SQL SERVER – SqlServerWriter Missing from an Output of VSSadmin List Writers Command

One of a DBA from my client contacted me for a quick suggestion when I was working with them on a performance tuning exercise. I always ask for some time to explain the exact problem and behavior. As per the DBA, they are using 3rd party backup solutions to take backups and SQL backup are not happening. When they contacted 3rd party vendor they asked to run command VSSadmin List Writers and check if they have SqlServerWriter listed. Unfortunately, the component is missing from an output. He asked me the possible reasons. Since this was not a performance tuning related question and I promised that I would share whatever information I can find and write a blog post for that.

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SQL SERVER – CLONEDATABASE: Generate Statistics and Schema Only Copy of the Database

I have been writing about how some of the interesting enhancements made with SQL Server 2016 SP1 have caught my attention. This one is a killer feature that can be of great value when you are trying to do testing. Having said that, I also want to call out that this feature has been added with SQL Server 2014 SP2 too. When you get into performance problems related to the query optimizer, then this capability will be of great advantage. In this blog post we will learn about Generate Statistics and Schema Only Copy of the Database.

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