Every manager’s nightmare is found in the failure of their SQL program to load and read the database files that are the lifeblood of their project. While there are many solid SQL recovery programs available to help you recover SQL files, there is no guarantee that 100% of your files can be saved. Microsoft neither guarantees the program against failure nor do they guarantee that resulting corruption of data can be repaired. Your best tactic is to have the means to restore SQL files to the best of your ability, and to try to avoid the corruption from occurring in the first place.
The 3 most common causes of SQL corruption stem from use of a 3rd party driver, firmware bugs and failure of the Disk Subsystem.
Cause #1 – 3rd Party Driver
If Microsoft won’t guarantee their database program 100%, you can bet that no other developer will do the same thing. If you have a 3rd party driver on your system, chances of it going wrong or interacting with another installed program and creating a cause for corruption can be higher than the average risk. The best way to mitigate this risk is to maintain the SQL database on a system that is kept clean of all 3rd party drivers. This may be an inconvenience, but it pales in comparison to the cost in lost production time when you have to perform SQL repair.
Cause #2 – Firmware Bug
The second most common cause of SQL file corruption is traced to a firmware bug. Firmware is the permanently installed programs associated with operating systems. They are known to have their bugs. The best way to manage this risk is to stay current with updates for your system. System updates are released to address known systems with the firmware and operating systems. If your files become corrupt, check for updates first and install them before you restore SQL files or the same corruption may occur again.
Cause #3 – Disk Subsystem Failure
The SQL database program is particularly vulnerable to Disk Subsystem failures because it is designed to function with a reliance on them. When the controller, CPU or Memory Modules in the computer go bad, they can cause a corrupt file. When the Disk Subsystem begins to fail, the first indicator may be file corruption. It is important that whenever you are faced with repairing files you also perform a diagnostic scan of the subsystem. A diagnostic scan should be a part of your regularly scheduled maintenance as well to catch the problem before it destroys your data. If you spot an issue, move your files off the system immediately while repairs are performed.
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