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Ola Hallengren SQL Server Maintenance Solution

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58 views5 pages

Ola Hallengren SQL Server Maintenance Solution

Uploaded by

Rofiq Ahmed
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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https://www.sqldbachamps.

com Praveen Madupu +91 98661 30093


Sr SQL Server DBA, Dubai
[email protected]

The Ola Hallengren SQL Server Maintenance Solution is a popular, free, open-source set of T-SQL scripts that
automate key database maintenance tasks like backups, integrity checks, index and statistics maintenance, and
more. It's widely used in the SQL Server community due to its flexibility, customization options, and efficiency in
handling large and complex environments.

Let’s go into detail about the key components and functionalities of this script:

1. Backup Solution

Ola Hallengren’s script provides a comprehensive solution for backing up databases in a highly configurable
manner. You can set up full, differential, and transaction log backups based on your requirements.

● Key Features:
○ Supports all database types: system databases, user databases, availability groups, etc.
○ Backup to multiple destinations: You can specify different paths for backup storage, whether on
a local disk, a network drive, or a cloud service like Azure Blob Storage.
○ Backup compression: The script supports SQL Server’s native backup compression, improving

https://www.sqldbachamps.com
○
disk space efficiency.
Backup encryption: If you are using SQL Server 2014 or later, you can encrypt your backups with
custom encryption algorithms.
○ File retention: You can configure how long the backups are kept before being deleted.

Example:

To run a full backup of all user databases:

EXECUTE dbo.DatabaseBackup

@Databases = 'USER_DATABASES',

@BackupType = 'FULL',

@Directory = 'C:\Backups',

@Compress = 'Y',

@CheckSum = 'Y',

@LogToTable = 'Y';
https://www.sqldbachamps.com Praveen Madupu +91 98661 30093
Sr SQL Server DBA, Dubai
[email protected]

● BackupType: FULL, DIFF (differential), LOG (transaction log).


● Databases: Specify which databases to backup (USER_DATABASES, SYSTEM_DATABASES, or
specific ones).

2. Integrity Check

This part of the script ensures that your databases are healthy by running the DBCC CHECKDB command on
your databases to detect and report any corruption or data integrity issues.

● Key Features:
○ Runs DBCC CHECKDB: The script will run the DBCC CHECKDB command on all databases or
specific ones.
○ Log to table: You can log the output of the integrity checks to a table, allowing easy review of any
errors or warnings.

https://www.sqldbachamps.com
○
○
Parallel execution: It supports parallelism, running checks across multiple databases at once.
Handling of corrupt databases: If a corruption is found, the script can notify the DBA and prevent
automatic index rebuilds on the corrupt database.

Example:

To check all databases for integrity issues:

EXECUTE dbo.DatabaseIntegrityCheck

@Databases = 'ALL_DATABASES',

@LogToTable = 'Y';

● Databases: ALL_DATABASES, USER_DATABASES, SYSTEM_DATABASES, or specific databases.


https://www.sqldbachamps.com Praveen Madupu +91 98661 30093
Sr SQL Server DBA, Dubai
[email protected]
3. Index and Statistics Maintenance

Ola Hallengren’s solution is highly effective for index maintenance, addressing issues like fragmentation and
outdated statistics.

● Key Features:
○ Index rebuild or reorganize: Depending on the level of fragmentation, it either reorganizes or
rebuilds indexes.
○ Customizable thresholds: You can specify fragmentation thresholds to determine whether to
reorganize or rebuild.
○ Online operations: It supports online index rebuilds (in Enterprise editions) to minimize
downtime during the operation.
○ Handle large tables: The script efficiently handles large databases and partitions.
○ Statistics update: The script also supports updating statistics, ensuring that query plans remain
optimal.

Example:

https://www.sqldbachamps.com
To perform index maintenance for all user databases:

EXECUTE dbo.IndexOptimize

@Databases = 'USER_DATABASES',

@FragmentationLevel1 = 5,

@FragmentationLevel2 = 30,

@LogToTable = 'Y';

● FragmentationLevel1: Below this percentage, indexes will be reorganized.


● FragmentationLevel2: Above this percentage, indexes will be rebuilt.
https://www.sqldbachamps.com Praveen Madupu +91 98661 30093
Sr SQL Server DBA, Dubai
[email protected]
4. Log and Reporting

All of Ola Hallengren's maintenance tasks can be logged to tables, allowing for easy review and reporting of the
actions taken. These logs can be used for auditing, troubleshooting, or performance analysis.

● Log to Table: You can enable logging for each task (backup, integrity check, index maintenance), which
will store the history of the actions and results.

Example:

To view the backup history from the log table:

SELECT * FROM dbo.CommandLog

WHERE Command = 'DatabaseBackup';

This logs every maintenance operation with details such as start and end time, status, and any errors
encountered.

https://www.sqldbachamps.com
5. Automation with SQL Server Agent

You can easily schedule the Ola Hallengren scripts as SQL Server Agent jobs, automating the regular
maintenance tasks without requiring manual intervention. The flexibility of the script allows you to schedule
different tasks at different frequencies (e.g., full backups on weekends, transaction log backups every 15
minutes).

Example of a job configuration:

● Job 1: Full backup of all databases every Sunday at 2 AM.


● Job 2: Transaction log backups every 15 minutes.
● Job 3: Index maintenance every weekend. (Saturday at 2 AM)

Each job can be customized to log its results and send email alerts in case of failure.
https://www.sqldbachamps.com Praveen Madupu +91 98661 30093
Sr SQL Server DBA, Dubai
[email protected]
6. Customizability and Flexibility

The script is highly customizable, with numerous parameters that allow you to:

● Exclude databases: Skip certain databases from specific maintenance tasks.


● Limit resource usage: Control CPU or memory usage by limiting the number of parallel tasks.
● Backup file naming conventions: Customize the format of backup file names for better management
and clarity.

Deployment Steps:

1. Download the Script: The scripts are available from the https://ola.hallengren.com
2. Install the Solution: Run the MaintenanceSolution.sql script in your SQL Server Management
Studio (SSMS) to install the necessary stored procedures in the master database.
3. Create SQL Server Agent Jobs: Create SQL Server Agent jobs that call the stored procedures for
backups, integrity checks, and index optimizations.

https://www.sqldbachamps.com
Advantages:

● Efficient and Scalable: Handles large databases and high workloads efficiently.
● Customizable: Offers a wide range of parameters to suit specific needs.
● Trusted by the Community: It's widely used by DBAs in both small and large enterprises.
● Free and Open Source: There are no licensing costs, making it accessible to everyone.

Summary:

Ola Hallengren’s SQL Server Maintenance Solution is a powerful and flexible tool for automating essential
database maintenance tasks like backups, integrity checks, and index maintenance.

With minimal setup and a range of customization options, it allows DBAs to maintain SQL Server instances
effectively while reducing manual effort.

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