Experience
20+ years working with SQL Server in production environments.
Services / SQL Server health audit
SQL Server health audit
Find the SQL Server problems that need attention before an upgrade, handover, or production change.
I review backups, restore testing, SQL Agent jobs, monitoring, configuration, security, tempdb, and HA or DR where relevant. You receive a written findings report with recommended priorities, followed by a review call.
This is a technical SQL Server health assessment for an existing environment. It is useful before an upgrade or handover, and when several maintenance, recovery, or monitoring questions need one review.
Coverage
SQL Server 2005 to 2025, including recovery, performance, upgrades, and HA/DR.
Delivery
A written findings report followed by a call to review the recommended priorities.
When a SQL Server health audit is useful
Start here when several parts of an existing SQL Server need review before a planned change or before recurring gaps become an incident.
A focused performance, recovery, or upgrade service is a better fit when one problem already defines the work.
01
You took over an existing SQL Server
The system is running, but ownership, restore testing, maintenance jobs, or older configuration choices are still unclear.
02
A change is coming
Use the audit before an upgrade, migration, handover, client review, or other change that depends on the current SQL Server setup.
03
Routine jobs are running
Backups and SQL Agent jobs complete, but restore procedures, alert routing, or the first response during an incident are unclear.
04
Several small risks overlap
Maintenance quality, monitoring gaps, restore testing, access, and old configuration choices are starting to affect the same SQL Server.
What the SQL Server health audit covers
I confirm the exact scope before the work begins. These six groups cover the usual SQL Server health check areas. The linked checklist shows a more detailed scope example. The audit report is a separate deliverable.
Backups and restore testing
- Backup history for full, differential, and log backups.
- Recovery model and log-chain handling for important databases.
- Recent restore tests, restore timing, and DBCC CHECKDB coverage.
SQL Agent and maintenance
- Failed, disabled, slow, overlapping, and undocumented SQL Agent jobs.
- Index and statistics maintenance routines against the actual workload.
- Integrity checks, cleanup jobs, history retention, and notification setup.
Configuration and tempdb
- Max server memory, MAXDOP, cost threshold, and basic instance settings.
- Tempdb file count, size, autogrowth, waits, and version-store pressure.
- Database file growth, log growth, free space, and storage warning signs.
Monitoring and SQL Server symptoms
- Error logs, severe errors, deadlock capture, alerts, and operator routing.
- Wait stats, blocking history, Query Store, plan regressions, and top resource consumers.
- CPU, memory, I/O, latency, and workload timing around business peaks.
Security and patch level
- Sysadmin membership, login cleanup, orphaned users, and service accounts.
- Linked servers, unsafe features, SQL Agent proxies, and elevated automation.
- SQL Server version, CU level, support status, and obvious exposure points.
HA, DR, and operations
- Always On, clustering, replicas, failover jobs, logins, and listener configuration.
- Runbooks for restore, failover, blocking, capacity, and urgent maintenance.
- Who receives alerts, who approves changes, and who owns the next fix.
What you receive after the audit
You receive the written report before the review call. It explains the important findings, what I recommend doing next, and which items need continued monitoring.
01
Written findings report
Each important finding names the affected SQL Server or database and explains what I checked.
02
Recommended urgency
The report separates work that needs attention soon from cleanup, monitoring, and longer-term changes.
03
Items to monitor
Some findings only need observation. The report states what to watch and why.
04
Review call
We go through the report together, answer questions, and confirm which work belongs inside the company or needs a separate quote.
How remote access works
I use the least access needed for the agreed checks. Many audits can begin with scripts, exports, and existing monitoring data.
We decide what to collect after the first conversation. Credentials and sensitive system data are not needed in the first message.
Scripts and configuration exports
Backup history, job output, and error logs
Monitoring data, screenshots, and screen sharing
Read-only access when it makes the review clearer
How the audit is scoped and quoted
Start with a short message about why you want the audit and what currently concerns you. I confirm the price and expected delivery timing after a scoping conversation.
Instance count, access, environment complexity, and review depth affect the quote.
Confirm the scope
Start with a short message about why you want the audit and what currently concerns you. I will ask for the technical details needed to quote the work.
Review the environment
I collect the agreed scripts, exports, monitoring data, screenshots, or read-only access and review the SQL Server scope.
Receive the report and review call
You receive the written findings first. We then review the important points and decide what should happen next.
Technical audit boundaries
The scope is written down before the review starts, so both sides know which SQL Servers, databases, and technical areas are included.
This is a technical SQL Server health assessment. It is not a compliance certification or penetration test.
The review covers the agreed scope and available data. It cannot guarantee that every production risk has been found.
The audit identifies and prioritizes work. Remediation and implementation are quoted separately after the findings review.
What happens after the audit
We use the review call to confirm which findings the company will handle internally and which need outside help.
Remediation is separate from the audit. I can quote follow-up work for cleanup, performance, recovery, upgrades, or other agreed SQL Server changes.
SQL Server guides behind the audit
Related
SQL Server health check checklist
A practical checklist for ownership, backups, maintenance, monitoring, configuration, and what to fix first.
Open checklist
Related
SQL Server health check guide
What to check when an existing SQL Server environment needs a broader review.
Open guide
Related
Maintenance jobs review
How to review SQL Agent jobs, CHECKDB, backups, cleanup, index work, and schedule overlap.
Open guide
Choose a narrower service for a specific problem
Start with performance review for a live incident
Start with the performance review or send the urgent production problem directly.
See performance review
Choose recovery readiness for restore or DR work
Use recovery readiness when the main question is backup, restore, failover, runbooks, or recovery timing.
See recovery readiness
Choose upgrade support for a version change
Use upgrade support when the core work is version change, compatibility, test run, rollback, and validation.
See upgrade support
Use SQL Server consulting when the problem is still broad
Use the consulting parent page when the shape is still unclear or crosses several service types.
See SQL Server consulting
Questions before contacting me
What does the SQL Server health audit cover?
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The agreed scope can cover the environment map, backups, restore testing, SQL Agent jobs, monitoring, configuration, tempdb, storage, admin access, patch level, HA or DR, and current performance symptoms.
Is remediation included?
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The audit identifies and prioritizes work. Changes, cleanup, tuning, upgrades, and other implementation work are quoted separately after we review the findings.
Do you need production access?
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Not always. Many checks can start with scripts, exports, monitoring data, screenshots, job output, and restore history. Read-only access can make the review faster when the available data is incomplete.
How are price and delivery timing confirmed?
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I confirm the quote and expected delivery timing after a short scoping conversation. Instance count, access, environment complexity, and the depth of review all affect the work.
What do I receive?
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You receive a written findings report with recommended priorities and items to monitor. A review call is included so we can go through the important points and answer questions.
Can the health audit be completed remotely?
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Yes. Remote delivery works when the company can share the agreed scripts, exports, monitoring data, screen sharing, or read-only access needed for the review.
Is this a compliance or security certification?
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No. This is a technical SQL Server health assessment. It does not provide compliance certification, penetration testing, or a guarantee that every production risk has been found.
What happens after the audit?
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We decide which findings the company will handle internally and which need separate help. I can quote remediation, performance, recovery, or upgrade work after the review call.
Request a SQL Server health audit
Start with a short message about why you want the audit and what currently concerns you. I will reply with the details needed to confirm the scope, quote, and delivery timing.