Build a test server from a script with unattended SQL Server setup, repeatable configuration, and sample data that can be reset after each run.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
SQL SERVER – Question to You – When to use Function and When to use Stored Procedure
Deciding when to use functions or stored procedures depends on the caller and required work. I want examples behind that choice.
REGEXP_REPLACE Text Cleanup: Replacing Tags Is Not Parsing HTML
REGEXP_REPLACE can remove controlled tag-like text, but that is not the same as parsing HTML. Test quoted brackets, surviving script text and word boundaries before deciding whether the replacement fits the input.
SQL SERVER – Puzzle – Statistics are not Updated but are Created Once
A puzzle for you: auto update is on and I insert 10 times more rows, yet the statistics are not updated. Why, and how can they update automatically?
SQL SERVER – Creating All New Database with Full Recovery Model
A reader wanted every new database created with the full recovery model and was weighing policies, triggers and jobs. There is a much simpler solution.
CONVERT Date Styles: Use Explicit Numeric Formats
CONVERT date styles make date displays explicit. Keep the typed value for date logic and agree the output format with the receiving interface.
SQL SERVER – Puzzle – SELECT * vs SELECT COUNT(*)
SELECT * gives an error when run alone, but SELECT COUNT(*) does not. Why? Here is my SELECT * vs SELECT COUNT(*) puzzle from the Bangalore User Group.
SQL Server slow? Let's fix it together in about four hours.
In my Comprehensive Database Performance Health Check, you share your screen, I guide you, and we fix your biggest performance troublemakers. No passwords. No remote access.
You keep every script, and the know-how to fix it yourself next time.
Want your whole team to learn it?
My Practical Workshop has no PowerPoint, just live demos. My AI Enablement Workshop shows your team where AI saves hours, and where it quietly costs them.
Over 400 customers have worked with me this way, and not one shared a password. See all consulting options.