Security considerations for contained databases: how contained authentication works, the initial catalog it needs, and the fallback to server logins.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
Interview Question of the Week #037 – What are the Properties of Relational Tables?
Explain the properties of relational tables and connect each rule to SQL Server types, keys, duplicate rows, named columns, and ordering.
SQL SERVER – Edition Upgrade from Evaluation to Enterprise Core – AlwaysOn Warning!
Upgrading SQL Server from Evaluation to Enterprise Core, setup warned that AlwaysOn Availability Groups is enabled. Here is what the edition upgrade check means.
SQL SERVER – FIX – Replication Error: SQL Server replication requires the actual server name to make a connection to the server
Configure Distribution failed with SQL Server replication requires the actual server name to make a connection. Here is why and how to fix it.
SQL Server Scheduler and Operating System Scheduling: Notes
The SQL Server scheduler decides which ready work gets processor time, on top of the operating system’s own thread scheduling. Tested queries on SQL Server 2025 show runnable, running and suspended tasks under load, and the permission each view needs.
SQL SERVER 2016: Updating Non-Clustered ColumnStore Index Enhancement
A reader said my old columnstore script did not fail as expected. The reason: SQL Server 2016 lets you update a non-clustered columnstore index.
Putting a Database Under Source Control
Putting a database under source control starts with state or migration scripts, consistent object files, and a reviewable first commit.
SQL Server slow? Let's fix it together in about four hours.
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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.

