Error 3271 during backup to URL has many causes. After the 403 and 400 versions, here is what causes the (404) Not Found error and how to fix it.
What is Alternative to CASE Statement in SQL Server? – IIF Function – Interview Question of the Week #164
What is the alternative to CASE statement in SQL Server? The IIF function. Here are two examples of CASE and IIF, and why IIF deserves more use.
Automatic Plan Correction: Reading SQL Server’s Tuning Advice
Read automatic plan correction advice, compare regressed and recommended plans, and verify that forcing the last good plan held.
SQL SERVER – What is Forwarded Records and How to Fix Them?
Forwarded Records in heap tables still puzzle many SQL Server users, years after I first wrote about them. Here is what they are and how to fix them.
SQL SERVER – What is Tail-Log Backups?
Tail-Log Backups capture the end of an available transaction log before a restore. I assess them within the intended recovery chain.
Asterisk Instead of a Number: A SQL Server Puzzle
This puzzle assigns a nine digit number to a varchar(8) variable and gets an asterisk instead of a number. The answer is an implicit conversion that does not fit. The post tests which data types behave this way, which ones raise an error, and how to size the variable.







