MS SQL server, also known as RDBMS or Relational Database Management System is developed by MS developers. Many businesses use the MS SQL server the professional and confidential data items. MS SQL comes with different types of editions that are capable of fulfilling the needs of the clients. Despite the size of your business, you need to use the MS SQL server.
What are the Common Causes of SQL Server Database Corruption?
Even though various threats make the MS SQL server vulnerable, errors and database corruption are two of the most common issues that users face with the SQL server. Most of the time, the primary cause of database corruption is nothing but hardware errors. Issues in the controller, hard disk, memory unit, and CPU are also capable of affecting the database as the MS SQL server is extremely dependent on these items to retrieve and store information. Here are the primary factors behind the MS SQL database corruption:
- The subsystems of the memory disk that store the details and data items of the MS SQL database might get affected by different issues. This will not only lead to improper management of the table details but also in the database which will prevent the user from accessing the desired information. Bugs in the software can also cause Data Corruption in SQL Server. Even though anti-spyware and anti-malware applications prove effective for other stored files, they can prove harmful to the SQL server of the system. This is why you should always exclude the database of the PST files while scanning your computer.
- Many users assume that compressing the SQL server database will help them save a significant amount of storage. However, keep in mind that the SQL server data files are not designed to be compressed. This will increase the risks of corruption. When you keep the backup files in the compressed SQL server database, you will end up corrupting the database. If you want to compress the database, make sure you use the in-built data compression that will help you with the job.
How Can You Identify SQL Server Database Corruption?
The SQL server corruption is extremely dangerous as it doesn’t provide the users with any type of text notifications or error messages regarding the corruption unless the user tries to fetch the specific corrupted data. This is why many users remain unaware of the corruption of the SQL server database. If you want to check the SQL server database corruption, make sure you keep this line in mind: SELECT*FROM msdb.dbo.suspect_pages.
The result will showcase no rows if the database is free of corruption or error. This means that there are no corrupted data files present in the SQL server. However, that doesn’t mean there will be zero corrupted data files as the query checks only the files that have suffered from corruption in the past. If a new entry has been corrupted, it will show no such results.
DBCC CHECKDB
DBCC CHECKDB is one of the most important parts of the database administrators that will help you with the location of the corrupted database files of the SQL server. Not to mention, you will also be able to fix the corruption depending on the severity. DBCC comes with other different types of commands such as DBCC CHECKALLOC, DBCC CHECKCATALOG, and DBCC CHECKTABLE. Make sure you run the command properly. As per Mssql Tips, DBCC CHECKDB can help you identify data corruption.
This command will thoroughly check all the tables as well as quality, storage, and different types of consistency measurements that will help you know the outcome of the list. If there is any corruption or shortcoming, you will be notified.
Consider Checking for the Database Alerts
The database administrator is capable of setting various alerts that will help them know about the mistakes that happened from the user’s side or their actions that are the primary reasons behind the corruption of the data files.
If your system is running on SQL server 2012 or later, you can use the Memory Error Recovery feature that will not only help you know the error but you will also be able to implement a cleaning operation if the SQL server database is corrupted. This will work more effectively when your system runs on the latest processor.
Page Verify with CHECKSUM for Recovery
Remember that the property of the database is dependent on the Page Verify option from the recovery. With the help of the feature, you will be able to mention the database whether as a write type or read type. You can also enable this by choosing the database as well as the essential properties from the menu.
If you’re using the modern versions of the SQL server, you will be able to verify the CHECKSUM easily as this is implemented by default.
Conclusion
These are the tips to identify MS SQL server database corruption. Do you have any other questions? Make sure you comment below to let us know.