For the longest time, T-SQL writers have had to wrestle with ways of testing for an object’s existence so that it can either be dropped and recreated, or modified as needed. Last week we covered… Testing for Object Existence: CREATE OR ALTER
For the longest time, T-SQL writers have had to wrestle with ways of testing for an object’s existence so that it can either be dropped and recreated, or modified as needed. This is especially common… Testing for Object Existence: DROP … IF EXISTS
(Last updated 2020-01-07) This is more for my own reference than anything. On newer versions of Windows desktop and Windows Server, we may find that the shortcut to SQL Server Configuration Manager is missing. According… Configuration Manager Shortcut on Windows 10 and Server 2016
I’m a huge fan of Temporal Tables in SQL Server 2016. I first wrote about them, in a four-part series in November 2015, before SQL Server was even released. I don’t always get this excited… Temporal Tables and History Retention
Conventional wisdom tells us that when Microsoft releases a new version of any server product, we should wait until Service Pack 1 before deploying it to production. This hasn’t been true for a while now, since Microsoft… Wait For Service Pack 1
[Last updated February 27, 2020] Brent Ozar Unlimited runs a website called SQL Server Updates which comes in really handy for keeping your on-premises SQL Server up to date. Of interest is that extended support… Should I upgrade SQL Server 2012, or migrate to Azure?
I’ve written quite a lot about Azure SQL Database recently, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about the on-premises version of SQL Server. What could be better than Microsoft announcing a new tool for upgrading… The Data Migration Assistant
Much has been written about the log backup chain in SQL Server, where we are able to restore a database to a point in time using a combination of full, differential and transaction log backups. This… The Resilience of the Log Backup Chain
Since 27 January 2016, Microsoft recommends that Cumulative Updates be installed with the same confidence as Service Packs, and installed as they become available. The official announcement was posted on 24 March 2016 (their emphasis):… Cumulative Updates Are First Class
This is the final entry in my #SQLNewBlogger challenge. You can read the previous entries here: Part 1: The Intersection of Art and Science Part 2: The Art of Improvisation Part 3: What Motivates You?… Total Recall
SQL Server 2000, I will miss you. Two months ago, my last customer running on SQL Server 2000 took the plunge, and upgraded to SQL Server 2005. Last night between 9pm and 1:30am this morning,… Goodbye, old friend
The SQL Server 2000 Duplicate Index Finder has been updated. I presented the newest version tonight at the SQLskills.com immersion event open night. Grab the scripts here. Changes include a workaround for appending RID and… Duplicate Index Finder updated
With permission from Kimberly Tripp, the creator of the fantastic duplicate index finder for SQL Server 2005 and 2008, I have ported this duplicate index finder to SQL Server 2000. I am fortunate in many… Remove duplicate indexes in SQL Server 2000
For those of you battling with a 64-bit SQL 2005 Server linking to 32-bit SQL 2000 Servers, here’s a handy solution. This problem has been plaguing us for a while now, and today I made… Link 64-bit SQL Server 2005 to 32-bit SQL Server 2000