A Fine Slice Of SQL Server
Chad Callihan gets rid of dupes:
In a recent comment on a my post about combining CSV files using PowerShell, a reader named Oliver asked how duplicate values should be handled when combining multiple CSV records. I added a suggestion to that post but figured, “Why not elaborate more on a post of its own?”
Why not, indeed? Click through for the solution.
Comments closedVlad Drumea goes poking around:
This is a brief post containing a a piece of code that I use to do a ping sweep and resolve host names in PowerShell on a /24 subnet.
A /24 subnet refers to the last octet (segment of numbers) in an IP, and it ranges from 1 to 254.
This means that if you provide 100.100.100 to the $FirstThreeOctets variable, you’ll end up pinging every IP between 100.100.100.1 and 100.100.100.254.
This is where I say “Hey, go check out nmap.” I also say “Hey, don’t install nmap on your work machine unless you have explicit approval, so that you don’t get an unexpected visit from security.” Which is something I saw once and decided that wouldn’t be the life for me. But seriously, nmap is an extremely powerful network discovery tool.
Comments closedVlad Drumea performs an installation:
In this post I cover a script I’ve been using to automate SQL Server installation with PowerShell in my home lab.
As opposed to my previous blog post that demos the creation of a SQL Server Developer edition container, this installs a full-fledged SQL Server instance.
Read on for an overview of the script, from where you can download it, and how it works.
Comments closedJose Manuel Jurado Diaz has a script for us:
This week, I’ve been working on a service request case where we need to export multiple databases using SqlPackage. Following, I would like to share my lesson learned to export simultaneous several databases, saving the export files to the F:\sql folder and the logs of the operations to the F:\sql\log folder.
Few recommendations when performing these exports:
Click through for those recommendations and the script. The cynic in me would add a third tip: make sure your databases are small, or else SqlPackage won’t work so well.
Comments closedMike Robbins takes us through some relatively new functionality:
PowerShell, a powerful scripting language and automation framework, provides features that enhance script development and execution. Among these features is the
cleanblock, a lesser-known yet beneficial component in PowerShell functions. This article explores thecleanblock, its purpose, and how to use it effectively in PowerShell scripts.
Read on to learn more about the block and how it works.
Comments closedIn a previous post, I’ve covered how to import and query HTML table data in SQL Server, so I figured it makes sense to also show ho to export SQL Server query results to an HTML table using PowerShell and dbatools.
This is really similar to how the HTML report from PSBlitz is generated. The differences being that PSBlitz doesn’t rely on dbatools and there’s a bit more formatting and some JavaScript involved.
Click through for a piece-by-piece breakdown of the script and Vlad’s commentary.
Comments closedThere are plenty of ways to visualize data. There’s PowerBI, Tableu, and a plethora of other options. What about taking the results of a SQL query and creating a graph in PowerShell? Probably not ideal, but is it possible? Let’s see what this might look like.
The thought occurred to me more out of curiosity than it being something I’d use. Admittedly, I’m not proficient enough in PowerShell to quickly build something from scratch. To get an idea of how it might look, I took this as an opportunity to outsource most of the work to Microsoft Copilot to see if I would get anything useful.
If you want to get fancy, I’d recommend Plotly, which has support for the best .NET language (F#) and you can also use it with those other .NET languages (C#, Powershell). There’s no explicit quickstart for Powershell but you can Powershell-itize the C# code pretty easily.
Comments closedMike Robbins wants to know your terminal:
In the evolving landscape of software development and system administration, understanding your environment is essential for ensuring that scripts and commands run as expected. One useful PowerShell function that helps identify whether a script is running within Windows Terminal is my
Test-IsWindowsTerminalfunction. This function is valuable for developers and system administrators who must tailor their scripts based on the terminal environment.
Click through for a PowerShell function that does just that.
Comments closedJana Sattainathan writes a script:
Today, I am going to show a simple script that uses dbatools to script out SQL Server Database level objects like Tables, Views, Stored Procedures, SQL Agent Jobs, Triggers, Database Users, etc.,
With dbatools, it is simple enough to also script out Instance level objects like logins, database mail profiles/accounts, credentials, SQL Agent objects, linked servers, Central Management Server objects, server configuration settings (sp_configure), user objects in systems databases, system triggers and backup devices
Read on for a couple of preparatory notes, followed by the script itself.
Comments closedDavid Seis shares tips from an upcoming talk:
PowerShell is an essential tool for SQL Server database administrators looking to streamline their workflow and automate repetitive tasks. When it comes to troubleshooting your SQL Server instances, PowerShell is an essential tool for the DBA toolbox.
As a versatile scripting language and command-line shell, PowerShell enables seamless integration of commands, arguments, variables, and modules with an interface and logic that SQL users would find pleasantly familiar. This blog post will guide you through the basics of PowerShell, demonstrate how to implement simple automation for routine database tasks, and explore advanced automation strategies to optimize your database management.
The post starts as a basic primer on Powershell but also includes plenty of notes on good ways to make use of the language as a DBA.
Comments closed