Stairway to Server-side Tracing - Level 9: How to Automate SQL Traces using the Data Collector
In this level you will see how to employ the Data Collector feature of SQL Server to automate management of SQL Traces among multiple servers.
Stairway to SQL PowerShell Level 1: SQL PowerShell Basics
What are PowerShell and SQL PowerShell and how do you use them? Level 1 of this Stairway will help you answer these questions, and start to show you why you might want to use this great tool.
Stairway to SQL PowerShell Level 2: SQL PowerShell Setup and Config
Now that you know how to get started with PowerShell, it is time to configure PowerShell for SQL Server use. This level covers the components you'll need and how to configure them.
Stairway to SQL PowerShell Level 3: Input and Output with PowerShell
This level will cover some of the Input/Output operations you can use with PowerShell.
Stairway to SQL PowerShell Level 4: Objects in SQL PowerShell
This far, we have learned about installation and setup of the PowerShell environment. You should now have a foundation of SQL Server PowerShell. We now are ready to learn about Objects in SQL PowerShell.
Stairway to SQL Server Agent - Level 10: Using proxy accounts with your Jobs
Examines the proxy subsystem, which allows job steps to impersonate another user account in order to perform tasks as a user other than the SQL Server Agent service account. This is especially useful when you want jobs to run as lower privileged users of your SQL Server.
Stairway to SQL Server Agent - Level 11: Maintenance Plan Jobs
How maintenance plans are used as SQL Server Agent jobs to automate standard system tasks. This article will also lay out some suggested jobs that should be on virtually all SQL Server systems.
Stairway to SQL Server Agent - Level 12: Using MSX/TSX to scale out Job Management
Examines the scale-out capabilities of SQL Server Agent, using the MSX/TSX subsystem. This capability allows you to run jobs on multiple systems and consolidate the job results/history onto a single server.
Stairway to SQL Server Agent - Level 2: Job Steps and Subsystems
SQL Server Agent jobs are made up of a series of one or more Job Steps. A job step is assigned to a specific job subsystem, which identifies the kind of work the job step is going to perform. Each job step runs in a separate security context, although each job also has an owner that determines who can modify the job.
Stairway to SQL Server Agent - Level 3: Agent Alerts and Operators
How to be notified when a job succeeds or fails, or be notified when a SQL Server performance condition is met.
Blogs
Are you getting value from your reporting?
By ChrisJenkins
Do you spend so long manipulating your data into something vaguely useful that you...
The Book of Redgate: SQL Server Central
By Steve Jones
It was neat to stumble on this in the book, a piece by me,...
Git forked
Forgive me for the title. Mentally I’m 12. When I started my current day...
Forums
Microsoft Security Changes and SQL Server
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Microsoft Security Changes and SQL...
Expanding into Print
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Expanding into Print
Downtime Caused by the Postgres Transaction ID Wraparound Problem
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Downtime Caused by the Postgres...
Question of the Day
The String Distance I
In SQL Server 2025, what is returned by this code:
SELECT EDIT_DISTANCE('Steve', 'Stan')
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