1. How to Perform A Health Check By Edward Roepe Perimeter DBA, LLC

2. About Me Over 25 years experience in databases
I have been working with SQL Server since version 4.21
Worked as employee and consultant on some of the largest SQL database installations in US
Experience in many different industries
Experience in very large databases, high transaction systems, data warehouse, high availability & BI
Microsoft Certified
Started consulting firm in 2014 in the Atlanta area

3. Why do a Health Check? New job New responsibilities
Planning for upgrades and new releases
Microsoft True-Up
Audit coming up
Capacity planning
Think 100’s of servers
“If your going to do it once, script it”

4. The options Login to each server and
Take screen shots of SQL Server properties
Take screen shots of Windows properties
Take screen shots of database properties
Use custom scripts
Use PowerShell scripts
Use Blitz script from Brent Ozar, LLC
Combination of above

5. Brent Ozar Blitz Started by Brent Ozar and company
Community contributed to script
Includes all versions from 2008 to present
Part of First Responders Kit
Includes other utilities such as BlitzFirst, BlitzCache, BlitzIndex, AllNightLong, BlitzQueryStore, etc.
Download

6. How to Install & Run
Create DBAUtility database for this and other DBA programs like Ola Hallengren and WhoIsActive utilities
Create stored procedure in database
Run the stored procedure
Copy and paste results into Excel or send to table
Use Excel spreadsheet as checklist for action items
Use Registered Servers or Central Management Server to deploy to many servers

7. My favorite options
EXEC = = = = = = 1;

8. Demo (Script 2094) Results returned in priority order Result columns
Findings Group
Finding
Database Name
URL
Details
Query Plan & QueryPlanFiltered
Check ID

9. Other Scripts to Run 2001 – List Version Information
2002 – List SQL Options
2003 – List databases and options
2004 – List Physical Files
2007 – List Unused Indexes
2011 – List logins with system level permissions
2012 – List Missing Indexes

10. Other items to check and document
Crystal Disk Mark – Disk performance
Windows security – Local admin group, pagefile
Physical security of server – Datacenter, etc.
Disaster Recovery requirements
Capacity planning
Listing of databases, applications and business owners
Run SQL Vulnerability Assessment for security

11. Summary The Blitz script is a good start for getting lay-of- the-land
Run Blitz on monthly basis and compare
Use it to check your work after an install
Use the test URLs to gain more knowledge about each test and steps to resolve
Supplement with other items such as custom scripts and Windows information

12. Q&A and Contact Information
Edward Roepe
Perimeter DBA, LLC
4780 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Suite 337
Dunwoody GA 30338
(404)
Business cards up front