Patching SQL Server 2005 on a cluster failed with ‘Data source name not found and no default driver specified’. What caused it for a reader and the fix.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
SQL SERVER – Fix Error Msg 13603 working with JSON documents
Msg 13603 appeared when I used a custom path with FOR JSON PATH, because the column alias had an invalid character. Here is how to fix it.
Nullable Foreign Keys: Optional Relationships and Outer Joins
A nullable foreign key lets a row say no relationship yet. I show what the constraint checks, why an inner join drops those rows, and where WHERE bites.
SQL SERVER Puzzle – Conversion with Date Data Types
Converting values with CAST can round in ways you don’t expect. A puzzle on Date Data Types: guess the output of each query before you run it.
SQL SERVER – Cannot initialize the data source object of OLE DB provider “Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0” for linked server
Cannot initialize the data source object of OLE DB provider Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0 showed up only from the client machine. Here is why and the fix.
Create an Azure VM for SQL Server Using the Portal
To create an Azure VM for SQL Server, pick a SQL Server image in the portal, size the machine, and set the network and SQL options before you press Create. This post walks through each portal tab, explains which choices are hard to change later, and ends with three T-SQL checks to run once you are connected. It also covers the cost of leaving the machine running.
Why an Encrypted Column Shows NULL on a Subscriber
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.
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