Interview question: how to kill processes idle for X hours in SQL Server? Here is a script that finds idle sessions and kills them.
Error 0x80040E4D: SaveToSQLServer Fails With Login Failed for sa
Error 0x80040E4D stopped a client from saving a maintenance plan, with Login failed for user sa at the end of the message. The sa login was locked out by another maintenance plan that still used an old password. Windows authentication worked in the meantime.
SQL SERVER – An Error Occurred While Obtaining the Dedicated Administrator Connection (DAC) Port
A student could not connect with the Dedicated Administrator Connection (DAC) after my class. Here is the port error he saw and how to fix it.
SQL SERVER – Database Mirroring Login Attempt Failed With Error: ‘Connection Handshake Failed. There is No Compatible Encryption Algorithm. State 22
Moving from database mirroring to an AlwaysOn AG failed with a handshake error: no compatible encryption algorithm. Comparing the endpoints showed why.
SQL SERVER – Mirroring Error: Connection handshake failed. Could not send a handshake message because the connection was closed by peer. State 26
A mirroring error, connection handshake failed, State 26. The checks I once asked readers for, run on SQL Server 2025 on a real endpoint.
Why SELECT HOST_NAME() Returns Empty String? – Interview Question of the Week #119
Question: Why SELECT HOST_NAME() Returns Empty String while connected from certain .net application?
Mirroring Endpoint Permission: Fixing Connection Handshake Failed
A friend using certificates on workgroup machines saw Connection Handshake Failed on every mirroring login attempt. The witness ERRORLOG showed a missing mirroring endpoint permission, and one GRANT statement fixed it.