Author Archive
DROPping all Databases on an Instance
I’m doing a testing my database restores. Notice that I say I’m testing the restores. If the backups don’t work, neither will the restores. Part of my process is to drop the existing databases in the restore target instance. It’s really the only place I can ever imagine this script seeing the light of day. [...]
Top Ten Operational Mistakes to Avoid
I’m working on a presentation for SQL Saturday in South Florida. The more I look at this, the more I really like it. Not Setting Min and Max Memory MIN: ”Use this much so nobody else can have it.” MAX: “Save some for the Operating System” – Prevents Paging Schema Changes at Peak Times ALTERing [...]
Meme Monday: I got 99 problems but a disk ain’t one
Tom LaRock posted an interesting meme for today. Here are my nine problems that aren’t disk. Vendors who make bad recommendations to my user community for “optimizing” SQL server, such as using autoshrink Other system administrators who insist on using SSMS from the database server An application that keeps changing the recovery model every time [...]
What I Do
Knowing that I’m putting myself on the job market, I was recently asked to describe what I do. As a DBA, I realize that every DBA’s job is different. So it was an interesting exercise to put together a few paragraphs explaining what my current role is. My company is rapidly growing. We’re in the [...]
Using RUNAS to Clear a Hurdle
Like most companies, mine has to contend with some form of regulatory compliance. In our particular case, it’s Sarbanes-Oxyley 404, better known as SOX. We have some network policies to enforce compliance with the implementation of SOX. One of those policies is that people with elevated access to key systems have a seperate account for [...]
Exploring my Options
I’ve been presented with a rather unique problem. And the right solution had left me a little perplexed. My company has a SQL server at a business partner’s manufacturing site. The server is in what our network guys would consider a less than secure environment. They’re in the middle of setting up a permanent VPN [...]
Transitions
My current employer has made the decision to move to an Oracle-based ERP system. And the decision has been made to outsource DBA services. The only major system remaining on SQL Server will be Sharepoint. So my boss and I have agreed that I will be leaving at some point in the next six to [...]
My First SQL Saturday #sqlsat71
Yesterday was SQL Saturday 71 Boston. It was held at the Babson College Executive Conference center, and it was a pretty amazing experience. Not only were the venue and food fantastic, but the event itself was pretty amazing. SQL Saturday actually started on Friday evening with the speaker’s dinner. We met at the Top of [...]
SQL Saturday 71: My Slide Deck
I’m speaking at SQL Saturday today. Here is my slide deck. SQL Sat 71 Virtualization Success Story
Missing Values in IDENTITY Column
Somebody in the tech support department of our ERP vendor has to be hating me right now. I’m kind of okay with that. In a recent audit, the auditors wanted to demonstrate the integrity of our ERP system’s audit log and prove it hasn’t been tampered with. Considering the primary key on the table is [...]