Keeping SSMS up to date means reading release notes, choosing a supported channel, planning side by side installs, and checking settings.
SQL SERVER – Change Collation of Database Column – T-SQL Script
How to change collation of database column with ALTER TABLE ALTER COLUMN and COLLATE, then check it in sys.columns. A short test script shows each step.
Five DMVs Worth Memorizing
Five DMVs worth memorizing show SQL Server sessions, active requests, waits, index use, and file I/O during an incident.
What Breaks When You Upgrade, and How to Find It First
Prepare for a SQL Server upgrade by checking deprecated features, compatibility, collation, plans, and application behavior before moving.
SQL SERVER – Interesting Interview Questions – Revisited
Readers took my Interesting Interview Questions test seriously. See who got the correct answer, and why good T-SQL mattered more than the schema.
SQL SERVER – Find Collation of Database and Table Column Using T-SQL
A quick tip to find the collation of database and table column in SQL Server with DATABASEPROPERTYEX and sys.columns, using AdventureWorks.
SQLAuthority News – Wedding Day of Author – Photographs – Mr. and Mrs. SQLAuthority
Photographs from my wedding day on December 12, 2008, the same day as my 800th article. Meet Nupur, whom one reader kindly called Mrs. SQLAuthority.