Tools and Scripts

Resolved: Login failed for user NT AUTHORITY\ANONYMOUS LOGON – Delegation Step-by-Step

2022-11-022022-11-18
SQL Server Database Engine, Tools and Scripts
2 Comments

Sometimes when trying to access a linked server, you’d get an error saying “Login failed for user NT AUTHORITY\ANONYMOUS LOGON”. This happens because you’re connected using Windows authentication, and SQL Server fails to “forward” your credentials to the linked server.

Hopefully, with this blog post, I’ll provide you with an easy-to-understand step-by-step guide, which would help you resolve the issue the right way, without any workarounds.

Compare SQL Server Instance Properties

A few years ago, I created a couple of T-SQL scripts that can be used for comparing instance-level and database-level properties between two HA/DR replicas. Originally, this supported comparing only two servers. But recently, following a fan request, I upgraded the script to support an unlimited number of servers that you can compare to each other.

So, I figured, if one person found this useful, there must be more out there that would need this, right?

The Best Solution for SQL Server Partitioning Sliding Window

2022-05-30
T-SQL, Tools and Scripts

Turns out there’s a shortage of solutions online for easily managing partitioned tables in SQL Server. Well… I guess I’ll have to do it myself!

I got the Power: Remote Execution using Powershell and SQL Server

As part of my journey to get better at Powershell, I gave myself a task: Create a project utilizing Powershell at its core, to solve a complicated problem as elegantly as possible.

A complicated problem indeed presented itself: How to remotely control multiple computers without having to log into them? Make them perform any task that could possibly be needed? Control them from one central location? And make the solution as easily scalable as possible?

I present to you, the Framework for Remote Execution using Powershell and SQL Server. Or in short: FREPS. Hmm… Actually, I may have to work on that name. 🤔

Detect Weak Passwords in SQL Server

This is a T-SQL script that I’m cross-publishing with the official Madeira Data Solutions blog.

This script generates various permutations and variations of common and weak passwords and uses the PWDCOMPARE function to check whether there are any enabled SQL logins that have these passwords.

Detect Low PAGE Compression Success Rates in all Databases

2022-01-17
SQL Server Performance, Tools and Scripts
1 Comment

Thanks to Paul Randal and his recently published blog post: “The Curious Case of… tracking page compression success rates“, I finally discovered what was the purpose of the column page_compression_success_count from the system function sys.dm_db_index_operational_stats, and how to use it.

Performance Tuning Like a Pro – with Hypothetical Indexes

2021-12-27
SQL Server Performance, T-SQL, Tools and Scripts

Every once in a while there comes an opportunity to “upgrade” your abilities with newly acquired knowledge that lets you “step up your game” and possibly add some “wow factor” to your work, leaving your peers awe-struck by your amazing new “magic trick”.

As a SQL Server consultant, one such opportunity that I had in my line of work, is when I learned about “Hypothetical Indexes” and how to use them.

It is 10 PM, do you know where your pages are?

2021-10-26
SQL Server Database Engine, SQL Server Reporting Services, Tools and Scripts
1 Comment

Back in April 2020, I created an open-source project called “SQL Server Page Allocation Reports“. It consisted of a set of SQL queries and some Power BI reports that can be used for visualizing the size and locations of your data and transaction log pages.

Well, recently I also added SSMS Custom Reports into the mix. So, it’s time to revisit this project and see what’s new!

T-SQL Tuesday #143 – Short Powershell code to move DB files in AlwaysOn

This month’s #tsql2sday is hosted by John McCormack who asks us to share some useful snippets of code that can help us in our everyday jobs.

Well, honestly, this is more or less what my blog is mostly about anyway: sharing insights, scripts, and code snippets that I found to be helpful in my day-to-day job as a SQL Server consultant.

Finding a use for Extended Properties in SQL Server

2021-07-27
SQL Server Database Development, T-SQL, Tools and Scripts
2 Comments

“Extended properties allow you to add custom properties to database objects”, so says the official Microsoft documentation. However, very few DBAs make use of them, if at all. This is actually a good thing, because indeed the scenarios in which this feature could be useful are relatively few and rare.

On the other hand, I also see DBAs essentially jumping through hoops to implement something, which could in fact very easily be implemented using Extended Properties.

What are these peculiar use cases? Let’s look at a few examples.