About This Course
The role of the SQL Server Database Administrator is one of the most critical and in-demand positions in enterprise IT. Organisations running Microsoft SQL Server environments depend on skilled DBAs to keep databases performant, secure, highly available, and resilient to failure. Earning a recognised SQL Server DBA certification validates these competencies and significantly enhances a professional's career prospects, earning potential, and credibility with employers.
TrainingComplex has designed this 10-day SQL Server DBA Certification Prep Training to give participants a rigorous, structured pathway to certification success. The programme covers every major domain tested in SQL Server DBA examinations — from installation and instance configuration through query optimisation, security hardening, disaster recovery planning, and monitoring. Every concept is reinforced with lab exercises built around real enterprise database scenarios, ensuring that knowledge sticks and translates directly into on-the-job capability.
Beyond exam preparation, this course equips participants with a comprehensive DBA toolkit. Delegates will leave with the ability to design and implement robust backup strategies, configure Always On Availability Groups, diagnose and resolve performance bottlenecks, manage SQL Server Agent jobs, and enforce database security policies that meet compliance requirements. Whether you are an aspiring DBA looking to formalise your skills or an experienced database professional seeking certification to advance your career, this programme delivers the depth, breadth, and practical confidence you need.
Who Should Attend
- Junior and mid-level database administrators seeking Microsoft SQL Server certification
- Systems administrators responsible for managing SQL Server environments
- Application developers who work closely with SQL Server and wish to formalise database management skills
- IT professionals transitioning into a dedicated DBA role
- Senior database administrators refreshing skills and validating expertise through formal certification
- IT team leads overseeing database infrastructure in enterprise or cloud-hybrid environments
Learning Objectives
- Understand the SQL Server DBA certification exam structure, domains, and scoring requirements
- Install, configure, and manage SQL Server instances across different editions and environments
- Design and implement robust database security models including logins, roles, and encryption
- Develop and test comprehensive backup and recovery strategies aligned with business continuity requirements
- Configure and manage high-availability solutions including Always On Availability Groups and Failover Clustering
- Monitor SQL Server health, interpret wait statistics, and resolve performance bottlenecks proactively
- Optimise query performance through indexing strategies, execution plan analysis, and query store usage
- Automate administrative tasks using SQL Server Agent, maintenance plans, and PowerShell scripting
- Manage SQL Server storage, filegroups, and database file placement for optimal I/O performance
- Implement and monitor SQL Server replication and log shipping for data distribution and redundancy
- Apply patch management, upgrade procedures, and migration best practices safely in production environments
- Prepare confidently for certification exam scenarios using timed practice tests and domain-specific review sessions
Course Modules
Module 1: SQL Server DBA Certification Overview and Exam Strategy
- Microsoft SQL Server certification pathway and available exam tracks
- Exam domains, weighting, and question format breakdown
- Time management strategies for scenario-based exam questions
- Common exam pitfalls and how to avoid them
- Building a personalised study plan for the remaining course days
- Accessing official Microsoft documentation and practice resources
Module 2: SQL Server Installation, Configuration, and Upgrading
- Planning an SQL Server deployment: edition selection and hardware sizing
- Step-by-step installation of SQL Server with correct service accounts and collation settings
- Post-installation configuration tasks: sp_configure, surface area, and trace flags
- Managing multiple instances and named instances on a single host
- In-place upgrade versus migration upgrade strategies and risks
- Patching SQL Server: cumulative updates, service packs, and maintenance windows
Module 3: Database and Instance Architecture
- SQL Server engine architecture: buffer pool, plan cache, and SQLOS
- Database file structure: MDF, NDF, and LDF files and their roles
- Filegroups: creating, managing, and placing objects strategically
- TempDB architecture, sizing, and performance best practices
- SQL Server memory management: min/max server memory configuration
- Transaction log internals: VLFs, log sequence numbers, and log reuse
Module 4: T-SQL and Database Object Management
- Creating and altering databases, schemas, and tables using T-SQL
- Stored procedures, views, triggers, and user-defined functions: creation and management
- Data types, constraints, and referential integrity implementation
