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Insights and notes
Articles on infrastructure, SQL Server, backup, security, virtualization, and operating decisions.
14 results
Partition Maintenance Needs Scope Verification
SQL Server OperationsAn August Ola Hallengren fix for whole-index work triggered during partition maintenance shows why command scope, log growth, blocking, and automation versions must be verified together.
CHECKDB Jobs Can Skip RESOLVING Databases
SQL Server OperationsA maintenance fix for availability groups in RESOLVING state makes command-level evidence and catch-up checks necessary before a successful integrity job can be trusted.
AG RESOLVING Can Hide Backup Gaps
SQL Server OperationsAn Ola Hallengren fix for availability groups in RESOLVING state shows why a recovered cluster and a successful job status do not prove that every database was backed up.
TempDB Shrink Is an Emergency Measure
SQL Server OperationsNew dbatools support for forced TempDB file reduction does not turn shrink into routine maintenance; usage, blocking, target size, restart alternatives, and regrowth still govern the decision.
SQL Extended Protection Starts With SPN Inventory
SQL Server Operationsdbatools support for accepted SPNs makes SQL Server Extended Protection easier to automate, but aliases, listeners, TLS, CBT, and client compatibility still define a safe rollout.
Add a Log Shipping Secondary Without Rebuilding
SQL Server OperationsNew dbatools support for adding a secondary to existing log shipping makes expansion easier, but initialization, jobs, monitoring, and RPO still need end-to-end validation.
Copy-Only Backups Can Break PITR Assumptions
SQL Server OperationsA dbatools restore fix shows why valid copy-only backups, differential bases, log chains, and STOPAT recovery must be tested as one point-in-time restore path.
Automatic Plan Correction Needs Query-Level Guardrails
SQL Server OperationsMicrosoft's current guidance for sp_configure_automatic_tuning shows how DBAs can keep automatic plan correction while excluding exceptional queries and documenting the boundary.
SQL Server Error 7416: The Security Patch That Broke Linked Servers
SQL Server OperationsSQL Server servicing now exposes a linked-server risk that often hides in application paths: MSDASQL definitions with provider strings can fail for non-sysadmin logins even when the mappings look correct.
SQL Server 2025 on Linux Is a Platform Decision
SQL Server OperationsThe April 2026 SQL Server 2025 Linux release notes make platform support part of the database decision: RHEL 10 and Ubuntu 24.04 are current paths, while SLES is no longer supported for SQL Server 2025.
SQL Server Patching Is a Production Discipline
SQL Server OperationsMicrosoft's April 2026 SQL Server 2025 security and CU releases are a useful reminder that database patching is not a calendar task. It needs workload awareness, HA sequencing, and a tested rollback path.
SQL Server 2025 and Always On: What Matters for Real HA Environments
SQL Server 2025SQL Server 2025 introduces several changes that matter directly for Always On estates, especially around readable secondaries, concurrency behavior, and tempdb control.