Author: Peter Whyte

  • How to Check Transaction Log Space Usage in SQL Server

    Monitoring transaction log space usage is a fundamental DBA task. If a log file runs out of space, transactions can fail, applications can stop, and in the worst cases databases can be taken offline. This post shows two practical ways to check log space usage in SQL Server, starting with a built-in command and then…

  • Script: Top Wait Statistics

    This script returns the top wait types since the last SQL Server restart or wait statistics clear, excluding common idle and background waits. It provides a quick high-level view of where the instance is spending time. This is often the first script run during performance investigations to identify whether the primary pressure is related to…

  • Get Database File Names and Paths in SQL Server

    As a DBA, you regularly need to know where your database files live, how big they are, and how they’re configured to grow. Whether you’re planning disk capacity, reviewing growth settings, troubleshooting space issues, or preparing for a migration, being able to quickly pull data and log file details across an instance is essential. This…

  • Script: Get SQL Server Agent Job Overview

    This script returns an overview of all SQL Server Agent jobs on an instance, including job category, owner, whether the job is enabled, the last run start time, last run duration, and the next scheduled run time. It’s a practical check when reviewing inherited environments, validating job ownership, identifying disabled jobs, or confirming schedules after…

  • Script: Get SQL Server Services Information

    This script returns details about the SQL Server and SQL Server Agent services running on an instance. It shows the service name, process ID, startup type, current status, service account, and whether instant file initialisation is enabled. This is a useful check when validating new builds, reviewing service accounts, or troubleshooting startup and permission-related issues.…

  • Script: Get Database Sizes and Free Space

    This script returns file-level size and free space information for all databases on a SQL Server instance. It shows how much space is allocated, how much is used, and how much free space remains inside each data and log file. This is a go-to check when reviewing storage usage, investigating unexpected growth, or validating capacity…

  • How to Increase Maximum Characters Displayed in SSMS

    By default, SQL Server Management Studio limits the number of characters displayed per column when using Results to Text. The default limit is 256 characters. If a query or system stored procedure returns more than that, the output is silently truncated. You get partial results, which is often worse than getting an error. This post…

  • Script: Estimate Backup and Restore Completion Time

    This script shows the current progress and estimated completion time for running backup and restore operations. It’s intended to be used while an operation is already in progress, giving a clear view of how long it has been running and how much time is likely remaining. This is especially useful during incidents or maintenance windows…

  • Applying Data Retention Safely in SQL Server

    Data retention in SQL Server usually means deleting old data in a controlled and repeatable way. That might be driven by compliance requirements, table growth that’s starting to hurt performance, SQL Server Express size limits, or simply keeping log and audit tables under control. Whether this is a one-off cleanup or a permanent maintenance task,…

  • Script: Check Backup Coverage Across All Databases

    This script returns the most recent full, differential, and transaction log backup times for every database on a SQL Server instance. It’s designed as a quick sanity check to validate backup coverage, identify gaps, and confirm maintenance jobs are running as expected across an environment. The Script Example Output The result set shows one row…