SQL Server Administration
Effective SQL Server Administration is often made out to be a dark art, yet it's really more about discipline and best practice.
If you read some of the SQL Server blogs and articles you would be forgiven for thinking you need a brain the size of a planet to
be an effective DBA, and that some decisions have life or death ramifications.
Nothing could be further from the truth! In fact some things are just
too simple, allowing changes to be made without proper planning.
Because installing SQL Server is so easy it is tempting to cut corners, fail to plan properly and blindly accept default options without considering the alternatives.
The importance of correct configuration. Which default configuration options to change. Common mistakes.
The SQL Server Error Log and Windows Event Log are essential for trouble shooting some problems. But what do you do if there are a load of errors
and warnings not related to your problem?
How to use it and what to do when it finds corruption.
Group Policy is a useful tool in the armoury of systems administrators, but make sure they are aware of the impact on your SQL Servers.
What are they? And how to tell if you are still using them.
I can
investigate performance issues, get a big picture of the state of my servers, find out
what is causing all those deadlocks, and more.
