Backups are the foundation of any well run database server, or even any computer system. Numerous articles have been written about SQL Server backups and new author Paulo Luis brings us a new twist on building automated backups using devices.   Read more...

You have many SQL Servers to administer and you just want to know when the last backup was taken for each database on each instance. This stored procedure will help.  Read more...

DTS is an incredible package for moving data in the SQL Server world. One feature that is missing, however, is the ability to send files using FTP to a remote server. This article looks at a technique for sending files via FTP.   Read more...

One of the lesser used features of SQL Server 2000, but the capability to restore your databases to a particular point in time can be a valuable skill. Kathi Kellenberger takes a moment to explain how this feature works and how you can use it in your environment.   Read more...

SQL Server has a rock solid backup routine that works every time. However the schemes used to implement backups with maintenance plans, Enterprise Manager, etc., are not a smooth or as flexible as what most people require. Author Eli Lieba brings us his strategy and code for ensuring that each database is backed up how he needs it to be, whether a full or differential backup.   Read more...

SQL Server has a great backup and recovery architecture, but you have to know how to properly configure and use the server to ensure that you will not be seeking new employment anytime soon. A few of the Sonasoft team have written this short piece on strategies for setting up your backup jobs to ensure recovery in the event of a disaster. Welcome new authors Bilal Ahmed, Kiran Kumar, and Vas Srinivasan.   Read more...

Chris (one of our regulars!) installed Log Explorer and took it for a test drive. Written up in our standard review format this will give you a very quick overview of what the product does.   Read more...

New Author! Written as a rant, this article covers a couple basic issues that STILL tend to get overlooked in a lot of places. It's run to rant sometimes but we plan to maintain our focus and continue to keep these a small percentage of our content. Let us know what you think.   Read more...

The second article in a 3 part series that presents another VBScript class file that creates a class that can be used to display the backup information from a SQL server's maintanence plans.   Read more...

This articles makes the case for using SQL LiteSpeed over other backup solutions and presents some notes about why the DBA should manage backups rather than offloading to network administration.   Read more...

A monster book at 980 pages, it's written in 'how-to' format and has a ton of good material. Andy gave it the once over for us and reports back - see what he thinks!   Read more...

This article by new contributing member Bob Musser shows you how to reduce the amount of scans that SQL Server Agent does against databases. Not for the faint of heart.   Read more...

Andy had a semi-disaster similar to the one he wrote about last year. Interesting to see the kinds of problems that happen to other people. This article raises some interesting points that are outside the scope of basic disaster recovery, looking at how/when to move databases to a different server and how to reduce the server load dynamically.   Read more...

This article analyzes the various options available for your backup and recovery process with SQL Server 2000 as well as an enhancement to your SQL Server backup and recovery process using a highly efficient backup and restore utility that provides significant time and disk space savings called SQL LiteSpeed.   Read more...

Andy takes a look at the new book on DMO and likes what he sees - "great book for beginner and intermediate DMO users!". We've been supporters of DMO for a while and we're glad to see a new book on the subject. Read the review, add your comments, buy the book!   Read more...

In this article by Greg Larsen, he shows you how to remove those pesky orphaned users that can be a security risk after restoring to a new server.   Read more...

Are you tired of manually restoring each database on a new server when the original server has a melt down? Does the manual process seem slow, and prone to keystoke and mouse click errors? Would you like to have those restore scripts automatically built, so you only have to fire them off? Well this article will show you one possible method for speeding up and reducing errors will trying to perform a restore of all databases on a server.   Read more...

All of do us regular backups. Ok, all of us SHOULD do regular backups. In this article Andy comments on why having a backup plan isn't enough and why you should look at some other options for when you need to fix data errors. This really speaks to the goal of minimizing down time using low tech, readily available solutions. If you're not interested yet, we'll add this - one of the alternatives he suggests is Microsoft Access!   Read more...

Following up on a question posted in our discussion area, Andy demonstrates how to backup/restore a database using DMO, how to get the list of files to be restored, and how to do a restore with no recovery. Lots of sample code!   Read more...

Steve found a gaping hole in his backup process. One that he plugged with this script to move log files around the network in the event of a server failure. If you can't afford to lose a day of work, read about his solution.   Read more...

Backups are the foundation of any well run database server, or even any computer system. Numerous articles have been written about SQL Server backups and new author Paulo Luis brings us a new twist on building automated backups using devices.   Read more...

One of the lesser used features of SQL Server 2000, but the capability to restore your databases to a particular point in time can be a valuable skill. Kathi Kellenberger takes a moment to explain how this feature works and how you can use it in your environment.   Read more...

You have many SQL Servers to administer and you just want to know when the last backup was taken for each database on each instance. This stored procedure will help.  Read more...