SQL Server DBA Checklist
Content
Backups Nightly Processing SQL Server Error Log SQL Server 2005 Exposed
Check your backups to validate that they were successfully created per your process. Review the nightly or early morning processes. Review the SQL Server error log for any errors or security issues (successful or failed logins) that are unexpected. Log File Viewer Review the Application Event Log at a minimum to find out if any Windows or hardware related errors or warnings are being written. Some of the hardware vendors write warnings to the Windows Event Log when they anticipate an error is going to occur, so this gives you the opportunity to be proactive and correct the problem during a scheduled down time, rather than having a mid day emergency. Review for failed SQL Server Agent Jobs.
Windows Event Log
SQL Server Agent Jobs Finding SQL Server Agent Job Failures HA or DR Logs Performance Logs Performance Tuning Security Logs Centralized error handling Standardized Error Handling and Centralized Logging Storage Service Broker Service Broker Corrective Actions Improvements Learn something new
Check your high availability and/or disaster recovery process logs. Depending on the solution (Log Shipping, Clustering, Replication, Database Mirroring, CDP, etc.) that you are using dictates what needs to be checked. Review the performance metrics to determine if your baseline was exceeded or if you had slow points during the day that need to be reviewed.
Review the security logs from a third party solution or from the SQL Server Error Logs to determine if you had a breach or a violation in one of your policies. If you have an application, per SQL Server or enterprise level logging, then review those logs for any unexpected errors.
Validate you have sufficient storage on your drives to support your databases, backups, batch processes, etc. in the short term. Check the transmission and user defined queues to make sure data is properly being processed in your applications. Take corrective actions based on the issues and/or errors that you found. Look for opportunities to improve your environment based on the review and analysis you have performed. Although this review and correction process could be time consuming, take some time every day to learn something new to improve your knowledge of the technology you work on every day.
Backup Verification (Comprehensive)
Backup Verification (Simple) Windows, SQL Server or Application Updates Service Packs / Patches Capacity Planning Fragmentation Maintenance
Verify your backups and test on a regular basis to ensure the overall process works as expected Contact your off site tape vendor to obtain a tape Validate that the tape goes to the correct office Validate that the vendor delivers the correct tape Validate that the vendor delivers the tape in the correct time period Validate that the software version you use to perform the restore is compatible with the version from the tape Validate that the tape does not have any restore errors Validate that sufficient storage is available to move the backup to the needed SQL Server Validate that the SQL Server versions are compatible to restore the database Validate that no error messages are generated during the restore process Validate that the database is accurately restored and the application will function properly Maintenance Tasks: Automating the RESTORE VERIFYONLY Process Verifying Backups with the RESTORE VERIFYONLY Statement Check for service packs/patches that need to be installed on your SQL Server from either a hardware, OS, DBMS or application perspective Perform capacity planning to ensure you will have sufficient storage for a specific period of time such as for 6, 12 or 18 months. Review the fragmentation for your databases to determine if you particular indexes must be rebuilt based on analysis from a backup SQL Server. Perform database maintenance on a weekly or monthly basis.
Security Remove unneeded logins and users for individuals that have left the organization, had a change in position, etc. Remove unneeded logins and users for individuals that have left the organization, had a change in position, etc. If databases or transaction logs are larger, than necessary shrink those files to free up disk space. Shrink databases
Check your backups to validate that they were successfully created per your process. Review the nightly or early morning processes. Review the SQL Server error log for any errors or security issues (successful or failed logins) that are unexpected. Log File Viewer Review the Application Event Log at a minimum to find out if any Windows or hardware related errors or warnings are being written. Some of the hardware vendors write warnings to the Windows Event Log when they anticipate an error is going to occur, so this gives you the opportunity to be proactive and correct the problem during a scheduled down time, rather than having a mid day emergency. Review for failed SQL Server Agent Jobs.
Windows Event Log
SQL Server Agent Jobs Finding SQL Server Agent Job Failures HA or DR Logs Performance Logs Performance Tuning Security Logs Centralized error handling Standardized Error Handling and Centralized Logging Storage Service Broker Service Broker Corrective Actions Improvements Learn something new
Check your high availability and/or disaster recovery process logs. Depending on the solution (Log Shipping, Clustering, Replication, Database Mirroring, CDP, etc.) that you are using dictates what needs to be checked. Review the performance metrics to determine if your baseline was exceeded or if you had slow points during the day that need to be reviewed.
Review the security logs from a third party solution or from the SQL Server Error Logs to determine if you had a breach or a violation in one of your policies. If you have an application, per SQL Server or enterprise level logging, then review those logs for any unexpected errors.
Validate you have sufficient storage on your drives to support your databases, backups, batch processes, etc. in the short term. Check the transmission and user defined queues to make sure data is properly being processed in your applications. Take corrective actions based on the issues and/or errors that you found. Look for opportunities to improve your environment based on the review and analysis you have performed. Although this review and correction process could be time consuming, take some time every day to learn something new to improve your knowledge of the technology you work on every day.
Backup Verification (Comprehensive)
Backup Verification (Simple) Windows, SQL Server or Application Updates Service Packs / Patches Capacity Planning Fragmentation Maintenance
Verify your backups and test on a regular basis to ensure the overall process works as expected Contact your off site tape vendor to obtain a tape Validate that the tape goes to the correct office Validate that the vendor delivers the correct tape Validate that the vendor delivers the tape in the correct time period Validate that the software version you use to perform the restore is compatible with the version from the tape Validate that the tape does not have any restore errors Validate that sufficient storage is available to move the backup to the needed SQL Server Validate that the SQL Server versions are compatible to restore the database Validate that no error messages are generated during the restore process Validate that the database is accurately restored and the application will function properly Maintenance Tasks: Automating the RESTORE VERIFYONLY Process Verifying Backups with the RESTORE VERIFYONLY Statement Check for service packs/patches that need to be installed on your SQL Server from either a hardware, OS, DBMS or application perspective Perform capacity planning to ensure you will have sufficient storage for a specific period of time such as for 6, 12 or 18 months. Review the fragmentation for your databases to determine if you particular indexes must be rebuilt based on analysis from a backup SQL Server. Perform database maintenance on a weekly or monthly basis.
Security Remove unneeded logins and users for individuals that have left the organization, had a change in position, etc. Remove unneeded logins and users for individuals that have left the organization, had a change in position, etc. If databases or transaction logs are larger, than necessary shrink those files to free up disk space. Shrink databases
