Learn how to automate SQL Server administration tasks with sqmSQLTool, a powerful PowerShell module built on dbatools.

The Problem: Manual SQL Server Administration is Painful

As a SQL Server DBA, you know the drill:

• Checking database health across multiple servers manually ❌
• Running the same health checks and reports repeatedly ❌
• Scripting everything from scratch for each environment ❌
• No standardized way to monitor AlwaysOn Availability Groups ❌

What if there was a single tool that could automate 90% of your daily DBA tasks?

Enter sqmSQLTool — a comprehensive PowerShell module with 100+ pre-built functions for SQL Server administration.

What is sqmSQLTool?

sqmSQLTool is a professional-grade PowerShell module built on top of the excellent dbatools library. It extends dbatools with specialized functions for:

✅ Health Monitoring & Reporting

• Database health checks
• Blocking & deadlock analysis
• Performance counter tracking
• Index fragmentation reports

✅ AlwaysOn / High Availability

• AG health status
• Automatic failover management
• Database replication automation
• Node synchronization

✅ Security & Compliance

• Sysadmin account auditing
• Certificate management
• Login audit trails
• SPN configuration

✅ Backup & Restore

• Backup integrity verification
• Automated restore procedures
• Backup scheduling

✅ And 90+ more functions...

Installation (2 Minutes)

Option 1: From GitHub (Recommended — Always Latest)

# Clone the repositorygitclonehttps://github.com/JankeUwe/sqmSQLTool.gitcdsqmSQLTool# Run the installer.\Install.ps1

Why GitHub? You get the latest code immediately. PowerShell Gallery can lag behind releases.

Option 2: From PowerShell Gallery (Simplified)

# Install for current userInstall-Module-NamesqmSQLTool-ScopeCurrentUser# Or for all users (requires admin)Install-Module-NamesqmSQLTool-ScopeAllUsers# Import the moduleImport-ModulesqmSQLTool

Note: PSGallery updates may lag. For the latest features and fixes, use GitHub.

Verify Installation

# List all available commandsGet-Command-ModulesqmSQLTool|Select-ObjectName# Should show 100+ functions

Your First 5 Minutes: Quick Wins

1️⃣ Check Database Health

Get-sqmDatabaseHealth-SqlInstance"YOUR_SERVER"

Output: Instant report showing:

• Database sizes
• Free space
• Autogrowth status
• Recovery model
• Last backup times
• Health warnings (if any)

2️⃣ Check Disk Space

Get-sqmDiskSpaceReport-SqlInstance"YOUR_SERVER"

Output:

• All disk drives on the server
• Used vs. available space
• Percentage full
• Warnings if disk is >80% full

3️⃣ Monitor AlwaysOn AG Status

Get-sqmAgHealthReport-SqlInstance"YOUR_AG_PRIMARY"

Output:

• All replicas in the AG
• Synchronization state
• Failover readiness
• Log send/redo queue

4️⃣ Find Missing Indexes

Get-sqmMissingIndexes-SqlInstance"YOUR_SERVER"

Output:

• Indexes that queries are requesting
• Performance improvement estimates
• SQL to create the index

Real-World Example: Daily Health Check Script

Here's a complete script you could run daily:

# Daily SQL Server Health Check$servers=@("SQL01","SQL02","SQL03")foreach($serverin$servers){Write-Host"=== Health Check: $server ==="-ForegroundColorCyan# Database health$dbHealth=Get-sqmDatabaseHealth-SqlInstance$serverWrite-Host"Databases: $($dbHealth.Count)"-ForegroundColorGreen# Disk space$diskSpace=Get-sqmDiskSpaceReport-SqlInstance$server$fullDisks=$diskSpace|Where-Object{$_.PercentUsed-gt80}if($fullDisks){Write-Host"⚠️ ALERT: Disks >80% full!"-ForegroundColorRed}else{Write-Host"Disk Space: OK"-ForegroundColorGreen}# AG Status (if applicable)$agHealth=Get-sqmAgHealthReport-SqlInstance$server-ErrorActionSilentlyContinueif($agHealth){Write-Host"AlwaysOn: Synchronized"-ForegroundColorGreen}Write-Host""}

Why Use sqmSQLTool Instead of Manual Scripts?

Database Health Check

• Manual: 30+ lines of T-SQL + PowerShell
• With sqmSQLTool: 1 line: Get-sqmDatabaseHealth
• Saves: ~2 hours per check

Disk Space Report

• Manual: Write WMI queries + format output
• With sqmSQLTool: 1 line: Get-sqmDiskSpaceReport
• Saves: ~1 hour per report

AG Failover

• Manual: Complex T-SQL + error handling
• With sqmSQLTool: 1 line: Invoke-sqmFailover
• Saves: ~30 minutes per failover

Backup Integrity

• Manual: SQL Server Maintenance Plan or custom script
• With sqmSQLTool: 1 line: Test-sqmBackupIntegrity
• Saves: ~1.5 hours per verification

Bottom line: ~100+ hours saved per year per DBA 📊

Getting Help & Documentation

Built-In Help

# Get help for any functionGet-HelpGet-sqmDatabaseHealth-Full# Open online documentationGet-HelpGet-sqmDatabaseHealth-Online

Community & Support

• GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
• GitHub Discussions: Ask questions, share tips
• PowerShell Gallery: View package details and reviews
• Website: www.powershelldba.de

What's Next?

Explore the Full Function Library

The module has 100+ functions. Here are some popular ones:

# See ALL available functionsGet-Command-ModulesqmSQLTool|Select-ObjectName,Synopsis|Format-Table-AutoSize

Popular functions:

• Get-sqmBlockingReport — Find blocking queries
• Get-sqmDeadlockReport — Analyze deadlocks
• Get-sqmWaitStatistics — Performance diagnostics
• Get-sqmSysadminAccounts — Security audit
• Invoke-sqmRestoreDatabase — Automated restore
• Invoke-sqmPerfBaseline — Performance baseline

Automate Your Daily Tasks

Create a scheduled PowerShell task that runs your health checks every morning:

# Pseudo-code for scheduled task$script=@"
Import-Module sqmSQLTool
Get-sqmDatabaseHealth -SqlInstance "PROD-SQL-01" | Export-Csv "C:\Reports\health_$(Get-Date-f'yyyy-MM-dd').csv"
Get-sqmDiskSpaceReport -SqlInstance "PROD-SQL-01" | Export-Csv "C:\Reports\diskspace_$(Get-Date-f'yyyy-MM-dd').csv"
"@# Schedule with Windows Task Scheduler

One More Thing: Star the Project! ⭐

If sqmSQLTool saves you time, please star the repository on GitHub:

👉 github.com/JankeUwe/sqmSQLTool

Stars help the project gain visibility and attract more contributors!

Summary

sqmSQLTool is your SQL Server administration Swiss Army knife:

✅ 100+ pre-built functions
✅ Built on proven dbatools library
✅ Free & open source (MIT License)
✅ Active development & community support
✅ Saves ~100+ hours per year

Get started now:

Install-ModulesqmSQLToolGet-sqmDatabaseHealth-SqlInstance"YOUR_SERVER"

Questions? Visit the GitHub Discussions or check the PowerShell Gallery page.

About the Author

sqmSQLTool is developed by Uwe Janke, a Senior SQL Server DBA with 30+ years of experience in database administration and automation. Built for real-world enterprise environments.

Follow for updates:

• GitHub: @JankeUwe
• LinkedIn: Uwe Janke
• Website: www.powershelldba.de

Happy SQL Server administrating! 🚀