What's in a name? When it comes to different Relational Database Management systems (RDMS) it can be confusing. The same words have different meaning depending on the software. SQL Server Database Engine has Instances, Logins, Databases, Schema, and User. When a DBA...
Welcome to our blog, which is more than just a record of our experiences. It’s a resource.
Our blog is an invaluable resource for anyone struggling with the challenges of managing a database, applications, or clouds.
We understand the difficulties involved in troubleshooting, building, improving, securing, and operating these platforms,
and we’re here to share our insights and expertise with you. Browse through our collection of blog posts below,
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Database vs Instance vs Schema vs User
Today I wanted to talk about some terminology that applies to multiple database platforms, however, I want to talk specifically to how it relates to the Oracle RDBMS. These four words seem to cause a lot of confusion and are often misused. The specific terminology or...
Db2 System Authorities
How do I grant a user SYSADM, SYSCTRL, SYSMAINT, or SYSMON privileges in Db2? As a newbie to the database administration world, I was tasked with giving a pretend user the ability to create databases in a virtual environment setup for learning. I easily found that the...
SQL0443N After Db2 Fixpack Upgrade
After applying a Db2 fixpack, you can get SQL0443N when calling the get_dbsize_info() stored procedure. Cause and resolving the problem: get_dbsize_info() uses the system catalogs internally which do not get updated as part of a fix pack update, and should be updated...
What’s New in SQL Server 2017
You may have heard a lot of talk about some new features and enhancements coming with SQL Server 2017 and for good reason. From database administrators to developers and report writers, there's something new and exciting for just about everyone. While the spotlight...
Database 101, Part 3: Popular Databases – Oracle
Oracle is another popular database the Virtual-DBA team supports. With more than 310,000 businesses in 175 different countries using Oracle Database — many of them on the Fortune 100 list — it's one of the most widely used databases in the world. Oracle Database...
Hard-Coding Ports for HADR When Setting up Multiple Standbys
While implementing HADR for multiple standbys, there could be potential issues if the HADR ports are not hard-coded on the HADR settings. Here's what the issue looks like: The primary is dbpp.example.com The standbys are: 1st - dbps.example.com 2nd –...
Database 101, Part 2: Popular Databases – Microsoft SQL Server
In case you missed the first post with the Database Glossary of Terms, you can see it here. Here are some popular databases that the Virtual-DBA team supports along with some feature or terminology highlights (usually relative to the most recent version of said...
Linked Server Push Pull Blog
There are times when a Developer or DBA needs to determine the best performance options with transferring data through a linked server from point A to point B but may not know the best way to do it. In the following example, I am going to show you the differences...
Migrating MySQL Data to Amazon Aurora
Switching database engines—for instance, going from a MySQL-compatible database to an Amazon Aurora MySQL DB cluster—and migrating data can be a long and confusing process. For the purpose of offering a little clarity, this article will go through and highlight...









