The market is trending toward a much smaller ratio of DBAs to SQL Server instances, but this book will help you meet this new reality by harnessing automation to continue building and maintaining reliable database platform services for your SQL Server enterprise. The book will help you automate your workload and manage more databases and instances with greater ease and efficiency by combining metadata-driven automation with the power of PowerShell. You’ll soon be able to automate your new instance-builds and centralize your maintenance.

This book walks you through automating the SQL Server build processes and maintenance of multiple instances from a single location, as well as how to use database metadata to drive your automation. With a heavier focus on PowerShell, this 2nd edition highlights modern techniques, such as configuration management. Also new in this edition, you will learn how to use PowerShell modules such as SqlServer and DBATools, which is a popular community module that you can rely on to keep your database estate running smoothly. You will understand the benefits of centralizing maintenance to better keep your enterprise responding with reliable performance to the loads placed upon it by your business. The book helps you become faster and better at what you do for a living, and thus will boost your value within the job market.

What You Will Learn

• Automate SQL Server installation and configuration
• Apply techniques such as Desired State Configuration to prevent drift on your servers and instances
• Increase your value to your organization by automating low-value tasks and focusing your time on the higher-value ones
• Take advantage of database metadata to drive automation, allowing you to build intelligent automated routines
• Promote and demonstrate how to modernize database maintenance across your enterprise
• Apply tools such as PowerShell with modern techniques to increase your value in the job market

Peter Carter is a SQL Server expert with two decades of experience developing, administering, and architecting SQL Server platforms and data-tier applications. Peter was awarded an MCC by Microsoft in 2011, and currently leads a team of platform engineers within a major UK company. His passion for SQL Server shows through in everything he does, and has written a number of SQL Server books ( Apress), including Pro SQL Server 2022 Administration, SQL Server Advanced Data Types, Securing SQL Server, and SQL Server 2019 AlwaysOn.