(Last updated 2020-01-07) This is more for my own reference than anything. On newer versions of Windows desktop and Windows Server, we may find that the shortcut to SQL Server Configuration Manager is missing. According…
Conventional wisdom tells us that when Microsoft releases a new version of any server product, we should wait until Service Pack 1 before deploying it to production. This hasn’t been true for a while now, since Microsoft…
[Last updated February 27, 2020] Brent Ozar Unlimited runs a website called SQL Server Updates which comes in really handy for keeping your on-premises SQL Server up to date. Of interest is that extended support…
Last time we briefly touched on the metric that Microsoft uses to keep your Azure SQL Database in check: the DTU, or database throughput unit. It uses a combination of CPU, I/O and log flushes/second, using…
I’ve written quite a lot about Azure SQL Database recently, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about the on-premises version of SQL Server. What could be better than Microsoft announcing a new tool for upgrading…
This week is a shorter post than last week, but it answers a very important question: Should I move my on-premises database to Azure SQL Database? The short answer is: It depends. Firstly, why do…
It’s the second half of 2016, and Azure is the new hotness. I’ve raved about Blob Storage, virtual machines, AzCopy, and all those good things. When the dust settles, though, this blog is about managing…
Last week I wondered whether a log backup chain would survive a database migration. Unsurprisingly, the answer is “yes”. I also asked if a log backup taken on the new instance would be usable on…
Much has been written about the log backup chain in SQL Server, where we are able to restore a database to a point in time using a combination of full, differential and transaction log backups. This…
IT departments get a lot of flak because members are accused of saying no to what staff think are perfectly reasonable requests. In this second post of my series about career limiting moves, I’m going…
Since 27 January 2016, Microsoft recommends that Cumulative Updates be installed with the same confidence as Service Packs, and installed as they become available. The official announcement was posted on 24 March 2016 (their emphasis):…
SQL Server 2005 will no longer be supported by Microsoft as of 12 April 2016. One of the services I offer my customers is an upgrade from any* version of SQL Server to the latest…
Last edited on 17 November 2016. As you know, SQL Server 2005 is now over ten years old. Microsoft has helpfully provided a list of ten reasons why you should be upgrading from SQL Server 2005. The…
Five months from now, Microsoft will stop supporting Windows XP. As Tim Rains points out, running Windows XP after this date will effectively be an open invitation for attack. XP will, in his words, be…