You’ve just taken a new job — congratulations! Now you’re responsible for 50+ SQL Server instances, maybe more. So what’s your 30, 60, or 90-day plan look like?
- Check backups?
- Verify integrity checks?
- Implement maintenance plans?
All great ideas. But none of those should come first.
Step One: Know What You Actually Manage
Many of us have been there…
- You think you’re monitoring your entire SQL estate.
- You think backups are configured.
Then an application goes offline — one you’ve never heard of. After some digging (and maybe a panicked dev call), you finally track down the SQL instance… and discover backups haven’t run in months.
As DBAs, “I didn’t know about that server” doesn’t fly. It’s our job to know where every SQL Server lives.
Step Two: Build an Accurate Inventory
Your first priority is simple: build an accurate database inventory.
Ideally, this should be automated and refreshed regularly. Because somewhere in your organization, someone will spin up a SQL instance for a “quick test”, and before long, it becomes your problem.
Before tuning a single query or updating a single backup schedule, make sure inventory is complete and trustworthy.
Step Three: Make It Routine
Inventory isn’t a one-time task. It’s easy to get distracted by shiny objects or urgent tickets, but if you’re not disciplined, you’ll look up a year later and realize there are servers you never captured.
Once your inventory is solid, then you can tackle tech debt: backups, consistency checks, monitoring, patching. All while knowing your estate is accounted for.
Tools That Can Help
- dbatools → Find-DbaInstance
- Idera SQL Discovery
- Microsoft MAP Toolkit
Final Thoughts
Inventory collection isn’t glamorous, but it’s foundational. You can’t manage what you don’t know exists.
What tools or scripts do you use to track your SQL Server inventory?
Drop a comment below — I’d love to hear how others approach it.
Brendan McCaffrey 