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  • How to Check Blocking SPIDs in SQL Server

    Blocking is one of the most common causes of performance issues in SQL Server. When one session holds a lock on a resource and another session needs that same resource, the second session waits. If that wait persists, users experience slowness. Understanding how to quickly identify blocking SPIDs is a core DBA skill. This guide…

  • Open SSMS as a Different Domain User

    When working in corporate SQL Server environments, you will often need to connect using a different Active Directory domain account. Common reasons include: SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) does not allow switching users inside the connection dialog. To connect as another user, you must launch SSMS itself using that account. This post covers the two…

  • Working with SQL Server Database Master Keys

    SQL Server uses an encryption hierarchy to protect secrets such as credentials, asymmetric keys and certificates. At the database level, that hierarchy is anchored by the database master key (DMK). Because all other encrypted objects depend on it, losing access to the DMK can render those objects unusable. This post walks through how to: It also…

  • Check SQL Server Connection Encryption and Protocol

    Modern SQL Server environments often use encrypted connections by default, but that does not always mean what people think it means. When troubleshooting connectivity problems, certificate errors, performance questions, or unexpected client behaviour, DBAs usually need to answer one very specific question: What protocol and encryption is this connection actually using right now? This post…

  • How to Check SQL Server Version

    Knowing exactly which SQL Server version and build is running is foundational DBA work. It comes up during patching, incident response, audits, upgrades, and when engaging Microsoft support. SQL Server exposes version information in several ways. Some are fast and visual, others are scriptable, and a few provide deeper installation detail when you need it.…

  • sqlcmd Examples for SQL Server

    sqlcmd is a command line utility for connecting to SQL Server and executing Transact-SQL without a GUI. It is commonly used for automation, scripting, remote administration, and incident response, especially in environments where SSMS is unavailable, inappropriate, or too heavy. This post covers sqlcmd usage from a DBA perspective, how to find or install it,…

  • Install and Update SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

    SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is the primary management tool for SQL Server and Azure SQL platforms. It is also the official download location and update path for SQL Server Management Studio going forward. In recent releases, SSMS has changed significantly, not in how it looks, but in how it installs, updates, and enforces connection…

  • SSMS Certificate Chain Not Trusted Error (Trust Server Certificate Fix)

    If you’ve recently upgraded SQL Server Management Studio and suddenly can’t connect to SQL Server, you may see an SSL or certificate error during login. This commonly appears after upgrading to newer SSMS versions and is caused by a change in how SSMS handles encryption by default. The good news: this is usually quick to…

  • SQL Server Default Ports

    By default, the SQL Server Database Engine listens on TCP port 1433. This is useful to know, but it is not something you should rely on blindly. SQL Server can be configured to listen on different ports, and this is common on hosts running multiple SQL Server instances where each instance requires its own port.…

  • Check When SQL Server Was Last Restarted

    Knowing when SQL Server last restarted is one of the simplest checks a DBA can perform, and one of the most useful. It immediately answers questions around patching, failovers, configuration changes, and unexplained behaviour. Before assuming anything else, confirming uptime is always worth doing first. This post shows the most reliable way to check SQL…

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