Use a change freeze checklist for SQL Server to verify backups, integrity checks, disk headroom, Agent jobs, and serious errors.
Query Store Read-Only: Size Limits That Stop Capture
Your Query Store may want READ_WRITE and still be READ_ONLY. Here is how it happens, how to read the reason, and how to get capture back.
SQL SERVER – FIX – Error – Msg 4928, Level 16, State 1. Cannot Alter Column Because it is ‘Enabled for Replication or Change Data Capture’
Msg 4928 blames Replication or Change Data Capture on a database that has neither. Reproduced on SQL Server 2025, with the flags to check and the fix.
Who Changed This Row? Auditing Data Changes
Auditing data changes requires choosing whether you need old values, new values, actor identity, or a change feed, then testing the cost.
SQL Server – Error While Enabling CDC on a Table – The specified ‘@server’ is invalid (valid values are returned by sp_helpserver)
A reader got an error while enabling CDC on a table: The specified ‘@server’ is invalid. Here is what the message means and what caused it for him.
Data Ingestion: Batch Loads, Change Data Capture and Streams
Data Ingestion is how data moves from the systems that create it into the platform that analyzes it. This post compares batch loads, change data capture and event streams, and shows the captured rows from a small SQL Server table.
Relational Database in Big Data: Still at the Center
The relational database in big data projects is still the system of record, and most analytics platforms copy their core business data from it. This post shows what a relational database does well, where it sits in a modern platform, and how the SQL Server 2025 json type adds a flexible schema next to ordinary tables.