Preserve job step output in a server-side file, configure Agent tokens and append flags, and verify write permissions and retention.
MySQL Configuration Changes: Track What Changed and When
MySQL configuration changes explain many sudden slowdowns. See how innodb_read_ahead_threshold works, what MySQL 8.0 records about a change and how to keep your own history.
Tagging Queries With SESSION_CONTEXT to Trace App Users
Tag SQL Server work with SESSION_CONTEXT, read tags in audit defaults and modules, and handle read-only values and pooled connections.
ALTER AUTHORIZATION on a Database: Find and Change the Owner
ALTER AUTHORIZATION on a database changes its owner, and SUSER_SNAME(owner_sid) finds the current one. This post shows why a login that owns a database cannot be dropped and how to catch an orphaned owner.
Compressed and Uncompressed Backup: One Script, One Switch
A compressed and uncompressed backup differ by one word. This post puts COMPRESSION and NO_COMPRESSION in one script with a switch, compares size and time, and shows that the restore statement is the same for both.
Agent Jobs Running Longer Than Usual: Finding Them in Job History
Find Agent jobs running longer than usual by decoding history durations, comparing current activity, and alerting against a baseline.
Gaps in an Identity Column: Find Missing Identity Values
Gaps in an identity column come from deletes, rollbacks, failed inserts and the identity cache. This post finds them as ranges with LEAD, catches the tail with IDENT_CURRENT and lists single values with GENERATE_SERIES.