Does an NVARCHAR column take twice the space of VARCHAR? Yes. I measure the length of VARCHAR and NVARCHAR columns with COL_LENGTH to show it.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
Count a Particular Value Across All Columns in SQL Server
To count a particular value across all columns of a table, use a CASE sum, CROSS APPLY with VALUES, UNPIVOT or UNION ALL. This post tests all four on a staff contact table, compares their reads on 200,000 rows, and builds the column list with dynamic SQL.
0x84cf0003: Cluster Install Fails Updating Permission Setting for Folder
A SQL Server cluster install failed with 0x84cf0003: Updating permission setting for folder failed. Service account rights and folder permissions were fine. The cause was the Audit Object Access policy from a GPO.
EXCEPT Operator in SQL Server: Distinct Rows and Differences
The EXCEPT operator returns the rows of one query that are missing from another, with duplicates removed. This post shows the difference between two small order tables, the old WHERE 1 = 0 trick for distinct rows, and how NULLs behave.
The Ascending Key Problem: Estimates for Today’s New Rows
Diagnose ascending key estimates with histogram boundaries, modification counts, and controlled comparisons before updating statistics.
IIF in SQL Server: IF THEN Logic Compared With CASE
IIF in SQL Server is a short way to write IF THEN logic with two outcomes. This post compares it with CASE in a small juice shop table, shows that both produce the same plan, and covers NULL, data types and the WHERE clause.
How to Track Autogrowth of Any Database? – Interview Question of the Week #205
How do you track autogrowth of any database? Constant autogrowth was slowing a client’s busy e-commerce database, and here is how we found when and who caused it.
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