dbatools

Migrate SQL Server instances in minutes instead of days. Test hundreds of backups automatically. Find that one database across 50 servers. dbatools is a PowerShell module with nearly 700 commands that replace manual SQL Server administration with powerful and fun automation.

Performance at Scale: Migrate terabyte databases in under an hour. Test 1000+ backups per hour. Manage 100+ SQL instances from a single console.

Table of Contents

• Why dbatools?
• Quick Start
• System Requirements
• Common Use Cases
• Installation
• Getting Help
• Advanced Usage
• Troubleshooting
• Community & Support
• Contributing

Why dbatools?

Traditional Methods	dbatools
SSMS: Click through 50 servers manually	PowerShell: Query all 50 servers in one command
Migration: Days of planning and execution	Migration: Minutes with automated best practices
Backup Testing: Manual restores, hope for the best	Backup Testing: Automated verification of all backups
Documentation: Hours of manual collection	Documentation: Instant HTML/Excel reports
Scripting: Complex T-SQL across versions	Scripting: Consistent commands for SQL 2000-2022

Quick Start

# Check your PowerShell version (v3+ required for Windows, Core 7.4+ for Linux/macOS)
$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

# Install (Windows/Linux/macOS)
Install-Module dbatools -Scope CurrentUser

# See your databases
Get-DbaDatabase -SqlInstance localhost

# Check your backups
Get-DbaLastBackup -SqlInstance localhost | Format-Table

# Test your last backup (yes, really!)
Test-DbaLastBackup -SqlInstance localhost

System Requirements

SQL Server Support

Version	Commands Supported
SQL Server 2000	75%
SQL Server 2005	90%
SQL Server 2008/R2	93%
SQL Server 2012+	100%
Azure SQL VM	As per version above
Azure SQL Database	40%
Azure SQL Managed Instance	60%
Containers/Kubernetes	75%

Operating System Support

OS	Commands Supported	PowerShell Required
Windows 7/8/10/11	100%	v3+
Windows Server 2008 R2+	100%	v3+
Linux (Intel/ARM64)	78%	Core 7.4.0+
macOS (Intel/M1)	78%	Core 7.4.0+

💡 Note: Commands requiring SQL WMI or -ComputerName parameter typically don't work on Linux/macOS.

Network Requirements

For remote SQL Server management, ensure these ports are accessible:

Protocol	Default Port	Used By	Required For	Firewall Note
SQL Database Engine	1433	Get-DbaDatabase	62% of commands	Allow inbound on SQL Server
WS-Management	5985/5986	New-DbaClientAlias	25% of commands	Windows Remote Management
SQL WMI	135	Enable-DbaAgHadr	4% of commands	DCOM/RPC endpoint mapper
SMB	445	Backup-DbaDatabase	4% of commands	File sharing for backups

Firewall Tip: Create a dedicated Windows Firewall rule group for dbatools management traffic.

Common Use Cases

Backups & Restores

# Backup all databases
Get-DbaDatabase -SqlInstance sql01 | Backup-DbaDatabase

# Simple restore
Restore-DbaDatabase -SqlInstance sql01 -Path "C:\temp\mydb.bak"

# Test ALL your backups on a different server
Test-DbaLastBackup -SqlInstance sql01 -Destination sql02 | Out-GridView

Migrations

# Migrate entire SQL instance with one command
$params = @{
    Source = 'sql01'
    Destination = 'sql02'
    BackupRestore = $true
    SharedPath = '\\nas\temp'
}
Start-DbaMigration @params -Force

# Copy jobs between servers
Copy-DbaAgentJob -Source sql01 -Destination sql02

Monitoring & Health

# Find databases without recent backups
Get-DbaLastBackup -SqlInstance sql01 |
    Where-Object LastFullBackup -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-7)

# Check for corruption
Get-DbaLastGoodCheckDb -SqlInstance sql01 | Out-GridView

# Monitor currently running queries
Install-DbaWhoIsActive -SqlInstance sql01 -Database master
Invoke-DbaWhoIsActive -SqlInstance sql01

Finding & Discovery

# Find databases across multiple servers
Find-DbaDatabase -SqlInstance sql01, sql02, sql03 -Pattern "Production"

# Find stored procedures containing specific text
Find-DbaStoredProcedure -SqlInstance sql01 -Pattern "INSERT INTO Audit"

