Agent job failures hide in msdb until someone reads the history. This post builds three demo jobs, then finds the failed step and its message, the job that runs too long, the job that never starts, and the jobs that notify nobody.
Server Configuration as Code
Configuration as code keeps SQL Server instance settings in reviewed scripts, with environment values, drift checks, and repeatable application.
SQLAuthority News – A Conversation with an Old Friend – Sri Sridharan
My GTalk chat with old friend Sri Sridharan on why he is running for the PASS Board of Directors again after coming so close last year.
Non-Updating Updates: Skipping Rows That Would Not Change
An UPDATE that writes the same value still marks the row as modified. I show how IS DISTINCT FROM skips those rows and keeps NULL changes.
Keeping Database Documentation Next to the Code
Keep database documentation close to SQL Server objects with extended properties, durable module comments, and catalog-generated reports.
Decommissioning a Database: A Safe Checklist Before the Drop
Dropping an old database is a one-way door. Here is the short checklist I run first, with a demo you can paste into SSMS.
Availability Groups or Failover Cluster Instances
Availability groups or failover cluster instances protect different SQL Server boundaries; compare data copies, shared storage, failover, and cost.