How many times have you applied a configuration change and SQL Server restarted, even though nothing actually changed?
- Scripts run blindly
- Unnecessary downtime interrupts users
- You lose trust from the business because "maintenance" caused avoidable outages.
Fragile scripts don't know the dif...
In our last post, you learned how to stop writing brittle scripts by using Ansible Facts. Your automation is now intelligent–it can discover a server's environment and adapt its actions accordingly. It's a big step forward.
But with that success comes a new, more complex challenge: scale.
You're...
Last week, we unlocked the "Golden Rule" of safe automation: idempotency. You now know that a reliable playbook leaves your system in the desired state, regardless of how many times you run it. That confidence allows you to do more than just report; it lets you change things safely.
But what if y...
Last week, you took a massive step.
You built your first Ansible playbook, ran it, and saw for yourself that a different way of managing SQL Server is not only possible but within your reach. You had your first win as an Automation Architect.
But with that first success comes a new, perfectly va
...
Last week, we talked about the two paths a DBA's career can take: the reactive, problem-fixing "Mechanic" and the proactive, system-designing "Architect." You're here because you know the future is in building systems, not just fixing them.
But the journey from Mechanic to Architect can feel daunt...
Over the past several blog posts, I've been talking about patching. More specifically, patching SQL Server Availability Groups using the rolling update method. We defined the inventory file, tasks, and built supporting PowerShell scripts along the way. But, I'd like to back up a bit. Why would y...
The following information is based upon SQL Server 2025 CTP 2.1 and is subject to change upon release.
Recently, I've been updating the Ansible playbooks and the mssql Ansible role to support SQL Server 2025. This role and playbook are used throughout the Ansible for SQL Server DBAs course, and I ...
If you're automating your SQL Server 2025 installations on Windows with Ansible over SSH (passwordless login), you might hit a cryptic error that stops you in your tracks. I recently ran into this, and the solution is all about understanding Kerberos delegation.
The Problem: A Cryptographic Failure...
In my last post, we defined the prerequisites needed for patching. Before applying the patch, we need to make sure the variables are set and that we're dealing with a healthy AG. With those out of the way, we're ready to build out the remaining tasks.
- tasks/cleanup.yml
- tasks/failback.yml
Defining the prerequisites before you start patching is extremely important. I'm not talking about making sure your Ansible control node is set up and testing access to your SQL Server AG replicas (very important as well, but a different subject).
Nope, I'm talking about making sure that the exe...
Ansible's inventory file is fundamental for defining and organizing the servers to be managed in a SQL Server Availability Group. It serves as the "address book" for Ansible to use when patching these instances.
Next up are roles.
We'll build an example role as part of this blog series (disclai...
In my previous post, we explored the concept of rolling updates for SQL Server Availability Groups and how Ansible can transform this complex process into a streamlined, repeatable operation. We discussed the benefits of automation and outlined a high-level strategy for implementing this approach.
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