What TDS is becomes practical when a SQL Server connection fails: it carries login and query traffic, packet settings, and encryption negotiation.
Connection Resiliency: Surviving Brief Wi-Fi and Network Drops
Configure connection resiliency for brief idle network drops, test ConnectRetryCount and ConnectRetryInterval, and separate retryable failures.
Encrypting Connections to SQL Server
Encrypting connections to SQL Server requires a trusted certificate, careful Force Encryption rollout, and tests with real drivers.
OLE DB or ODBC for Connecting to SQL Server
Choose OLE DB or ODBC for SQL Server by the component you run, especially SSIS, linked servers, and applications using current drivers.
Finding the Client IP Address of a Connection
Find the client IP address of a SQL Server connection with DMVs and CONNECTIONPROPERTY, and understand proxy and local transport limits.
Named Instances and Default Instances
Named instances and default instances differ in connection strings, ports, SQL Browser discovery, and the operations each one needs.
Which SQL Server Client Driver to Use Now
Choose a SQL Server client driver by application stack: ODBC, current OLE DB, Microsoft.Data.SqlClient, or JDBC, then test security defaults.