Author: Mitchell Glasscock

Version 1458 is now available. The headline addition is the new tray icon and Windows service, which lets you set up historic monitoring on servers where SQL Server Agent isn’t available to schedule the collection. Alongside that, there’s a new least-privilege role for granting access to monitoring data without granting sysadmin, several alerting enhancements, new and faster QuickScan checks, and a set of additions to the Query Loading Ramp load testing feature. New: Tray Icon and Windows Service Database Health …

What’s New in Database Health Monitor – August 2026 Release Read more →

If you’ve ever opened Task Manager and noticed SQL Server taking up a huge portion of system memory, you’re not alone. SQL Server often looks like it’s consuming “too much” RAM, but in most cases, it’s doing exactly what it’s designed to do. Let’s break down why this happens, what’s actually stored in memory, and why SQL Server doesn’t eagerly release memory back to the operating system. What Takes Up Memory in SQL Server SQL Server uses memory for much …

Why is SQL Server Taking up So Much Memory? Read more →

When it comes to SQL Server backups, most folks think first about user databases — and rightly so, since that’s where the business data lives. But what often gets neglected are the system databases, the unsung heroes quietly keeping everything running behind the scenes. Neglecting to back up master, model, and msdb can put you in a tight spot during a recovery scenario. Let’s break down why each is important — and why tempdb doesn’t belong in your backup plans. …

The Critical Role of System Database Backups Read more →

SQL Server errors 823, 824, and 825 are critical indicators that your system is having trouble accessing data in your database files. These errors often point to underlying issues with disk I/O, hardware, or storage subsystems, and can range from transient problems to signs of serious corruption. Understanding these errors, their causes, and how to address them is crucial for maintaining a stable and reliable SQL Server environment. SQL Server Error 823: The Operating System Returned an I/O Error Error …

SQL Server Errors 823, 824, and 825 Read more →

Index maintenance is an essential part of SQL Server performance tuning, but it needs to be performed carefully to avoid negative impacts on your production environment. Rebuilding or reorganizing indexes during the day, when your database is under heavy usage, can lead to serious issues, including degraded performance, contention, and even application timeouts. Let’s dive into the reasons why this task is best scheduled during maintenance windows or low-usage periods. 1. Performance Impact on Query Execution Rebuilding or reorganizing indexes …

Why You Should Avoid Rebuilding or Reorganizing Indexes During the Day in SQL Server Read more →