Blogs

SQL Server 2012 End of Support Migration Plan

Today is end of support for SQL Server 2012. May it rest in peace.

Migrating a SQL Server can be a lot of work. There are so many things to think about. It’s a pain.

Live view, upgrading SQL Server

Let me offer you a template of steps to get you started on your planning.

Here’s a quick overview of my process:

• Run Database Migration Assistant against the source SQL Server to get a report of incompatibilities and breaking changes in relation to my target version and edition.

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A Look Back at SQL Server 2012

SQL Server 2012 extended support ends July 12, 2022 – no more patches of any kind. I hope this isn’t news to you, and you’re already planning a migration. Before I post about a migration plan, though, I’d like to take a look back at SQL Server 2012.

What were some new features in SQL Server 2012, and how did they fare over time?

Administrative Features in SQL Server 2012

• AlwaysOn Availability Groups:

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How To Read The SQL Server Error Log

Reading the SQL Server Error Log is important when troubleshooting many issues for SQL Server. Some example issues would be errors related to Always On Availability Groups, long IO occurrence messages, and login failures.

Unfortunately, the SQL Server Error Log can be very full of information, making specific things hard to find, especially if you’re just visually scrolling the Error Log. Even if you’re recycling the Error Log each day and keeping 30 or more days of error log, on a busy system, the error log can still be quite full, even for a single day.

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3 Tips for Writing Good Code as a SQL Developer

SQL Server Developers are under-rated.

That’s right! I’m a DBA and I said, “SQL Developers are under-rated.” Dedicated SQL Developers help I.T. teams by writing efficient code that gets just the data that is needed and in a way that leverages how the database engine works best. How do you ensure you’re doing great work for your company and building code that will stand the test of time?

I’m so glad you asked!

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How to Check SQL Server Security Part 1

You know you need to be thinking about SQL Server security, but maybe you’re not sure where to start. Topics like firewalls and ports and port scanners and such may be dancing your mind. Those are good things to think about, but they are not under your sphere of influence as a data professional in charge of SQL Server. So, what can you do?

Your first place to start is by looking at the Logins, which as I’ve explained in a previous  post, are at the level of the SQL Server instance level.

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How to Build a SQL Server Inventory Using PowerShell

You’re a data professional and you’ve been given the keys to a new SQL Server environment. You know you need to build a SQL Server inventory so you know what is in your environment, but how do you get that information?

One of the things I have talked about in other posts is how to create a SQL Server inventory. I’ve discussed using the MAP Toolkit and building your own inventory database using T-SQL. Today, we’ll see another way to generate a list of SQL Servers in your environment.

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How to Build a SQL Server Inventory Using T-SQL Scripts

You need to create a SQL Server inventory. Without this information, you’ll be unaware of critical information about the environment your responsible to manage.

We’re on a journey to make sure that you as a DBA know what SQL Servers are in your environment so you know what you’re responsible for managing.  As your guide, I discussed in a previous post, how to get started with using the MAP Toolkit from Microsoft to get a list of SQL Servers in your environment and some key metadata about them.

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Is it ok to use proprietary database features

I was recently thinking of SQL Server temporal tables and how there is a perspective that you shouldn’t use proprietary features of a product because it locks you into that product. I want to be your guide on this matter.

Database platforms are typically long term decisions

First of all, that product was chosen for a reason so it’s unlikely that any time soon it’s going to be replaced. This is especially true if we’re talking about database platforms. Doing that type of wholesale swap out is expensive because you’re paying you’re employees to do the long, tedious work to do that platform switch.

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What Are SQL Server Logins and Users

You’re a data professional learning about managing SQL Server and you’ve been asked to grant permissions for SQL Server to an individual or a group of individuals. What do you need to understand in order to accomplish this? I’ll be your guide to getting started with handling access to SQL Server.

Let’s start with an analogy.

Keys and fobs are common place these days for vehicles. Sometimes if you have a fob it ties into the ignition allowing for push button start so no key is needed for that. That’s not always the case though. Many people still have key and fob combos on their key ring. For our purposes, we’re going to assume that is the case.

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Building a SQL environment inventory with the MAP Toolkit

The MAP Toolkit, also called the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit, is a standard way to obtain information about your Microsoft environment. This includes your SQL Server. The tool is so common that a link to it is included in the SQL Server media. This tool will scan your network and provide a fairly comprehensive report on SQL Servers it finds. The direct link to the MAP Toolkit download is located here. Be sure to download all the files from that page.

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