10 SQL Server Reboot Best Practices

Rebooting a SQL Server is a necessary part of maintaining a healthy database environment. It is important to follow best practices when rebooting a SQL Server to ensure that the system is running optimally and that any potential issues are avoided.

In this article, we will discuss 10 best practices for rebooting a SQL Server. We will cover topics such as scheduling, testing, and monitoring, as well as other important considerations. Following these best practices will help ensure that your SQL Server is running smoothly and efficiently.

1. Use the SQL Server Configuration Manager to set your services

The SQL Server Configuration Manager allows you to set the startup type for each service, which determines how it will behave when the server is rebooted. For example, if a service is set to “Automatic”, then it will start up automatically after the reboot. If it’s set to “Manual”, then it won’t start until someone manually starts it. This helps ensure that only necessary services are running and can help prevent unnecessary resource usage.

Additionally, the SQL Server Configuration Manager also allows you to configure other settings such as memory limits, CPU affinity, and more. All of these settings can be configured before rebooting the server, ensuring that everything is properly configured and ready to go.

2. Set your service account passwords and permissions

When you reboot your SQL Server, the service account that is used to start the server needs to have the correct permissions and passwords set. If these are not set correctly, then the server will not be able to start up properly. This can lead to data loss or other serious issues.

To ensure that your service accounts are set up correctly, make sure that they have the appropriate permissions and passwords set before rebooting your SQL Server. Additionally, it’s important to regularly review and update these settings as needed.

3. Enable automatic startup for all of your SQL Server Services

When a server reboots, all of the services that were running before the reboot will need to be restarted. If you have enabled automatic startup for your SQL Server Services, then they will automatically start up after the reboot and you won’t have to manually start them. This can save you time and effort in the long run.

Additionally, if any of your services fail to start due to an error or other issue, it’s much easier to troubleshoot when you know exactly which service is causing the problem. Enabling automatic startup ensures that all of your services are started correctly every time.

4. Configure your SQL Server Agent Jobs to run at Startup

When your SQL Server is rebooted, any jobs that were running prior to the reboot will not be restarted. This means that if you have a job that runs every hour and it was running when the server was rebooted, then it won’t run again until the next scheduled time. To ensure that all of your jobs are running as expected after a reboot, configure them to start automatically at startup.

This can be done by setting the “Startup Type” for each job to “Automatic” in the Job Properties window. Doing this ensures that all of your jobs will be started up immediately after the server reboots, so you don’t have to worry about manually starting them or missing out on important tasks.

5. Create a Maintenance Plan to rebuild indexes and update statistics

Rebuilding indexes and updating statistics helps to improve query performance by ensuring that the data is stored in an optimal way. This can help reduce disk I/O, which can be a major bottleneck for SQL Server systems. Additionally, it can help ensure that queries are running as efficiently as possible.

Creating a Maintenance Plan allows you to automate this process so that it runs on a regular basis without manual intervention. This ensures that your system is always running optimally and reduces the amount of time spent manually managing the database.

6. Schedule a regular reboot of your server

Rebooting your server helps to clear out any memory leaks or other issues that can occur over time. It also ensures that all of the services and applications running on the server are restarted, which can help prevent performance problems from occurring.

Additionally, rebooting your server will ensure that any new updates or patches have been applied correctly. This is especially important for security-related updates, as they often require a reboot in order to take effect. Finally, it’s always a good idea to reboot after making changes to the system configuration, such as adding new users or changing permissions.

7. Perform a manual reboot before you install any Windows Updates

When Windows Updates are installed, they often require a reboot to complete the installation process. If you don’t manually reboot your server before installing updates, then the update will be applied but not fully completed until after the next scheduled reboot. This can cause problems with SQL Server performance and stability.

By performing a manual reboot before applying any Windows Updates, you ensure that all of the updates are properly installed and configured before SQL Server is restarted. This helps minimize potential issues caused by incompletely installed updates.

8. Install updates during non-peak hours

When you install updates, the server needs to be restarted in order for them to take effect. This can cause disruption to your users if it happens during peak hours.

To avoid this, plan ahead and schedule the reboot for a time when there is less activity on the server. You should also make sure that all of the necessary backups have been taken before rebooting the server. Finally, test the system after the reboot to ensure everything is working as expected.

9. Test your backup strategy after applying updates

When you apply updates to your SQL Server, it’s important to make sure that the backups are still working properly. If something goes wrong during the update process, or if a new feature is introduced that affects how backups work, then you need to be able to restore from those backups in order to recover any lost data.

To test your backup strategy after applying updates, run a full backup and then perform a restore operation on another server. This will help ensure that your backups are functioning correctly and that you can successfully recover from them in case of an emergency.

10. Monitor your servers with an automated tool

When you reboot a server, it’s important to make sure that all of the services and applications running on the server are restarted properly. An automated tool can help with this by monitoring your servers for any unexpected shutdowns or restarts, as well as alerting you if there is an issue. This way, you can quickly address any problems before they become major issues.

Additionally, an automated tool can also provide valuable insights into how often your servers need to be rebooted in order to maintain optimal performance. By tracking these metrics, you can ensure that your servers are always running at peak efficiency.