SQL Server Dynamic Management Views(DMVs)? Great question! Not one that is straightforward to answer via the Twitter medium though, so I wanted to share some more detail here. Consider that the action of disabling a SQL Server Index […]

Filed Under: Administration, DMVs, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication

Using sys.dm_os_ring_buffers to Troubleshoot Connectivity Issues

February 19, 2014 by John Sansom 16 Comments

Connectivity

I encountered an interesting question over on the MSDN forums concerning a poster that was reporting experiencing an issue whereby the “sa” account kept being locked out. In scenarios such as this the SQL Server Error Log is your friend, as it can be configured to record failed login attempts for an instance. Of course […]

Filed Under: Administration, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: connectivity, DMV, DMV Queries

PowerShell – Change SQL Server Login Password

January 14, 2014 by John Sansom 12 Comments

Powershell

Here’s a quick post detailing a PowerShell script that can be used to change the password for a SQL Server Login. Regular readers know that I practice the philosophy of Automate Everything and DBA administrative tasks are no exception. I don’t want to be doing the same task by hand twice, if I can help […]

Filed Under: Administration, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Powershell

The Secret to Keeping Your Cool Like an Experienced Production DBA

June 25, 2013 by John Sansom 2 Comments

Your actions as a Database Administrator can make the difference between a disaster being a minor nuisance or a major problem.

In this post I share with you what I have learned about keeping your cool in a crisis and what I believe is the most vital component to effective incident response.

Filed Under: Administration, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication

The World’s Leaking Data

May 29, 2013 by John Sansom 2 Comments

I’m becoming increasingly concerned that security has fallen from the forefront of peoples minds. Data Professionals just don’t seem to be giving security the attention that it deserves. The threat to you, your company and your customers is very real.

Filed Under: Administration, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Data Loss, Security

SQL Server Management Data Warehouse (MDW) – Why it Rocks

April 16, 2013 by John Sansom 17 Comments

MDW Dashboard Report

Ensuring excellent performance for users and customers is a high priority for Database Administrators.

Here I share a free and easy way for you to get valuable insight into the performance of your Microsoft SQL Server instances.

Filed Under: Administration, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Management Data Warehouse

Restart the SQL Server Agent Service using PowerShell

February 26, 2013 by John Sansom 3 Comments

Powershell

Just a quick one today chaps, to show how you can restart the SQL Server Agent Service using PowerShell.

Filed Under: Administration, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Automation, Powershell, Scripting

Script SQL Server Agent Jobs Using PowerShell

February 12, 2013 by John Sansom 46 Comments

Powershell

Here’s a handy PowerShell script to script-out all SQL Server Agent jobs for a given instance.

Filed Under: Administration, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Automation, Powershell, SQL Server Agent

Top 10 Free SQL Server Tools

January 15, 2013 by John Sansom 54 Comments

Top 10 SQL Server Tools

I know you all love talking about your favorite tools and maintenance scripts. Whether your pleasure is problem diagnosis, query tuning, index analysis or performance monitoring. These sql server tools are all available absolutely free and with the common goal of making your life easier.

Filed Under: Tools Tagged With: Featured, Free Tools

PowerShell Script to Configure SQL Server Storage

May 8, 2012 by John Sansom 4 Comments

Powershell

Following on from the popularity of my last PowerShell post Script SQL Server Agent Jobs Using PowerShell, I thought I would share another script I created to make life being a DBA that little bit easier, in the hope that you too may enjoy the benefits. You regular readers will know that I’ve been endeavouring […]

Filed Under: Administration Tagged With: Automation, Disk Alignment, Powershell, Storage Configuration

Something for the Weekend – SQL Server Links 08/07/11

July 8, 2011 by John Sansom Leave a Comment

I hope you’ve had a great week! Make sure you catch all my posts by Subscribing to the Blog Feed. You can also receive posts via Email. This week I had the opportunity to work on an interesting SQL Server reporting solution. The environment in question was using a combination of Database Mirroring and Database Snapshots in order to offload reporting from […]

Filed Under: Administration, Link Posts

Too Many Disasters To Choose From (T-SQLTuesday)

June 14, 2011 by John Sansom 1 Comment

I’m ashamed to admit that somehow this months T-SQL Tuesday has completely blindsided me, which is kind of ironic really when you consider the theme. It’s a brilliant topic this month, hosted by Allen Kinsel (Blog|Twitter), who calls for participants to Blog about Disasters. More specifically preparing for or recovering from disasters. Rather than completely miss the boat on this […]

Filed Under: Administration, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication

SQL Server Instant File Initialization (PQW)

June 14, 2011 by John Sansom 4 Comments

Bluntly put, this is something that you always want to be taking advantage of. As a Database Administrator I’m always on the look out for Performance Quick Wins(PQW). Simple tweaks and changes that I can make to the SQL Server servers in my care that deliver immediate and measurable payback. PQWs are a great way […]

Filed Under: Administration, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Instant File Initialization

What Are You Waiting For?

