SQL SERVER – Create Login with SID – Way to Synchronize Logins on Secondary Server

How many times you had a problem where you have deployed a high availability solution, but the application is not able to use database and getting login failed for user after failover? Note that this issue would happen only with SQL Logins not Windows Login. You would understand the reason shortly. Here are the situations where you might face login failure.

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SQL SERVER – Walking the Table Hierarchy in Microsoft SQL Server Database – Notes from the Field #076

[Note from Pinal]: This is a 76th episode of Notes from the Field series. Hierarchy is one of the most important concepts in SQL Server but there are not clear tutorial for it. I have often observed that this simple concept is often ignored or poorly handled due to lack of understanding. In…
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SQL SERVER – Is XP_CMDSHELL Enabled on the Server?

I am not a big fan of using command line utilities in general. But from time to time I do explore and play around with command line tools that make my life easier. Having said that, when working with SQL Server, I do often give out the recommendation of not trying to use the native xp_cmdshell commands with SQL Server. Even the SQL_Server_2012_Security_Best_Practice_Whitepaper talks about xp_cmdshell and recommends to avoid the same if it is possible. These are basic building blocks of security that I highly recommend my customers from time to time.

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