Here are two quick ways to check status of Instant File Initialization: read the error log, or query sys.dm_server_services on SQL Server 2016 and later.
SQL SERVER – How to Check If Instant File Initialization Enabled or Not?
Is Instant File Initialization enabled on your server? Before SQL Server 2016 there was no quick answer, but from 2016 onward you can check it in seconds.
SQL SERVER – Error 9002: The Transaction Log for Database ‘SQLDB’ is Full Due to ‘DATABASE_MIRRORING’
Error 9002 has many causes. Here I explain the one where the transaction log for database ‘SQLDB’ is full due to ‘DATABASE_MIRRORING’ and what it tells you.
ROWLOCK Hint and Slow Performance in SQL Server
A ROWLOCK hint makes SQL Server lock each row it reads instead of whole pages. This post counts the locks of the same scan with and without the hint, times both versions, shows how an open transaction on a busy server changes the result, and explains how ROWLOCK differs from UPDLOCK.
SQL SERVER – How to Listen on Multiple TCP Ports in SQL Server?
Can SQL Server listen on multiple TCP Ports? Yes, and here are the Configuration Manager steps I shared when a senior DBA asked me during a Health Check.
Startup Stored Procedures in SQL Server: Uses and Risks
Startup stored procedures run every time SQL Server starts, which makes them useful and easy to forget. This post covers good uses, the risks, a wait that gives up instead of looping forever, and how to list and remove the startup stored procedures already on a server. The setup steps are in a separate post.
How Old Version of SQL Server Running on Server? – Interview Question of the Week #183
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.