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:

Update-Module dbatools -Force -SkipPublisherCheck

Full migration guide →

Updating

Update-Module dbatools

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

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.