Is your server on an old version of SQL Server? Run SELECT @@VERSION to see the build and the date the patch was created, a check I often run during a Health Check.
SQL SERVER – Install Error: Validation for Setting ‘AGTSVCACCOUNT’ Failed. Error Message: The RPC Server is Unavailable
A command-line SQL Server install failed: Validation for setting ‘AGTSVCACCOUNT’ failed, the RPC server is unavailable. I read the setup log and found the fix.
SQL SERVER – Installation Error: The Specified Value ‘Install’ for ACTION is Invalid
A client’s command-line SQL Server install failed with: The specified value ‘Install’ for ACTION is invalid. Here is what the setup log showed and how to fix it.
Backup Error 3636: An Error Occurred While Processing BackupMetadata
Backup error 3636 appeared on a log backup taken on an availability group secondary after a log file was added on the primary. The secondary had not replayed the change. This post shows the queries I use to compare file lists and redo progress, tested on SQL Server 2025.
SQL SERVER – Backup to URL – Script to Perform Striped Backup using Shared Access Signature (SAS)
A reader wanted a striped backup to Azure Blob Storage. Here is my script to take a striped Backup to URL across several files using a SAS token credential.
SQL SERVER – Backup to URL – Script to Generate Credential and Backup using Shared Access Signature (SAS)
Backup to URL can connect to Azure storage with a SAS token. I share a script that generates the credential and the backup command using a Shared Access Signature.
Msg 3292 in SQL Server: Failure Executing Backup or Restore With a URL Device
Msg 3292 appears when a backup or restore with a URL device fails, and it never names the cause itself. In one 2018 client case the cause was a renamed BackupToUrl.exe. This post shows how to read the companion messages, check the helper file and the credential, and trace the failure.