As a SQL Server database administrator (DBA), it is crucial to have a good understanding of various best practices to ensure the smooth functioning of your databases. One such practice that I always advocate is the use of “Auto Growth” settings in SQL Server.

The Auto Growth setting acts as a safety net, allowing the database files to automatically expand when they reach their maximum capacity. However, it is important to note that this setting should ideally never be triggered. As a DBA, it is your responsibility to proactively monitor and manage the growth of your database files.

Let’s take a closer look at why it is important to be aware of the growth size set for all the databases on a SQL Server instance. Consider a scenario where a database file has a 10% growth setting. Initially, a 10% growth may not seem alarming for a small database, but for a larger database, it can result in a significant increase in file size. For example, a 10% growth for a 1GB database file would result in a 100MB increase, while for a 100GB database, it would result in a 10GB increase.

So, how can you quickly find the growth size set for all the databases on a SQL Server instance? One approach is to use the following query:

SELECT 'Database Name' = DB_NAME(database_id),
       'FileName' = NAME,
       FILE_ID,
       'size' = CONVERT(NVARCHAR(15), CONVERT(BIGINT, size) * 8) + N' KB',
       'maxsize' = (CASE max_size WHEN -1 THEN N'Unlimited' ELSE CONVERT(NVARCHAR(15), CONVERT(BIGINT, max_size) * 8) + N' KB' END),
       'growth' = (CASE is_percent_growth WHEN 1 THEN CONVERT(NVARCHAR(15), growth) + N'%' ELSE CONVERT(NVARCHAR(15), CONVERT(BIGINT, growth) * 8) + N' KB' END),
       'type_desc' = type_desc
FROM sys.master_files
ORDER BY database_id

This query retrieves information about the database name, file name, file ID, size, maximum size, growth, and type description for all the database files in the SQL Server instance. It provides a comprehensive view of the growth settings for each database file.

It is worth mentioning that this is just one approach to retrieve the growth size settings. If you have come across a better way, I encourage you to share it in the comments section. Learning from each other is the best way to enhance our knowledge and skills.

As a DBA, being aware of the growth size settings for your databases is essential for capacity planning and ensuring optimal performance. By proactively monitoring and managing the growth of your database files, you can avoid unexpected file expansions and potential performance issues.

I hope this article has provided you with valuable insights into understanding and managing the Auto Growth settings in SQL Server. Stay tuned for more informative articles on SQL Server best practices and concepts.

Have you ever encountered a situation where the growth size settings impacted your SQL Server environment? Share your experiences in the comments below!