Automating a SQL Server Database Refresh
In this tip we cover the basics of what needs to be done to setup a process to automate refreshing a dev or test environment with a recent database backup.
2018-05-31
4,463 reads
Additional Articles
PowerShell Day-to-Day Admin Tasks – Part 6: Real-Time IT Dashboard
Creating a real-time IT dashboard is essential for IT professionals for managing their environments and to be proactive. A Few months ago, a great tool called ‘PowerShell Universal Dashboard’ or ‘PoshUD’ was officially released. In this article, Nicolas Prigent describes PoshUD, and how to use it to monitor your infrastructure using PowerShell.
2018-05-30
4,458 reads
Tables Without Clustered Indexes
When databases are being designed and developed, your developers might have overlooked creating clustered indexes on some of your database tables. Having a useful clustered index on your tables will improve the performance of your queries. Here Greg Larsen shows a simple script to identify those tables in your database that don’t have a clustered index.
2018-05-29
4,777 reads
Create Azure VMs with PowerShell Part 2
In this article, Robert Cain describes the steps to set up a VM using PowerShell using his PSAzure module.
2018-05-28
3,337 reads
Where Clustered Index Keys Dare
We’ve blogged a couple times about how clustered index key columns get stored in your nonclustered indexes.
But where they get stored is a matter of weird SQL trivia. You see, it depends on how you define your nonclustered index.
2018-05-25
3,638 reads
Build and Automate a SQL Server Status Report on Server Restart or Scheduled
Do you know when a SQL Server instance restarts? When you manage many SQL Server instances you may not know when one restarts, so having an automated report emailed to you could be helpful to get an idea what's going on for that instance.
2018-05-24
3,084 reads
SQL Server Graph Databases – Part 5: Importing Relational Data into a Graph Database
In the final article of this series, Robert Sheldon shows how to move from a relational structure to a graph structure using the Graph Database feature.
2018-05-23
3,068 reads
Why Are You Dropping and Recreating Your Indexes?
Do you have data load processes that drop indexes to optimize the load process? Are you dropping those indexes in one step, then loading data into your table, only to recreate the indexes in a post data load step?
2018-05-22
5,535 reads
Working with Windows Containers and Docker: Save the Data
Docker continues to make improvements in their products running on Windows. In this article, Nicolas Prigent explains how to share data between Windows containers and the container host. As a bonus, he also shows how to run a Linux container on Windows Server 2016.
2018-05-21
2,091 reads
Transaction Locking and Row Versioning Guide
This guide describes the locking and row versioning mechanisms the SQL Server Database Engine uses to ensure the physical integrity of each transaction and provides information on how applications can control transactions efficiently.
2018-05-18
5,850 reads
Blogs
Moving On-Prem PostgreSQL to the Cloud: Picking the Right Path for Big Tables
Every PostgreSQL migration eventually hits the same fork in the road. The database is...
A Spread of Vacation
By Steve Jones
I’m off on vacation today. Which is a little weird as I just got...
How AgentDBA Identifies Backup Failures
By Arun Sirpal
Every DBA has a box like this. Sitting untouched for months. Nobody’s proud of...
Forums
From SQL Server On-Premises to Claude Desktop: How I built a Full MCP Pipeline
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Independence Day 2026
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Independence Day 2026
Independence Day 2026
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Independence Day 2026
Question of the Day
Independence Day 2026
In the original Independence Day movie (1996), what type of computer did Jeff Goldblum use to connect to the alien mainframe? Take a guess, don't look it up or ask AI.
See possible answers