Category Archives: SQL Server

Verifying SQL Server Database Backups

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We know that data in a database is important and also aware that database backups are required in case of a disaster in order to restore the database to a previous state (before the disaster). As a Database Admin it is crucial to perform regular database backups. One of the important tasks many people might not pay attention with respect to database backups is to verify whether or not the database backup is reliable. What I mean is “whether that particular database backup is good to be restored?“. It would be a real disaster to have a backup which is not good to be used, in case of recovery. In order to be on a safer side, we need to verify the backups that we have taken. There are 2 ways you can verify whether or not a backup is reliable; one way would be to try restoring from the backup and the other way is to try a restore verifyonly. When a restore the database from a backup (procedure 1), you actually need to have sufficient disk space to hold the database being restored, where as using restore verifyonly option, you do not need to have the free disk space for the database. It verifies whether or not the particular database backup is reliable or not (indicating that it is possible to restore the database from that particular database).

Let’s say you stored your database backup on C: Drive as dbbackup.bak, use the following command to verify if that backup is valid.

RESTORE VERIFYONLY FROM DISK = 'C:\dbbackup.bak'

The image below shows screen shot of the scripts used in this example.

It would be a good practice to verify the backup files using this option on a regular basis.

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– Bru Medishetty

Learn SQL With Bru on Google Search

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Yesterday (August 4th 2010) I was searching for something on Google and I happened to type learn sql with bru (that’s one of the most frequently typed URL by me). It was amazing to see Google search returning Learn SQL With Bru without typing the entire search string and to my surprise, Learn SQL With Bru was listed at the top. (Image below). 

I am aware that Google lists my website in its searches, (website stats, gives the # of hits to learnsqlwithbru.com originating from Google and other referring sources) I wanted to share this happiness with all the regular users and thanks them all for their support and feedback.

– Bru Medishetty

Learning SQL Server Performance Tuning – Part One

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I wrote a blog in January 2010, called Performance Tuning in SQL Server. It was kind of introductory non-technical blog. (If you have time I would recommend you read it, would not take much time to digest it). In this short blog we will learn various steps involved in SQL Server performance tuning.

When dealing with performance tuning SQL Server, we can broadly classify it into 2 major areas; Physical Server related and SQL Server related. I will explain what does these areas consists of in more detail shortly, but remember that both these areas needs to be addressed in order to reach the optimum performance from the SQL Server Databases.

Tuning physical server involves tuning those underlying hardware components that define the physical server on which the SQL Server Instance is running OR SQL Server needs to be installed on. Primary hardware resources that needs to be monitored and tuned are Memory, Processors, Disk Drives and Network. 

SQL Server tuning invloves those that can be configured at the Instance and database level in SQL Server and more importantly involves in T-SQL query tuning.

In the next part of this series we shall look more details with respect to both these areas.

Note: Links to other parts in the series will be included here as and when they are published.

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– Bru Medishetty