PCI Best Practices Guide for SQL Server DBAs
I read the PCI DSS document and found a lot of different requirements. Could you please help me to find the SQL Server DBA best practices related to PCI?
I am a technical and business professional based in Budapest, Hungary. I am working in the financial industry on the operations side, but also have test management experience in the educational software domain. My experience includes Microsoft SQL Server 2000-2012, IBM DB2 and MySQL database administration, troubleshooting, migration and development. My focus points are performance tuning and security. I am passionate about sharing my knowledge with the greater audience.
I hold MSc degree in Engineering and Management. I am married and I have a beautiful daughter. LinkedIn account: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nagytibor Twitter account: https://twitter.com/#!/tnagy_eeft
SQL Server PCI DSS Security Patching Checklist
PCI DSS has strict requirements about implementing security updates and using only applications which are supported by the vendors. In this tip we cover creating a patching policy for SQL Server.
How to troubleshoot SSL encryption issues in SQL Server
I tried to configure SSL encryption for my Microsoft SQL Server, but it does not work properly. Could you please help me identify the root cause of the issue?
How to use module signing for SQL Server security
I heard that certain SQL Server security requirements can be fulfilled by module signing. Could you please explain the purpose of module singing and provide an example in SQL Server?
How to configure SQL Server SSL Certificate
I read in a PCI security tip that I should configure Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption on our SQL Servers, but this requires a trusted certificate. In this tip we walk through the steps on how to do this.
What does PCI DSS mean for your SQL Server environment?
I just started to work at a payments company and now everyone is talking about the prevention of data breaches and an upcoming PCI DSS audit. What is PCI DSS and what are the requirements from a SQL Server perspective?
SQL Server Security Checklist
I have to install a new Microsoft SQL Server box and configure it as a production server. I know that there are many security related settings and I do not want anyone to hack the system on the first day on the network. Which are the basic steps to harden
SQL Server’s Auto Update Statistics Async option
I have been trying to tune my SQL Server and I noticed a few database settings for statistics. I also read the previous tip on automatic statistics updates. Could you please describe the Auto Create Statistics Async option? How is this configured and whe
Table level recovery for selected SQL Server tables
In this tip we look at different ways to quickly restore just one SQL Server table instead of having to restore the entire database.
Column and block text selection using SQL Server Management Studio
I am using an advanced text editor which is capable of selecting and editing columns. This is a very useful feature, for example I can highlight and edit the last 5 columns of each row. Read this tip to find out how using SSMS.
SQL Server Auto Update and Auto Create Statistics Options
I am new to SQL Server statistics. Could you please describe what are the benefits of using the Auto Create Statistics and Auto Update Statistics options? I am also curious about how these statistics are automatically created and updated. Check out this
What are the SQL Server _WA_Sys… statistics?
I was checking the statistics objects in my Microsoft SQL Server database and found some statistics with strange names. Could you please explain what the _WA_Sys... statistics are? Why are they created? Can I safely delete them? Do they differ from the ot
How to Find Outdated Statistics in SQL Server 2008
In the previous tip we learned that outdated statistics can cause SQL Server performance problems. My question is: How can I find out which statistics are outdated in my SQL Server database?
Issues Caused by Outdated Statistics in SQL Server
I heard that outdated statistics can cause SQL Server performance degradation and in this tip we look at a simple example of outdated statistics.
Comparison between a SQL Server Graphical Plan and Text Plan
In this tip we look at how to use and the differences of graphical and text based query plans for SQL Server.
SQL Server 2008 Certification Resources
There are three Microsoft certifications available for SQL Server 2008. In this tip we look at available resources for each of the different certifications: Database Administrator, Database Developer and Business Intelligence Developer.
Graphical Query Plan Tutorial
Learn how to use Graphical Execution Plans which allows you to see a graphical representation of the processing steps of your query to find optimization opportunities.
Saving a Query Plan for Reuse
You can save a query plan for later review and in this section we show how you can save a SQL Server query plan.
Different Types of Query Plans
In addition to Graphical Plans for SQL Server queries there are alternatives such as text based and XML plans.
Estimated vs. Actual Query Plan
Estimated Query Plans are created without execution and contain an approximate execution plan and Actual Query Plans are created after the query is processing and contains the steps performed.
Graphical Query Plan Components
In this section we look at how to read a graphical query plan for SQL Server.
Query Plan Example 1
This is an example of a SQL Server query plan and how to read the plan to optimize the query.
Query Plan Example 2
See an example of a SQL Server query plan and how to optimize the query.
Query Plan Example 3
SQL Server query plan example and steps to read the plan and to optimize the query.