Stairway to Server-side Tracing - Level 6: How to Import Trace Data
How to import a trace file into a table using T-SQL and the Profiler tool, for subsequent ad-hoc analysis.
Stairway to Server-side Tracing - Level 7: How to Automate SQL Traces using SQL Jobs
How to use SQL Jobs, scripts and SSIS to manage traces and trace data collection.
Stairway to Server-side Tracing - Level 8: How to Automate Traces with SSIS
Level 8 of this stairway series looks at the automation of your tracing using Integration Services.
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.
Blogs
ISACA AI Material/Exam Prep Discount (May 18 – June 30, 2026)
By Brian Kelley
If you are considering any of the ISACA AI certs like the Advanced Artificial...
A Fabric solution can be very cost effective
By ChrisJenkins
Are you currently using Microsoft Fabric or considering migrating to it? If so, there...
Track SQL Server Configuration Changes Using the Error Log
By SQLPals
Track SQL Server Configuration Changes Using the Error Log If you...
Forums
We Are Eating Our Own Seed Corn
Comments posted to this topic are about the item We Are Eating Our Own...
Before Using AI with Business Data, Read This
Artificial intelligence tools are quickly becoming part of daily business operations, from document analysis...
Designing SQL Server ETL Pipelines That Don't Break at Scale
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Designing SQL Server ETL Pipelines...
Question of the Day
Detecting Deadlocks Quickly
In the Database Engine, when a deadlock is detected, what does the detection interval shrink to (in time)?
See possible answers