An encrypted column shows NULL on a subscriber when the subscriber’s symmetric key doesn’t match the publisher’s key. This post reproduces the symptom with two demo databases, compares key_guid in both and shows the fix. It also explains what replication copies and what it leaves behind.
Oracle to SQL SERVER Migration – Triggers Used While Migration
Moving from Oracle to SQL Server is like switching phones: old habits come along. A client tuning case about the triggers used during the migration.
query_store_query_text: Searching Query History by Statement Text
A LIKE search on Query Store text is a good first step, but one search found four statements, including itself. I show how to narrow it down to the real history.
SQL SERVER 2016 – Trace Flag 1117 is Discontinued. Use the Options Provided with ALTER DATABASE
SQL Server 2016 discontinued trace flag 1117 and 1118 for TempDB. Use the options in ALTER DATABASE instead, as I found on a client server.
SQL SERVER – FIX – Error – Msg 4928, Level 16, State 1. Cannot Alter Column Because it is ‘Enabled for Replication or Change Data Capture’
Msg 4928 blames Replication or Change Data Capture on a database that has neither. Reproduced on SQL Server 2025, with the flags to check and the fix.
SQL SERVER – SqlServerWriter Missing from an Output of VSSadmin List Writers Command
Third party backups failed because SqlServerWriter was missing from the output of VSSadmin List Writers. Here are the possible reasons and what to check.
SQL Server – PowerShell Script – Getting Properties and Details
A retail client runs 1500+ databases with fewer than 10 DBAs, so automation matters. Here is a PowerShell script to get SQL Server properties and details.