May 17, 2011 by John Sansom 3 Comments

I know what I am waiting for. I know exactly what every SQL Server instance in my care is waiting for. Why? Because it’s my job to make SQL Server go faster. Identifying what your SQL Server Instance is waiting on will show you exactly where to look in order to make your server go […]

Filed Under: Administration, Performance Tuning, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: DMV, DMV Queries, Wait Types

7 Essential Habits of Successful DBAs

April 19, 2011 by John Sansom 5 Comments

There are many different paths you can travel on the journey to success. There is no precise route that everyone can or should follow. The environments we manage are different, our customers are different, we are each different. There are many different ways of performing our art. It’s one of the most enjoyable and rewarding […]

Filed Under: Administration, Professional Development, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Database Administrator

5 Things Every DBA Should NOT Do

February 22, 2011 by John Sansom 15 Comments

Stop Sign

Earlier in the month I shared with you 10 Things That Every DBA Should Do and so it only seems natural to also consider some things that every Database Administrator should NOT be doing right. I’m going to let you in on a little secret here, I have actually done some of these things myself once […]

Filed Under: Administration, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Indexes, Query Optimisation, ShrinkDB, Sysadmin

The DBA Ultimate Fitness Workout Plan

February 15, 2011 by John Sansom 8 Comments

If you plan to stay on top of your DBA game then you have to workout regularly. Those of you that know me well know that I like to hit the gym on average 4 times a week and to go running 2-3 times a week. The primary goal of course being to impress the […]

Filed Under: Administration, Professional Development, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication

10 Things Every DBA Should Do

February 8, 2011 by John Sansom 7 Comments

Recently I spoke about how The Best Database Administrators Automate Everything, as well as Document Everything and this got me to thinking in general about things that every Database Administrator (DBA) should be doing. No two Database Administration jobs are the same that’s for sure but there are definitely things that I believe every DBA […]

Filed Under: Administration, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Backups, Baseline, Indexes, Monitoring, Query Tuning, Testing

Your Lack of Documentation is Costing You More Than You Think

February 1, 2011 by John Sansom 14 Comments

You’ve got a mountain of work to get done and not enough time to do it in. There’s simply just not enough time for you to worry about documentation right now but that’s ok though because you plan to come back to it later. Let me guess, you’re still working on that part. The task itself […]

Filed Under: Administration, Professional Development, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication

Why Every DBA Needs a Buddy

January 18, 2011 by John Sansom 7 Comments

Every DBA Needs a Buddy

If you truly desire to be an effective SQL Server Database Administrator then you absolutely must have a buddy. SQL Server is a huge product that is packed full of features to the extent that no one individual can be an expert in all areas. You’re going to need help! The Incredible Value of Peer […]

Filed Under: Administration, Professional Development, SQLServerCentral Syndication, SQLServerPedia Syndication

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »

Popular Articles

  • Top 10 Free SQL Server Tools
  • Performing fast SQL Server delete operations
  • How to identify the most costly SQL Server queries using DMV’s
  • Top 10 Junior DBA Interview Tips
  • The Database Administrator’s Primary Responsibility
  • Your Road to Becoming a DBA: Laying a Strong Foundation
  • Top 5 SQL Forums
  • SQL Server Memory Configuration, Determining MemToLeave Settings
  • Script SQL Server Agent Jobs Using PowerShell
  • Using sys.dm_os_ring_buffers to Troubleshoot Connectivity Issues

Categories

  • Administration (38)
  • Blogging (8)
  • Customer Service (5)
  • Disaster Recovery (5)
  • DMVs (4)
  • Index Optimisation (6)
  • Interviews (1)
  • Link Posts (243)
  • Memory (2)
  • Performance Tuning (15)
  • Professional Development (70)
  • Reporting Services (5)
  • Reviews (1)
  • SQL Server Community (144)
  • SQL Server Tips (11)
  • SQLServerCentral Syndication (112)
  • SQLServerPedia Syndication (116)
  • Tools (7)

Copyright © 2023 · Santech Solutions Limited · Powered by the Genesis Framework · Privacy Policy