# Discover SQL instances on network
Find-DbaInstance -ComputerName server01, server02

Installation

Prerequisites

# Check your PowerShell version
$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

# Set execution policy (one-time setup)
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

# Trust PowerShell Gallery (one-time setup)
Set-PSRepository -Name PSGallery -InstallationPolicy Trusted

Install Methods

For Current User (Recommended)

Install-Module dbatools -Scope CurrentUser

For All Users (Requires Admin)

Install-Module dbatools

Offline Installation

# On internet-connected machine:
Save-Module -Name dbatools -Path C:\temp

# Copy to target machine and place in:
# - All users: C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules
# - Current user: $HOME\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\Modules

# Import the module after copying
Import-Module dbatools

⚠️ Certificate Change Notice (v2.5.5+)

Starting with v2.5.5, dbatools uses Microsoft Azure Trusted Signing. When upgrading from older versions:

Install-Module dbatools -Force -SkipPublisherCheck

Full migration guide →

Getting Help

# Detailed help for any command
Get-Help Test-DbaLastBackup -Full

# Find commands
Get-Command -Module dbatools *backup*
Find-DbaCommand -Tag Migration

# Online help
Get-Help Test-DbaLastBackup -Online

Resources:

• 📚 Documentation
• 🔍 Command Reference
• 📰 Blog
• 💬 Slack Community

Advanced Usage

Authentication

SQL Authentication

$cred = Get-Credential sqladmin
Get-DbaDatabase -SqlInstance sql01 -SqlCredential $cred

Alternative Windows Credentials

$cred = Get-Credential ad\winadmin
Get-DbaDiskSpace -ComputerName sql01 -Credential $cred

Storing Credentials Securely

PowerShell's Export-CliXml provides a fast and secure way to store credentials to disk. The credentials are encrypted using Windows Data Protection API (DPAPI) and can only be decrypted by the same user on the same machine.

# Save credentials to disk (one-time setup)
Get-Credential | Export-CliXml -Path "$HOME\sql-credentials.xml"

# Reuse saved credentials in scripts
$cred = Import-CliXml -Path "$HOME\sql-credentials.xml"
Get-DbaDatabase -SqlInstance sql01 -SqlCredential $cred

For more advanced credential management approaches including the Secrets Management module, see Rob Sewell's guide.

Custom Ports

# Using colon or comma for non-default ports
Get-DbaDatabase -SqlInstance 'sql01:55559'
Get-DbaDatabase -SqlInstance 'sql01,55559'  # Note: quotes required

PowerShell Transcript

# Import module before starting transcript (PS 5.1 requirement)
Import-Module dbatools
Start-Transcript
Get-DbaDatabase -SqlInstance sql01
Stop-Transcript

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: "Could not connect to SqlInstance"

# Test connectivity
Test-DbaConnection -SqlInstance sql01

# Check if SQL Browser service is running for named instances
Get-DbaService -ComputerName sql01 -Type Browser

Issue: "Access denied" errors

# Ensure you have proper SQL permissions
Get-DbaLogin -SqlInstance sql01 -Login $env:USERNAME

# For Windows authentication issues, verify domain connectivity
Test-ComputerSecureChannel

Issue: Module won't import

# Check execution policy
Get-ExecutionPolicy

# Force reimport if needed
Remove-Module dbatools -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Import-Module dbatools -Force

For more troubleshooting help, visit our troubleshooting guide or ask in Slack.

Community & Support

Get Involved:

• ⭐ Star this repository
• 🐛 Report issues
• 💡 Request features
• 🤝 Contribute code

Community Channels:

• #dbatools on SQL Community Slack
• #dbatools-dev for contributors
• Twitter/X

Stats:

• 📦 7+ million downloads on PowerShell Gallery
• 👥 250+ contributors
• 🎯 700+ commands
• 🚀 10+ years of active development

Contributing

We'd love to have you join us! Check out our Contributing Guide and the dbatools-dev Slack channel.

License

dbatools is licensed under the MIT License.

Special Thanks

Thank you to all our contributors and the SQL Server community for making this project possible.