PowerShell Mastery for SQL Server DBAs: Advanced Automation with dbatools & Grafana

What you will learn:

Establish a comprehensive virtual lab environment utilizing VMware, Windows Server, and Active Directory for practical, hands-on learning.
Master automated SQL Server deployment, configuration, patching, and uninstallation processes using advanced PowerShell scripting, dbatools, and Desired State Configuration (DSC).
Automate essential database administration tasks, including managing databases, performing backups/restores, configuring security (logins, roles), and handling server-level administration through PowerShell.
Implement robust SQL Server performance monitoring solutions with Grafana, visualizing critical metrics like CPU, memory, I/O latency, backup status, error logs, and SQL Agent job execution.
Develop automated reporting mechanisms and alerting systems, alongside executing efficient and safe database migrations leveraging PowerShell and dbatools.

Description

This in-depth training program is meticulously crafted to empower you as a cutting-edge SQL Server DBA. You'll gain unparalleled expertise in PowerShell automation, harnessing the power of dbatools, and mastering critical aspects of SQL Server lifecycle management, including robust installation procedures, ongoing maintenance, proactive monitoring, comprehensive reporting, and efficient migration strategies, all within practical, real-world scenarios.

Your journey begins with constructing a fully functional virtual laboratory environment using VMware. You'll set up multiple SQL Server instances, configure a central monitoring server, and establish an Active Directory domain – laying a solid foundation for hands-on practice. From this robust setup, the course progressively introduces you to PowerShell fundamentals, explores essential modules, and guides you through advanced automation techniques employed by top-tier database professionals.

A significant emphasis of this curriculum lies in comprehensive SQL Server automation leveraging dbatools and PowerShell DSC (Desired State Configuration). You'll acquire the skills to fully script the installation, configuration, patching, uninstallation, and daily management of SQL Server, effectively eliminating tedious and repetitive manual tasks.

Furthermore, the course delves into crucial database maintenance and management operations. You'll learn automated approaches to database creation, fine-tuning configuration settings, managing ownership, setting recovery models, controlling file growth, performing reliable backups, executing swift restores, and mastering security administration, including logins, roles, and server-level governance across diverse SQL instances.

In the advanced modules, you will implement sophisticated SQL Server monitoring solutions with Grafana. Discover how to capture vital performance metrics such as CPU utilization, memory consumption, I/O latency, backup statuses, error log events, SQL Agent job executions, and detailed instance configurations. All this data will be expertly visualized through professional, insightful dashboards.

The course also equips you with skills in automated reporting and intelligent alerting using PowerShell. Generate professional HTML reports, send custom email notifications, create proactive alerts for missing backups, replication issues, database health checks, and DBCC reports, ensuring you stay informed and responsive.

Finally, you will master efficient and secure database migration techniques using dbatools, enabling you to transfer databases safely and seamlessly between different SQL Server environments with minimal downtime.

Upon successful completion of this program, you will possess the specialized skills to confidently automate all facets of SQL Server administration, manage numerous servers with ease, and perform as a truly modern and effective SQL Server DBA, proficient in PowerShell-driven solutions.

Curriculum

INTRODUCTION & SETUP

Begin your journey by setting up a robust learning environment. This section introduces the course, guides you through installing VMware Player, creating multiple virtual machines (VM1, VM2, CENTRAL SERVER), and installing VMware Tools for optimal performance. You'll then configure a complete Active Directory domain and seamlessly join your servers to it, ensuring you have a realistic lab for hands-on practice, including troubleshooting common internet connectivity issues.

POWERSHELL MODULES & INSTALLATION

Dive deep into the world of PowerShell modules, understanding their importance and exploring the PowerShell Gallery. This critical section demonstrates installing essential modules like dbatools, SQLDBATools (for uninstallation), and PSWindowsUpdate (for server updates). You'll learn about PowerShell DSC and its application in SQL Server installation, with detailed script walkthroughs and practical demos. Master the installation of SQL Server, SSMS, SSIS, SSAS, and SSRS using PowerShell, and efficiently apply service patches to your SQL instances.

MAINTENANCE & DATABASE MANAGEMENT

Focus on automating routine maintenance and database management tasks. This section covers updating Windows Servers via PowerShell, introduces the dbatools website, and guides you through creating single, multiple, and parameterized databases across various servers. You'll learn to retrieve and filter database-level information, change database ownership, modify recovery models and file growth settings, remove databases, and copy databases between different instances, all through efficient PowerShell commands.

BACKUPS, RESTORE & SECURITY

Gain expertise in managing critical database operations: backups, restores, and security. This section provides comprehensive training on performing simple and advanced database backups and restores using dbatools. You'll master login and user creation, modification, and retrieval via PowerShell, including finding logins within Active Directory groups. Learn to manage database roles, server roles, copy logins between servers, and easily remove unwanted logins, ensuring robust security management.

SERVER MANAGEMENT & REPLICATION

Explore advanced server management techniques, including collecting instance-level information, managing SQL Agent Jobs, and configuring Linked Servers using PowerShell. Learn to read SQL Server Error logs, fix orphaned users with single commands, and execute SQL queries using Invoke-SQLcmd. This section also provides a detailed scenario and practical implementation of SQL Server replication, guiding you through setup, challenges, and advanced automation logic to manage replication efficiently.

MONITORING WITH GRAFANA

Unlock the power of visual monitoring with Grafana. This section introduces Grafana for SQL Server, guiding you through its installation and setup, including creating a dedicated login for monitoring. You'll learn to build sample dashboards, collect and visualize critical metrics like database I/O latency, SQL Agent job execution, error log data, database information, CPU/memory usage, last backup details, DBCC info, database growth, login details, and SQL configuration data. Master dashboard creation, filtering data by time range, and categorizing panels with rows for comprehensive insights.

REPORTING & AUTOMATION

Master the creation of automated reports and alerts. This section teaches you to convert PowerShell output into professional HTML formats and send emails from Gmail using PowerShell, including secure methods with app passwords and encrypted credentials. You'll build practical reports such as backup missing reports, replication alert reports, database status reports, and DBCC reports, ensuring you can proactively communicate crucial information.

MIGRATION

Learn to perform seamless database migrations using dbatools. This section provides a clear understanding of the migration process and offers practical demonstrations, guiding you through the steps to efficiently and safely move your SQL Server databases between different environments.

CONCLUSION

Conclude your learning journey with a comprehensive summary. This section reinforces the key takeaways from the entire course, highlighting the essential skills and knowledge you've acquired to become a highly proficient and automated SQL Server DBA.

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