PowerShell: Manipulating & Copying File Permissions In Windows

The Mystery Recently a folder within a SMB share on the Windows Server (network share) displayed only certain files but not others for a certain user. For an administrator, the share displayed all the files in the folder. Obviously, there is some difference in the permissions, but what? Examining the difference between the files (using …

SQL Server: Fix – The server principal “elevated_user_login” is not able to access the database “my_database” under the current security context

The Error: This error wasted my morning. Although I have solved this issue before, it took a while to google and fix it again. So, this post is for my own edification and reference if for no other reason! --Proc [MyProcedureName] started AT:2020-10-13 09:49:43.4632735Msg 916, Level 14, State 1, Procedure MySchemaName.MyProcedureName, Line 31 [Batch Start …

PowerShell/dbatools Tip – Clone a login / database user

One of the more frequent requests that a SQL Server DBA receives is to "Clone a login" with all its permissions. For example a request could be Clone BILL_BLACK's login and create a new login JACK_JOHNSON with exactly the same privileges in all databases. Clone AD group login BILLING_APP_ADMINS and create a login for new …

SQL Server: Detach/Attach Gotchas!

Please checkout my post on "Moving Datafiles" which is very related to this method but is preferred more. One would think that detaching and attaching databases is one of the simplest things to do. It is. However, there are so many things that can break by that simple operation by itself and nothing more. Recently, …

Oracle: Clone An User With PL/SQL – Tablespace Quotas, Role Grants/Default Role, Object Grants And System Grants

As an Oracle DBA, you are very likely to get requests somewhat like this: Create an account for Sam Hill. The privileges should look exactly like Rob Nixon. If you are not into automating everything, your first instinct would be to fire-up an IDE like Toad or SQL Developer and script out the source user, …