If you work with SQL Server, dbatools is a lifesaver. This book will show you how to use this free and open source PowerShell module to automate just about every SQL server task you can imagine—all in just one month!

In Learn dbatools in a Month of Lunches you will learn how to:

Perform instance-to-instance and customized migrations

Automate security audits, tempdb configuration, alerting, and reporting

Schedule and monitor PowerShell tasks in SQL Server Agent

Bulk-import any type of data into SQL Server

Install dbatools in secure environments

Written by a group of expert authors including dbatools creator Chrissy LeMaire, Learn dbatools in a Month of Lunches teaches you techniques that will make you more effective—and efficient—than you ever thought possible. In twenty-eight lunchbreak lessons, you’ll learn the most important use cases of dbatools and the favorite functions of its core developers. Stabilize and standardize your SQL server environment, and simplify your tasks by building automation, alerting, and reporting with this powerful tool.

About the technology

For SQL Server DBAs, automation is the key to efficiency. Using the open-source dbatools PowerShell module, you can easily execute tasks on thousands of database servers at once—all from the command line. dbatools gives you over 500 pre-built commands, with countless new options for managing SQL Server at scale. There’s nothing else like it.

About the book

Learn dbatools in a Month of Lunches teaches you how to automate SQL Server using the dbatools PowerShell module. Each 30-minute lesson introduces a new automation that will make your daily duties easier. Following the expert advice of dbatools creator Chrissy LeMaire and other top community contributors, you’ll learn to script everything from backups to disaster recovery.

What's inside

Performing instance-to-instance and customized migrations

Automating security audits, best practices, and standardized configurations

Administering SQL Server Agent including running PowerShell scripts effectively

Bulk-importing many types of data into SQL Server

Executing advanced tasks and increasing efficiency for everyday administration

About the reader

For DBAs, accidental DBAs, and systems engineers who manage SQL Server.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Before you begin

Chapter 2: Installing dbatools

Chapter 3: The dbatools lab

Chapter 4: A gentle introduction to dbatools commands

Chapter 5: Writing to SQL Server

Chapter 6: Finding SQL Server instances on your network

Chapter 7: Inventorying your SQL estate

Chapter 8: Registered Servers

Chapter 9: Logins and users

Chapter 10: Backups

Chapter 11: Restore

Chapter 12: Snapshots

Chapter 13: Install and update SQL Server

Chapter 14: Preparing for disaster

Chapter 15: Performing your first advanced SQL Server instance migration, part 1

Chapter 16: Performing your first advanced SQL Server instance migration, part 2

Chapter 17: High availability and disaster recovery

Chapter 18: PowerShell and SQL Server Agent

Chapter 19: SQL Server Agent administration

Chapter 20: Creating and working with SQL Server Agent objects

Chapter 21: Data masking

Chapter 22: DevOps automation

Chapter 23: Tracing SQL Server activity

Chapter 24: Security and encryption

Chapter 25: Data compression

Chapter 26: Validating your estate with dbachecks

Chapter 27: Working in the cloud

Chapter 28: dbatools configurations and logging

Chapter 29: Never the end

About the Authors

Chrissy LeMaire is a dual Microsoft MVP, awarded for her work with both SQL Server and PowerShell. She is an international speaker and the creator of the popular PowerShell module, dbatools. She has over 20 years of IT experience and currently works for General Dynamics Information Technology at NATO Special Ops HQ in Belgium.

Rob Sewell is a passionate automator who has been recognized as an MVP by Microsoft. He is a keen community contributor as an event organizer, speaker and open-source contributor.

Cláudio Silva is a database professional, automator, and contributor of the open-source PowerShell module dbatools.

Jess Pomfret is a SQL Server Database Engineer and a Microsoft MVP. She started working with SQL Server in 2011, and enjoys the problem-solving aspects of performance tuning and automating processes with PowerShell.