How Stellar Repair for MS SQL Fixed Corruption in MS SQL Server Database

There are many issues when we work with SQL server. This blog will introduce a tool which we can use to repair corrupted SQL Server DBS

Introduction 

 

As an Architect, I came to understand that some user was having issues while accessing a Customer Relationship Management or CRM database. In fact, the major problem was that the database was not loading properly - both in SQL application and SQL Server Management Studio. A review of SQL Server error logs revealed that the database was corrupt. CRM is a critical part of critical production databases, hence our prime objective was to get the SQL Server database back online.

 

There were two major issues to take care of:

1. How to resolve SQL Server database corruption
2. How to reduce server downtime

Solution

While creating MS SQL Server backups, we turned on the ‘RESTORE VERIFYONLY’ option to verify if the database can be restored through backup. However, we realized that the SQL Server database was obsolete. Therefore, restoring it from backup was ruled out.

 

The only option was to repair and fix corruption issues in the MS SQL database.

 

SQL Server database corruption occurs due to various reasons such as corruption in Tables, Index, or Metadata, Data Page Level corruption, or SQL Server errors. These errors can be detected in SQL Server Error Log or through Database Console Command (DBCC) CHECKDB. We tried a few commands to check and repair corruption errors in the SQL database:

1. DBCC TABLE CHECK - to check logical and physical consistency of database objects and provide results at database page level
2. DBCC TABLE REPAIR - to repair specific object errors
3. REPAIR_REBUILD - to repair SQL database object errors at the individual level

Unfortunately, like other SQL Server professionals, we were not comfortable with the usage of Database Console Commands. This is due to the following reasons:

1. DBCC CHECKDB commands do not give accurate results
2. Using REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS may result in loss of critical data
3. There is no way to verify if the database is repaired
4. If the database is not repaired in time, it may spread to multiple objects

A downtime is always costly and impacts a business functioning, and may result in loss of productivity and business hours. As SQL Server administrators, our priority was to repair the SQL database without prolonging the server downtime as well as to take care that there is no loss of SQL data.

 

When the SQL Server database corruption error did not resolve through restoring from backup and Database Console Commands, we tried to fix the issue with the help of MS SQL Database repair tool.

 

Though there are many software claiming to repair corrupt SQL server database, only a few have proved to be efficient. One software that we searched and found workable was Stellar Repair for MS SQL, and we had reasons to support our decision.

 

How Stellar Repair for MS SQL helps MS SQL database administrators

 

Stellar Repair for MS SQL software can address all types of SQL database repair needs including repairing of MDF and NDF files. The software supports the latest as well as older SQL versions, which made the SQL database repair task easier for us.

 

We could scan the entire database and verify it from the available preview. This SQL Recovery software offers a complete solution for recovering all database components including tables, triggers, indexes, keys, rules, stored procedures and the ROW and PAGE Compressed data.

 

The entire database is recovered in original format and reduced the stress level involved in searching and learning database corruption.

 

We could download Stellar Repair for MS SQL and analyze the database for free before investing.

 

A summary or Log of all the activities is also available to analyze the complete repair-process.

 

How to Repair and Fix corruption in MS SQL Server database

• First, download and install the free demo version of Stellar Repair for MS SQL and launch the application.
  
  
  
  
• Select the corrupt MDF file. If you have associated NDF file in the database then, put PDF file in the same location as MDF.
• The next step is to select the SQL Server version. A major advantage of using this software is that it provides an option to upgrade the database after repair, say available SQL server version 2000 can be upgraded to 2008.
• Clicking on Repair initiates the analysis phase and Microsoft SQL Recovery Software starts analyzing the MS SQL Server database.
  
  
  
  
• Once complete, software reports the status, which in this case is shown as Success.
  
  
  
  
• We could preview all Tables and other database objects and validate the items. The software displayed the entire contents of the recovered database including T-SQL code for the function. 

Once satisfied with the demo, we activated the software by purchasing the activation key, which is delivered immediately through email. Stellar Support team helped us to purchase software and provided an activation code through email.

 

We saved the entire database at its original location.

 

The repaired MS SQL database could load properly in SQL application and SQL Server Management Studio and all users could again access the CRM database. The software resolved both issues – MS SQL Server database corruption error and our concern for downtime.

 

Stellar’s MS SQL database repair software is simple to use, especially at a time when pressure is mounting due to database unavailability. It is a very useful solution that I recommend.