A reader added a ModifiedDate column to every table and left it NULL. Here is a script to update a specific column in the entire database at once.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
The Last Actual Execution Plan: LAST_QUERY_PLAN_STATS in Practice
Capture the last actual execution plan with LAST_QUERY_PLAN_STATS, inspect runtime rows, and understand what cache retention cannot provide.
Connecting to SQL Server From Home Without Exposing Port 1433
Keep port 1433 off the public internet by checking external reachability and using VPN, a jump host, Bastion, and trusted encryption.
TABLESAMPLE Samples Pages, Not Rows: Sampling a Large Table Right
Compare TABLESAMPLE page sampling with NEWID sorting and CHECKSUM filters by row count, reads, spread, and repeatability.
Blog Clean-Up: What a 20-Year-Old Blog Removed in 2026
A blog clean-up is the work nobody sees and every reader feels. This post lists what a 20-year-old blog removed and fixed in 2026: plugins, unused images, thin tags and dead announcements. Each step comes with a lesson for any blogger.
SQL SERVER – Add Identity Column to Table Based on Order of Another Column
A reader wants to add identity column values to an existing table in the order of another column, not the default order. Here is my answer. Do you know a better one?
ANSI_NULLS Puzzle and NULL in SQL Server: SQL in Sixty Seconds #052
This ANSI_NULLS puzzle starts with two queries that look alike, and only one returns a row. The tests here explain the NULL logic behind IN and NOT IN, show what SET ANSI_NULLS OFF still does on SQL Server 2025, and give a safer pattern for real queries.
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