Review SQL Server Error Logs Daily: A Simple Habit Every DBA Should Follow

Check SQL Server Error Log Every Morning

One of the simplest yet most valuable habits for a SQL Server DBA is reviewing the SQL Server Error Log daily. Many critical issues appear here before users report problems.

Look for:

• Failed login attempts
• Backup failures
• Database recovery messages
• I/O errors
• Corruption warnings
• Deadlock reports
• Memory-related errors
• Long recovery times
• Availability Group or replication issues

Why It is Important

Many production incidents can be detected hours before they become business-critical.

Instead of waiting for users to complain that “the application is slow,” a proactive DBA can identify problems early and fix them before they impact users.

A five-minute review each morning can save hours of troubleshooting later.

Example

Read Current SQL Server Error Log

EXEC xp_readerrorlog;

Search for Backup Failures

EXEC xp_readerrorlog
    0,
    1,
    N'Backup';

Search for Deadlocks

EXEC xp_readerrorlog
    0,
    1,
    N'deadlock';

Search for Login Failures

EXEC xp_readerrorlog
    0,
    1,
    N'Login failed';

Best Practice Checklist

1. Verify SQL Agent jobs completed successfully
2. Check last successful database backups
3. Review disk space on database drives
4. Look for failed login attempts
5. Review SQL Server Error Log
6. Check database status
7. Monitor blocking sessions

Pro Tip

Don’t rely solely on the Error Log.

Combine it with:

• sys.dm_exec_requests
• sys.dm_os_wait_stats
• sys.dm_db_index_usage_stats
• SQL Server Agent Job History
• Performance Monitor (PerfMon)
• Query Store (SQL Server 2016+)

This gives you a much more complete picture of server health.

Quick DBA Habit

Spend 10 minutes every morning checking server health instead of spending 10 hours fixing production outages.

Preventive monitoring is one of the most valuable skills a SQL Server DBA can develop.