In our last post, you learned how to stop writing brittle scripts by using Ansible Facts. Your automation is now intelligent–it can discover a server's environment and adapt its actions accordingly. It's a big step forward.
But with that success comes a new, more complex challenge: scale.
You're...
Last week, we unlocked the "Golden Rule" of safe automation: idempotency. You now know that a reliable playbook leaves your system in the desired state, regardless of how many times you run it. That confidence allows you to do more than just report; it lets you change things safely.
But what if y...
Windows patching is usually a topic left for Windows administrators. But what if, as a DBA, you're tasked with patching both the OS and SQL Server? That scenario is common in smaller or cross-functional IT teams where boundaries between roles aren't so clear. DBAs can't ignore OS patching for ser...
Edition: Saturday, July 13th, 2024
On July 9th, 2024, Microsoft released a GDR update for multiple editions of SQL Server. As a DBA, you may be planning how to install this update in your lower environments (DEV, QA, UAT, etc.), tested, and then deploy to production.
However, you may have also ex...
Edition: Saturday, June 8th, 2024
Are you familiar with the terms DevOps and Platform Engineering? DevOps is the process of consistently and reliably deploying applications into production environments. Platform Engineering focuses on building and maintaining the foundational infrastructure and t...
Edition: Saturday, May 25th, 2024
Over the years, I've completed a lot of SQL Server installations. Some of those resulted in having to move database files around afterward because I failed to ensure the disks were properly formatted and aligned. I had to move files to a temporary location, refor...
Introduction:
In part 4, we created the autounattend.xml and PackerShutdown.bat files and created the source block.
Most machine builds require additional configuration after installing the OS. At this point, you generally wouldn't turn the server over to the application or database team with...
Introduction:
You know how annoying it is to install an OS manually. Having to click through the initial setup, remember which drivers to install, and then apply your basic configuration to every new machine is cumbersome.
Fortunately, both Windows and Linux operating systems support automate...
Introduction:
In Part 2 of this series, we reviewed the different aspects of a Packer template file. In this post, we'll begin creating the HCL template file for the Windows Server 2022 golden image. Here's what you'll have by the end:
- Install tools we'll use to create the HCL file and assoc ...
Introduction:
Part 2 covers the concepts of the build process and HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL) templates. Builders create machines and generate images from those machines for various platforms. Multiple builders create the golden image in the Automated Sandbox Framework (ASF). Let's ...
Introduction:
If you're someone tasked with server provisioning, OS installations/configurations, or setting up a home virtual sandbox, this blog series is for you. In it, you'll learn about Hashicorp Packer and how it can make your job easier. We'll end the series with a set of scripts and an ...
I use Ansible in my virtual sandbox to configure and maintain Linux and Windows servers. I aim to set up my sandbox to match most of the production environments I've previously worked with. Most require using Kerberos over NTLM or strongly encourage its use. The sandbox I'm configuring already has...