DEFAULT WITH VALUES fills the rows that already exist when you add a column with a default. Without it, a nullable column keeps NULL in every old row. This post shows the three cases side by side, what a default never does, why the constraint needs a name, and how a large table takes the change in a millisecond.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
SQL SERVER – Creating System Admin (SA) Login With Empty Password – Bad Practice
An empty password on sa is a serious security failure. I stopped an e-commerce consultation after noticing passwordless administrator sign-ins.
WITH NORECOMPUTE: Stop Auto Updates on One Table
WITH NORECOMPUTE tells SQL Server to stop updating the statistics of one table automatically. This post sets it with UPDATE STATISTICS, proves that the modification counter keeps growing while nothing refreshes, and shows how to turn it off again. It also shows a safer option for the same problem, a persisted sample percent.
Deadlock Victim Selection: Protect One Transaction
Deadlock victim selection decides which of two blocked transactions SQL Server rolls back. This post shows the rules, sets DEADLOCK_PRIORITY on one procedure, reproduces a deadlock with two query windows, and shows what the setting cannot do. It ends with the two fixes that remove the deadlock itself.
Connections by Protocol: Shared Memory, TCP and Named Pipes
Connections by protocol tell you whether a client reaches SQL Server through shared memory, TCP or a named pipe, and from which address. This post reads the connection view for your own session, connects three ways to see each protocol, lists every connection with its host and program, and counts them by protocol.
Execution Plan Wait Stats: Read Them in SSMS and XML
Execution plan wait stats list what one execution of a query waited for, so you don’t have to guess from server-wide totals. This post shows where to find them in SSMS and in the plan XML, reproduces a lock wait with two query windows, and explains the common wait types. It ends with Query Store, which keeps wait totals for many queries.
Does BIT Datatype Equal to 1 or TRUE in SQL Server? – Interview Question of the Week #282
Question: Does BIT Datatype Equal to 1 or TRUE in SQL Server?
Answer: Very interesting question. Let us learn about it today.
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Who We Are
Pinal Dave is an SQL Server Performance Tuning Expert and independent consultant with over 24 years of hands-on experience. He holds a Masters of Science degree and numerous database certifications.
Pinal has authored 19 books and 125 Pluralsight courses. To freely share his knowledge and help others build their expertise, Pinal has also written more than 5,800 database tech articles on his blog at https://blog.sqlauthority.com.
Pinal is also a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer (CF-L1) and CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2).
Nupur Dave is a social media enthusiast and an independent consultant. She primarily focuses on the database domain, helping clients build short and long-term multi-channel campaigns to drive leads for their sales pipeline.
Shaivi Pinalkumar Dave is a book author and a women’s artistic gymnast.

