You’ve been such a good database administrator.
You followed the setup checklist in our First Responder Kit. You ran sp_Blitz. You set up email alerts for common issues. You run CHECKDB as frequently as practical – weekly, or maybe even daily.
But you just assume it’s all working.
There’s an easy way to test: go to Steve Stedman’s Database Corruption Challenge and download one of the sample corrupt databases. Attach the corrupt database to your production SQL Server, and as they say on Bravo, Watch What Happens™.
Disclaimer: if there are multiple DBAs on your team, or if the discovery of a corrupt database triggers a mass panic in your company, then maybe this isn’t a good idea.
Disclaimer Part 2: This isn’t a good idea…it’s a GREAT idea. Test your fellow DBAs to see if they’re on their toes, or if they’re the kinds of DBAs who have all alert emails filed away to a folder automatically.
If you haven’t tested your corruption alerts recently, they’re probably not working. Hop to it.
1 Comment. Leave new
I restored a couple of the Corrupt Databases (#1 and #4) and it did not generate any alert email. I had to run this: RAISERROR (‘Test Severity 16’,16,1) WITH LOG and it did generate an alert email. Can I rest easy that the alerts are working properly, or be concerned that the corrupt databases did not trigger an alert?