- Transaction management: BEGIN, COMMIT, ROLLBACK, and savepoints
- Dynamic T-SQL and parameterisation to prevent SQL injection
- Managing and monitoring DDL and DML changes with triggers and change tracking
Module 5: SQL Server Security Administration
- Authentication modes: Windows authentication versus SQL Server authentication
- Logins, users, roles, and permission chains explained
- Row-level security and dynamic data masking implementation
- Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) and column-level encryption
- Auditing database activity with SQL Server Audit and Extended Events
- Security hardening checklist: surface area reduction and principle of least privilege
Module 6: Backup, Restore, and Disaster Recovery Planning
- Recovery models: simple, bulk-logged, and full — choosing the right model
- Full, differential, and transaction log backup strategies and scheduling
- Restoring databases: point-in-time recovery, piecemeal restore, and page restore
- Backup compression, encryption, and offsite storage best practices
- Testing backup integrity with RESTORE VERIFYONLY and periodic drills
- Documenting and rehearsing the disaster recovery runbook
Module 7: High Availability and Business Continuity
- Overview of SQL Server high-availability options and when to use each
- Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) concepts and SQL Server FCI configuration
- Always On Availability Groups: setup, replica roles, and listener configuration
- Automatic failover versus manual failover: conditions and procedures
- Database mirroring legacy awareness and migration to Always On
- Log shipping as a secondary HA and read-offload strategy
Module 8: Performance Monitoring and Wait Statistics Analysis
- SQL Server Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) for health and performance monitoring
- Understanding wait types: CPU, I/O, lock, and network waits
- Baseline establishment using Performance Monitor and SQL Server Data Collector
- Query Store: enabling, configuring, and using Regressed Queries and Top Resource Consumers
- Extended Events sessions: capturing and analysing targeted performance data
- Identifying and resolving blocking chains and deadlock scenarios
Module 9: Query Optimisation and Index Management
- Reading and interpreting graphical and XML execution plans in SSMS
- Clustered versus non-clustered indexes: design principles and trade-offs
- Covering indexes, included columns, and filtered indexes for selective queries
- Index fragmentation: monitoring, online rebuild versus reorganise decisions
- Statistics management: auto-update statistics, manual updates, and their impact on plans
- Parameter sniffing: identifying plan reuse problems and applying targeted fixes
Module 10: SQL Server Agent, Automation, and Maintenance Plans
- SQL Server Agent architecture: jobs, steps, schedules, and operators
- Creating multi-step jobs with conditional logic and error handling
- Maintenance plans: index maintenance, statistics updates, and integrity checks
- Database Mail configuration for job failure alerting
- PowerShell and dbatools for automating cross-server DBA tasks
- Monitoring Agent job history and diagnosing failed jobs
Module 11: Replication, Log Shipping, and Data Distribution
- SQL Server replication types: snapshot, transactional, and merge — use cases
- Configuring a transactional replication topology: publisher, distributor, and subscriber
- Monitoring replication latency and resolving common replication errors
- Log shipping setup, monitoring, and manual failover procedure
- Comparing replication and log shipping with Always On for data distribution decisions
- Managing schema changes in replicated environments safely
Module 12: Storage, I/O Optimisation, and Resource Governor
- Disk subsystem fundamentals: RAID levels, SAN, and NVMe for SQL Server workloads
- Configuring instant file initialisation and locked pages in memory
- I/O bottleneck identification using DMVs and Performance Monitor counters
- Resource Governor: creating resource pools and workload groups for multi-tenant databases
- In-Memory OLTP: identifying suitable workloads and implementing memory-optimised tables
- SQL Server on virtual machines: storage and compute best-practice configurations
Module 13: Exam Readiness, Practice Tests, and Certification Review
- Full-length timed practice exam simulation covering all certification domains
- Detailed review of practice exam answers with conceptual reinforcement
- Domain-by-domain gap analysis and targeted revision for individual participants
- Last-mile tips: exam booking, testing-centre logistics, and on-exam strategies
- Post-certification career pathways: Azure SQL DBA, data platform specialisations
- Course consolidation Q&A and personalised action plans for exam day preparation
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have at least one year of hands-on experience working with Microsoft SQL Server in an administrative or development capacity. A solid foundation in relational database concepts, T-SQL querying, and Windows Server fundamentals is required. Familiarity with basic networking concepts and Windows authentication is recommended before attending.
