Author Archives: Jim Murphy

Querying SQL Agent Job Information

Many companies rely on the job scheduling and alerting services provided with the native SQL Server Agent service. From backups to SSRS subscription to SSIS packages, SQL Server Agent has the capability to run many types of business critical tasks on a regular schedule or can be programmatically triggered to start from other processes as […]

3 Steps to Safely Moving MSDB in SQL Server

SQL database consultant at work in dark room

If you are just getting started in your role as a SQL Server DBA, at some point in your career you are going to have to do some work with SQL Server system databases. That is, unless you are reading this in the year 2025 when all databases will be managed bots in the Cumuloverse. […]

The 3 Best Practices for Database Schema Design

Database Schema Design

In this article, we will discuss a few common design decisions when defining a Schema. We’ll focus on the planning stage. There are many opinions about what is ‘best’. Here we discuss some basic guidelines which may or may not be best for your specific needs. There are two primary ways a database is used. One is Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) and the other is […]

CEO Jim Murphy Speaking at InnoTech San Antonio 2018

Coming April 11 – 12, 2018. InnoTech San Antonio, the Business & Technology Innovation Conference & Exposition, creates an environment where education, innovation, peer-to-peer networking and the latest technology and business solutions are all available specifically for IT professionals. Last year, over 1500 business and technology professionals converged for the annual InnoTech San Antonio event. […]

SQL Server Agent Alerts – Getting the News Fast On Database Corruption

Have you ever made the comment to your friends or family that you are always the last to know something?  Good news travels fast but bad news doesn’t always travel fast enough. When dealing with database corruption SQL Server, which is always bad news, if you are the DBA you will want to be first […]

Upcoming Webinar – What is the True Cost of Manual Monitoring?

Are you relying on manual monitoring to troubleshoot your SQL Server estate? If so, you’re probably familiar with the time and cost of running repetitive monitoring tasks. When looking for a larger number of servers, this quickly adds up. Join our upcoming webinar, “The true cost of manual monitoring”, on Tuesday, March 6, 2018. SQLWatchmen […]

SQL Server Diagnostics – Intro to Wait Stats

SQL Server has a bounty of self-diagnostic data that any good DBA can monitor and analyze.  This analysis is often triggered by an unexpected event like queries that begin to run longer than usual or a spike in CPU utilization.  Finding the root cause of such events is not always easy but through a simple […]

Meltdown and Spectre – What You Need to Know

Unless you have been away on an extended, off-the-grid vacation for the first part of 2018 chances are you have heard about and are preparing for the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities. The news hit the streets before a planned public announcement could be made by impacted companies, Intel, Apple and Microsoft to name a few.  […]

Being Selective with Your IT Training Budget

If you have ever had to enter or approve a line item for employee training in your budget, then you already know it is a considerable expense.  Sending IT professionals off to training can be a worthwhile expense that can actually save your company thousands of dollars or it can be a complete disaster leaving […]

SQLWatchmen Partners with OnRamp

SQLWatchmen is pleased to announce its strategic channel partnership with OnRamp a HITRUST-certified data center services company focused on high security, compliance, and hybrid hosting needs. As an SSAE 16 SOC 2 Type 2 and SOC 3, PCI-DSS certified, and HIPAA compliant company, OnRamp operates multiple enterprise-class data centers to deploy cloud computing, colocation, and managed […]