SQL Server DBA Guides, Scripts, and AI Health Checks
Production-first SQL Server content from a working DBA: troubleshooting guides, copy-paste scripts, and a health check workflow where dba-tools collects the evidence and AI helps surface the blindspots.
If you run SQL Server in production, this site is built to help with the real work: incidents, performance, HA/DR, monitoring, backups, and repeatable diagnostics.
Prefer reading first? Browse the latest SQL Server posts.
Need a first pass in minutes?
Run the health-check workflow and get a prioritized list you can work from immediately.
- Collect diagnostics
- Review deterministic findings
- Correlate issues with AI evidence
Need a script now?
Use the script library when you already know the question and need a safe answer fast.
- Performance and blocking
- Backups and recovery
- Security and permissions
Need the bigger map?
Use the complete guide and topic hubs to navigate the full SQL Server coverage on the site.
- Wait statistics reference library
- Troubleshooting clusters
- Topic-driven operations guides
The flagship: dba-tools plus AI correlation
The workflow is intentionally practical: gather evidence from the server, run deterministic checks, then let AI correlate patterns across the full dataset. It does not replace DBA judgment, it shortens the route to a confident diagnosis.
A 30-second run: terminal command, web UI output, then the same script in SSMS.
Start Here
If this is your first visit, use this order: understand the toolkit, run one practical workflow, then branch into the topic area you are troubleshooting today.
DBA Scripts & Tools
Start with the project map and command paths so every script and workflow is predictable.
- Quick start and environment assumptions
- Script categories by operational need
- Health check entry point and AI rubric path
Troubleshooting Guides
Use these when you already have symptoms and need a tested sequence of checks and fixes.
- Blocking and deadlock workflows
- Recovery and integrity troubleshooting
- Security and permissions edge cases
Wait Stats Library
Use this reference to translate raw waits into practical action and safer follow-up checks.
- Wait meaning in production context
- Common root causes and false signals
- Next checks to run before changing anything
If you are firefighting right now
Go straight to the highest-signal material for live incidents.
If you are improving the platform
Use these paths to reduce recurring issues and raise baseline reliability.
Latest Posts
- SQL Server Compatibility Level: What Actually Changes When You Bump It
- SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS): The Complete Guide
- SQL Server Collation: Case Sensitivity and the Cross-Database Trap
- SQL Server Isolation Levels (and When to Reach for RCSI)
- DBA Scripts: Get Database Summary
- DBA Scripts: Get Database Inventory
- Instant File Initialization: What It Actually Does and How to Enable It
Key Topics
- High Availability & DRAG operations, failover readiness, replica health
- TroubleshootingIncident-led diagnostics and recovery workflows
- Performance TuningQueries, waits, index behavior, and bottlenecks
- SQL Server SecurityPermissions, logins, exposure checks, and hardening
- Monitoring & AlertingCollector baselines and operational visibility
- Backup & RecoveryCoverage, chain integrity, and restore confidence
- Transaction Log ManagementGrowth, VLFs, reuse waits, and pressure diagnosis
- Production Script LibraryCentral index for reusable DBA script tooling
More About Me
I am a SQL Server DBA working in large-scale production environments, working remotely from home in Edinburgh, Scotland.
My focus is on reliability, performance, and keeping systems running when they matter most. Most of my day-to-day work sits around operations, incident response, platform engineering, and automation, supporting SQL Server workloads that need to stay available and predictable under real pressure.
For more background and non-DBA writing, visit my personal site at peterwhyte.com, where you’ll also find my CV.
Pick a practical next action
Whether you are in an incident or planning preventative work, start with one workflow and execute it end-to-end.