by XTIVIA | Oct 15, 2014 | Blog, Data Management, Databases
Have you ever noticed when you are working on a query for SQL Server and the second time you execute the query it runs much faster than the first time you had executed it? There is a reason for this and most likely it is caused by your buffer. When your SQL...
by XTIVIA | Sep 17, 2014 | Blog, Data Management, Databases
Often when I am requested to look at an issue with SQL Server I have to spend some time in the error log. On a side note, I think the log itself is a commonly overlooked tool for troubleshooting. Often it can be a bit cumbersome to work with if the default settings...
by XTIVIA | Aug 21, 2014 | Blog, Data Management, Databases
Often the things I post about are the items that I am using that day, or recently. Many of the topics, are simply based on how I may have made using SQL Server a bit easier for me to use one way or another. In another SQL Server Error Log post I had mentioned a few of...
by XTIVIA | Aug 21, 2014 | Blog, Data Management, Databases
Are you testing your database backups, If so how? Sure there are a couple options that you can use to help validate backups but does this mean you are 100% sure, without a doubt, that it can be restored? Have you ever seen a backup file not restore? Recently I was...
by XTIVIA | May 7, 2014 | Blog, Data Management, Databases
Managing Logins If you have worked with SQL Server a while you may recognize there is a difference between logins and users. When it comes to managing security with SQL Server it is important to know the difference, and the differences that have come about over...
by XTIVIA | Apr 16, 2014 | Blog, Databases
Many of our Virtual-DBA clients need to complete audits for compliance with regulations. SOX (Sarbanes Oxley) is a common audit that our customers need to successfully complete. A common question the auditors ask is, “How do you know a user has been granted elevated...
by XTIVIA | Mar 28, 2014 | Blog, Data Management, Databases
In cases when a database change needs to be made there are some good rules that when used can save you a lot of time down the road. Run changes via scripts – Scripts add for precise execution and help remove human error when it comes to typos. When creating scripts...
by Kathleen Long | Jan 23, 2014 | Blog, Data Management, Databases
Bloated Transaction log in Simple recovery mode will not shrink Received a request today from a Virtual-DBA customer asking XTIVIA to help troubleshoot why a database which is only 50MBs in size would have a transaction log of 181GB. My first thought fell to an open...
by XTIVIA | Jan 15, 2014 | Blog, Data Management, Databases
What you need to know about Database Mirroring In recent months I have set up database mirroring for a number of clients. Why you may ask? It is a great option for disaster recovery and even gives the organization additional options when it comes to maintenance...
by XTIVIA | Oct 7, 2013 | Blog, Business Intelligence, Databases
At XTIVIA we often receive requests from clients who require somewhat more than the average database administration tasks. Recently I had a request to help a client pull normalized data from one object in one data source and merge that data with data in two...