Training Methodology
- Guided lab sessions using dedicated SQL Server virtual machines where participants perform every configuration and administrative task hands-on
- Exam domain walkthroughs that map each technical concept directly to the relevant certification exam objectives and question formats
- Timed practice exam simulations with detailed answer rationales to build exam confidence and identify knowledge gaps
- Case-study-based scenarios drawn from real enterprise environments covering database failure, security breach response, and performance crisis resolution
- Execution plan analysis workshops where participants diagnose slow queries using SQL Server Management Studio and Query Store
- Group-based disaster recovery drills where teams design, execute, and validate backup-and-restore procedures under time pressure
- Peer code review exercises in which participants critique each other's T-SQL scripts and indexing strategies
- PowerShell scripting practicals for automating routine DBA tasks including health checks, job monitoring, and report generation
- End-of-day reflection and Q&A debriefs that consolidate the day's learning and address individual questions before the next module
Organisational Benefits
- Certified SQL Server DBAs reduce database downtime through proactive monitoring and disciplined change management
- Organisations gain assurance that their database infrastructure is managed to Microsoft best-practice standards
- Improved backup and recovery practices directly reduce the risk and cost of data loss incidents
- Performance tuning skills translate to faster application response times and higher end-user satisfaction
- High-availability configurations implemented by trained DBAs support business continuity and regulatory compliance
- Certification-ready staff can independently lead SQL Server upgrade and migration projects, reducing consultant spend
- Strong security implementation skills help organisations meet GDPR, ISO 27001, and sector-specific data-protection obligations
- A team with certified SQL Server DBAs strengthens the organisation's IT credibility with clients, auditors, and partners
Where Is SQL Server DBA Certification Prep Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Mombasa, Cape Town, Nakuru, Kigali, Riyadh, Nairobi, Dubai, Zanzibar, Lagos, Abuja, Kisumu, Kampala, Naivasha, Accra, Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Pretoria, Addis Ababa, Johannesburg, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Live Virtual |
Online |
19 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
KES 160,000 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
24 Oct 2026 – 13 Dec 2026 |
KES 160,000 |
| Mombasa, Kenya |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
KES 240,000 |
| Cape Town, South Africa |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
USD 7,600 |
| Nakuru, Kenya |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
KES 240,000 |
| Kigali, Rwanda |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
USD 9,000 |
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
USD 8,200 |
| Zanzibar, Tanzania |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
USD 5,000 |
| Lagos, Nigeria |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
USD 5,000 |
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
USD 5,600 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
2 Nov 2026 – 13 Nov 2026 |
USD 8,200 |
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
2 Nov 2026 – 13 Nov 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Kigali, Rwanda |
In-Person |
2 Nov 2026 – 13 Nov 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
+228 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Microsoft certification exam does this course prepare me for?
This course is structured to prepare you for the Microsoft SQL Server DBA certification examinations, with content covering all major exam domains including installation, security, high availability, performance tuning, and backup and recovery. The programme aligns with the skills measured in current Microsoft data platform certification tracks. Your instructor will confirm the most current exam codes at the start of the training.
Do I need prior SQL Server experience to attend?
Yes — this is an intermediate-to-advanced programme. Participants should have at least one year of practical SQL Server experience and a solid understanding of T-SQL and Windows Server fundamentals. The course is not designed as an introduction to SQL Server from scratch.
Will I receive a certificate upon completing this training?
Yes, all participants who complete the 10-day programme receive a TrainingComplex Certificate of Completion. This course prepares you to sit the Microsoft certification exam independently; the Microsoft credential itself is awarded upon passing the official proctored exam, which you register for separately through Microsoft or an authorised testing centre.
Are the lab exercises included and what tools will I need?
Hands-on labs are a core part of the programme and are fully included. TrainingComplex provides preconfigured virtual lab environments with SQL Server installed, so you only need a laptop capable of running a remote desktop or browser-based lab session. No additional software licences are required from participants.
Is this course available online for participants who cannot travel?
Yes — the course is offered as a Live Virtual option in addition to in-person delivery across multiple cities. Virtual participants access the same instructor-led sessions and hands-on lab environments in real time, ensuring the same quality of learning regardless of location.
