Need a yes or no? Ask EXISTS. Need a number? Ask COUNT. Here is a small demo that shows why mixing them up can quietly give the wrong answer.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
SQL SERVER – Explain Error:166 : does not allow specifying the database name as a prefix to the object name – Puzzle to Win SQL Server Interview Questions and Answers Book
Why does DROP PROCEDURE with the database name as a prefix give Error 166 when DROP TABLE works? Explain it and win my SQL Server Interview Questions and Answers book.
SQL SERVER – A Quick Look at Performance – A Quick Look at Configuration
Before I answer a performance question, I need to know the environment. Here is how I take a quick look at configuration to get the full picture fast.
Foreign Keys Across Databases: What to Use Instead
SQL Server will not create a foreign key to another database. Here is the real error, why a report is only detection, and a same-database option that enforces.
SQL SERVER – Fix: Error: Msg 1904, Level 16 The statistics on table has 33 column names in statistics key list. The maximum limit for index or statistics key column list is 32
Statistics can use up to 32 columns, while an index key is limited to 16. Here is Msg 1904 with a quick demo of 33 versus 32 columns.
Diagnosing Connection Pool Exhaustion From the SQL Server Side
Diagnose connection pool exhaustion by grouping SQL Server sessions, finding sleeping open transactions, and reading their last command.
Error 3241 on Restore: Newer Version or Damaged Backup File
Error 3241 only says SQL Server could not read the file as a backup. Here are three broken files, three different messages, and the checks to run first.
SQL Server slow? Let's fix it together in about four hours.
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