The PRINT date format differs from the SELECT format, because PRINT converts the value to text first. This post tests PRINT with six date and time types, shows why joining text and a datetime fails with Msg 241, shows how the session language changes the month name, and gives the formats that stay the same everywhere.
Immutable Backups: Keeping a Copy Ransomware Cannot Delete
Design immutable backups with enforced retention, separate storage access, offline recovery material, checksum checks, and restore tests.
DATETIMEFROMPARTS Function: Build Dates From Parts
The DATETIMEFROMPARTS function builds a datetime value from seven numbers, with no string conversion and no language trap. This post tests how it rounds milliseconds, which parts raise an error, how it treats NULL, and how its relatives build dates, times and offsets.
Shrink tempdb Without Restarting SQL Server
To shrink tempdb without a restart, run DBCC SHRINKFILE against each tempdb file with a target size in megabytes. This post checks the file sizes and the space use first, shows the statement with its undo, and tests the shrink rules on a demo database, so the tempdb server stays untouched.
Show Primary Key of a Table in SQL Server With sp_pkeys
To show primary key columns for one table, call sp_pkeys with the table name. This post builds a small demo database, reads a single column and a composite key, and handles schemas and errors. It also lists every key in a database with one catalog query.
SQL SERVER – Patch Install Rule Error – Not Clustered or the Cluster Service is Up and Online
The error which we observed was a failure of a rule – Patch Install Rule Error – Not clustered or the cluster service is up and online.
Max Worker Count: Why Typing 10000 Slowed a Server
Max worker count looks like a speed dial but behaves like a safety limit. A client typed 10000 on an 8 processor server and slowed it, and a reset to 0 fixed it in minutes. Two read-only queries show your value and whether workers run short.