SQL Server Archives

Get SQL database backup details with PowerShell

Quickly get SQL Server backup .bak file header information using PowerShell and SQL Server Management Objects (SMO). Determine the name of the SQL server that wrote the backup set.

By Jan Reilink 21/08/2023Windows Server

Windows Server

Create an additional SQL Server Login

Here is a small T-SQL snippet that creates an additional (extra) SQL Server Login (User) for contained databases in SQL Server. It sets memberships too.

By Jan Reilink 27/12/2022Windows Server

Windows Server

Monitor SQL Server and databases in depth using Zabbix

Monitor Microsoft SQL Server, databases and performance with Zabbix, PowerShell, Performance Counters and WMI. Keep SQL Server and databases in top shape and performance up! In this post I show you how you can use Zabbix to monitor those important aspects for database administrators (DBA).

By Jan Reilink 20/12/2022Windows Server

Web applications

Convert SqlCe database to SQL Server

Learn how to convert an SQL Server Compact (SQL CE) database to an SQL Server database. Because the SQL CE database type is unsupported, it’s recommended by Microsoft to upgrade to SQL Server. But how do you convert your SqlCe database?

By Jan Reilink 12/01/2022Web applications

Umbraco

How to optimize Umbraco 8 performance

Out of the box, Umbraco is a well built and pretty fast content management system. However, it is still important you perform some steps to further optimize Umbraco's performance and loading speed. Here on Sysadmins of the North, I wrote about "11+ tips to optimize Umbraco CMS" earlier, and in this post I write about implementing them. On a just installed and running website.

By Jan Reilink 23/12/2021Umbraco

Windows Server

Install SQL Server cumulative updates silently

Unpack and install SQL Server cumulative updates using PowerShell to speed up the installation and update process.

By Jan Reilink 13/10/2021Windows Server

Windows Server

Block brute force attacks on SQL Server, block IP addresses in Windows Firewall using PowerShell

This PowerShell solution blocks IP addresses that are trying to brute force your SQL Server logins, by blocking IP addresses in Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security, using PowerShell. You can use this to create your own solution to block offending IP addresses in SQL Server's firewall.

By Jan Reilink 20/09/2021Windows Server

Umbraco

11+ Tips to optimize Umbraco 7 CMS

Umbraco 7 is a popular, ASP.NET powered, content management system (CMS). Even though it performs pretty well, here are 11+ tips to optimize the performance of Umbraco 7 powered websites on IIS.

By Jan Reilink 07/11/2018Umbraco

Windows Server

Manually failover all databases in an SQL Server Database Mirroring configuration

In this article I’ll show you how to force a failover in SQL Server 2017+, in an SQL Server Database Mirroring configuration. This can only be initiated from the principal SQL Server server, and the mirrored database must be synchronized (that is, when the database is in the SYNCHRONIZED state).

By Jan Reilink 25/10/2018Windows Server

Code base

ASP and ASP.NET connectionstring examples for Microsoft SQL Server and MySQL

This article provides you with a couple of ASP.NET to SQL Server connectionstring examples for ODBC and OLE DB. And as a bonus for ASP to SQL Server, MySQL, and SSL encrypted connections too.

By Jan Reilink 17/10/2018Code base

PowerShell

How to determine if a SQL Server backup is compressed?

Compressed SQL Server backups can be verified in PowerShell using a handy PowerShell function. This comes in handy when you need to verify if existing SQL Server backups are compressed.

By Jan Reilink 06/08/2017PowerShell

Windows Server

How to install Microsoft’s SQL Server Driver for PHP

In this article I'll show you how to install the Microsoft SQL Server Driver for PHP 7+. This makes the use of an SQL Server database back-end for your PHP website easy. This post walks you through the steps necessary to install the SQL Server driver and SQLSRV extension for PHP 7+, on Windows Server IIS of course.

By Jan Reilink 13/04/2016Windows Server

Windows Server

SQL Server versions list

An unofficial build chart lists all of the known SQL Server Service Packs (SP), Cumulative Updates (CU), patches, hotfixes and other builds, including builds of MS SQL Server 2019, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2008 R2, 2008, 2005, 2000, 7.0, 6.5 and 6.0 that have been released.

By Jan Reilink 11/12/2015Windows Server

Umbraco

Configure SQLServer sessionState for Umbraco

Prepare your Umbraco website for high performance web garden or web farm and load balancing environments: Store your sessions out-of-process (OutProc). As opposed to the default in-process (inProc) sessions, where sessions are saved in the worker process. Create a high performing, fast loading Umbraco website.

By Jan Reilink 23/04/2014Umbraco

Code base

Connect to SqlCe (SQL Server Compact) database from ASP

Connect to SQL Server Compacy (SqlCe) database with ASP. Here is how to install the Microsoft.SQLSERVER.CE.OLEDB.4.0 Provider and use classic ASP to connect to an SqlCe (SQL Server Compact) database sdf file, as a Microsoft Access database replacement. For Windows Server IIS. SQL Server Compact (SqlCe), the embedded database engine, is the default database for Visual Studio 2010 SP1 and WebMatrix 3. This means, it's recommended to use SqlCe over Access nowadays.

By Jan Reilink 03/06/2013Code base