In SQL Server, replication is a widely adopted technology for the purpose of real-time data replication between SQL servers. It serves the purpose of keeping data consistent between multiple end points. So the last thing we want to hear from clients is that data is no longer in synch, and as DBA, we don't want to be the last person to realize replication is out of order or broken. Here are some steps you can take to monitor SQL Server replication.  Read more...

Sean Duffy recently had an unwelcome encounter with Exchange Server Back Pressure, which cut off his message flow due to a lack of space on the server. To make sure it didn’t happen again, he found a way to automatically monitor all his servers from afar, with a little PowerShell magic.  Read more...

It is never a good idea to let your users be the ones to tell you of database server outages. It is far better to be able to spot potential problems by being alerted for the most relevant conditions on your servers at the best threshold. This will take time and patience, but the reward will be an alerting system which allows you to deal more effectively with issues before they involve system down-time.  Read more...

Continuing with his series on monitoring your SQL Servers, David Bird now looks a a way to fin those long running, active jobs.  Read more...

In the sixth part of his series on monitoring your SQL Server, David Bird looks at process locks.  Read more...

Continuing on with his series on reporting for your SQL Server, David Bird brings together the series with the full package used for building the report.s  Read more...

The Replication infrastructure in SQL Server is implemented using SQL Server Agent to execute the various components involved in the form of a job (e.g. LogReader agent job, Distribution agent job, Merge agent job) SQL Server jobs execute a binary executable file which is basically C++ code.  Read more...

In Part II of his series on monitoring SQL Servers, David Bird takes a look at importing data from your error logs.  Read more...

Monitoring your SQL Server instances and figuring out what's going on is important to keep an eye on your environment. David Bird brings us a new series that looks at how you might start setting this up with Integration Services.   Read more...

Using linked connections you can collect system information on your Oracle server from SQL server.  Read more...

A look at what's happening with the SQLServerCentral servers based on the public information exposed by SQL Monitor.  Read more...

This is the method that Geoff Albin has used for years to monitor the CPU on his SQL Servers.  Read more...

Learn how you can centralize the Event log data for your servers using a process that Geoff Albin has been using for over 10 years.  Read more...

Your application code may look neat and clean, and you are using a sound Object-relational Mapper, but when you put the pedal to the metal, you're not getting the performance. The time has come to lift the hood and see what SQL is being generated by the ORM, and what part of your code is causing the bottlenecks. The effect can be spectacular.  Read more...

Learn how to use a free utility to quickly monitor the uptime of your SQL Server instances.  Read more...

This article is the beginner's guide to Default Trace. The article outlines how to query the default trace for key trace events, with a focus on DDL history.  Read more...

Extended events provide DBAs with a new lightweight tool to monitor SQL Server performance.  Read more...

In the sixth part of his series on monitoring your SQL Server, David Bird looks at process locks.  Read more...

Continuing with his series on monitoring your SQL Servers, David Bird now looks a a way to fin those long running, active jobs.  Read more...

We are inundated with new technologies and products designed to help make our organisations safe from hackers and other malcontents. One technology that has gained ground over the past few years is database activity monitoring. It makes sense to protect valuable databases, and by adding an intelligent monitor capable of sniffing out threats an additional level of protection can be gained. But what is database activity monitoring and why should you care?   Read more...