The CONCAT function and NULL values: CONCAT in SQL Server 2012 simply ignores NULL, while the + operator returns NULL. Here is a simple example.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
SQL SERVER – Login Failed For User – Reason Server is in Script Upgrade Mode
Login failed for user because the server is in script upgrade mode? It happens after patching while upgrade scripts run. Here is what it means and what to do.
SQL SERVER – The Basics of the File System Task – Part 2 – Notes from the Field #075
Andy Leonard returns with part 2 on the basics of the File System Task in SSIS, useful whenever your data moves to and from flat files.
SQL SERVER – Introduction to Policy Management
Policy Management, added in SQL Server 2008, is an underappreciated feature. Here is an introduction to its building blocks and how the pieces fit.
SQL SERVER – What is Filtered Statistics?
Filtered statistics, added in SQL Server 2008, help the optimizer estimate rows when data is correlated. Here is a small demo with Employee and Sales tables.
SQL SERVER – Transaction Log Backup Failing After Rebuilding Database Log File
A DBA at a Delhi conference asked why the transaction log backup kept failing after rebuilding the database log file. Here is why it happens.
Interview Question of the Week #014 – How to DELETE Duplicate Rows
Delete duplicate rows with a ROW_NUMBER CTE, preview the duplicate groups, choose a survivor, and prevent recurrence with uniqueness.
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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.

