Repair and Recover SQL Metadata Manually

SQL is a great database platform for running applications. It is easy to maintain and repair files automatically. However, if the corruption is of a high level then it requires the attention of DBA (Database Administrator). Whenever corruption occurs it targets the metadata. SQL Metadata is basic information about other data. If this data gets corrupt, then there is no way to access the related information. So, it is strongly advised to recover SQL metadata else it poses a threat to the whole database.

Understanding SQL Metadata

Individuals often wonder what SQL metadata is. Well, Database administrators use the functions of metadata to access other data. It can be termed as data about data. This data can be access via sys.databases

DBA can run sys.databases to check metadata functions. Some of them include DB_NAME, OBJECT_NAME, INDEX_COL, and others.

Check Database corruption and Repair it

Usually, when the database is corrupt it generates error messages, but if DBA is not aware of the cause of error then he/ she can run the command to check SQL Metadata corruption.

  • To know the status DBA can run the command DBCC CHECKCATALOG
  • Database error can be checked by the command DBCC CHECKDB
  • When the DBCC CHECKCATALOG command is run it displays the error with a warning message

How to Fix SQL Metadata Error

The first and the basic method is to restore the data from backup. If you regularly back up the data then this method is best however, it will not work out if DBA does not have a current backup.

You can also use the second method and repair system tables to fix SQL metadata errors and recover them.

  • Log in to the database and shut down the server
  • Go to Advanced tab and then move to the configuration manager
  • To the start of startup parameter string add ‘-m;’
  • Start the database server and connect via DAC

But before going for this method always backup the data. You can also use the third-party tool to repair the database. Try this SQL repair tool that automatically scans the corrupt files and repairs them. There is no database limit and you can easily select items to repair them. The database repair tool also recovers files easily. With support to major SQL versions, it is the choice of all database administrators. Check full specifications and try SQL Database Recovery Software.

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