Author: Steve Stedman

In today’s data-driven landscape, SQL Server databases form the backbone of countless business applications, handling everything from real-time transactions to long-term analytics. Yet within these complex systems, tables vary widely in their activity levels—some see constant queries while others sit idle, quietly consuming storage and complicating maintenance. Gaining clear visibility into actual table usage patterns is essential for improving performance, controlling costs, and strengthening security. The Table Use Report in Database Health Monitor addresses this need by capturing the last …

SQL Server Table Use Report: Track Last Queried Tables in Database Health Monitor Read more »

If you have never run a load test against SQL Server before, the idea can sound like itrequires a separate team, a separate tool, and a separate budget line. It does not. WithQuery Loading Ramp, included free in Database Health Monitor, you can run a real,meaningful load test in about ten minutes. Here is exactly how. Step 1: Connect Open Query Loading Ramp and click Connect. Enter your server name and database, chooseWindows Authentication or a SQL login, and confirm …

Stop Guessing: Your First SQL Server Load Test in 10 Minutes Read more »

July is Database Health Monitor Month! July has arrived, and it’s time to turn our attention to the heartbeat of our digital world – our databases! As the founder of Database Health and Stedman Solutions, I’m thrilled to proclaim this month as Database Health Monitor Month! This is our annual chance to celebrate the unsung heroes safeguarding our precious data and to explore the intricate web of data structures and relationships within our systems. Let’s take a closer look at …

Blocking Query Monitor – Part of Database Health Read more »

Most SQL Server environments are monitored reactively. Something breaks, users complain, the DBA investigates, the problem gets fixed, and life returns to normal until the next incident. In many organizations this passes for a monitoring strategy, because the databases are usually up and the team is usually responsive. The incidents are an accepted cost of doing business. But reactive monitoring carries costs that are easy to underestimate because they are distributed across many incidents over time. Each incident consumes DBA …

From Reactive to Proactive: How to Build a SQL Server Monitoring Strategy That Actually Works Read more »

Schema Search solves a common SQL Server problem: if you’ve ever managed more than a handful of databases on an instance, you’ve probably faced the moment when you need to find a stored procedure with “Customer” in the name but have no idea which of your 30-odd databases it lives in. Or maybe you’re doing a security audit and need to find every object that references a specific table or column — across all databases, all at once. That’s exactly …

Schema Search in Database Health Monitor: Find Anything Across Your Entire SQL Server Instance Read more »

Why are there so many backup messages in my sql server logs? SQL Server logs contain a wealth of information about the server’s operation, including details about backup operations. This data can be quite helpful for various administrative tasks like troubleshooting, audit, Performance Tuning, or recovery. The reason why you see many backup messages in your SQL Server logs is because every time a backup or restore operation occurs, an entry is made in the SQL Server error log and …

Why So Many Backup Messages in SQL Server Error Logs (and How to Reduce Them) Read more »

July sits at the midpoint of the year, and for SQL Server DBAs, that makes it one of the most strategically important months on the calendar. Q3 brings renewed project activity, end-of-summer pushes, and the beginning of budget conversations that set the tone for Q4. If your databases are carrying hidden problems right now, those problems will surface at the worst possible time. A midyear database health review is not about finding catastrophic failures. It is about finding the slow …

The SQL Server DBA Summer Health Checklist: 7 Checks to Run Before Q3 Read more »

July is Database Health Monitor Month! July has arrived, and it’s time to turn our attention to the heartbeat of our digital world – our databases! As the founder of Database Health and Stedman Solutions, I’m thrilled to proclaim this month as Database Health Monitor Month! This is our annual chance to celebrate the unsung heroes safeguarding our precious data and to explore the intricate web of data structures and relationships within our systems. Let’s take a closer look at …

Just past the midpoint of Database Health Monitor Month Read more »

July marks Database Health Monitor Month at Stedman Solutions, and we are launching the celebration with a dedicated podcast episode that traces the tool’s origins and development over the years. Since its initial release in 2011, Database Health Monitor has steadily expanded through ongoing refinements to its diagnostic capabilities and feature set, giving SQL Server professionals deeper visibility into server activity and helping them address performance issues more effectively. July is Database Health Monitor Month! July has arrived, and it’s …

History of Database Health Monitor: History, Milestones and Podcast Read more »

Managing SQL Server environments requires constant vigilance to maintain performance, prevent downtime, and optimize resources across multiple instances. Database Health Monitor for SQL Server addresses these needs with an accessible free trial that lets administrators explore its full range of monitoring tools without any initial commitment. This solution combines real-time visibility into database operations with flexible options for tracking key metrics, helping teams identify issues early and maintain reliable systems at any scale. The Database Health Monitor for SQL Server …

Database Health Monitor for SQL Server – Free Download and Trial Read more »