A reader’s backup to URL failed with Error 3271: the remote server returned an error: (403) Forbidden. Here is how I reproduced it and the easy fix.
SQL SERVER – What is Forwarded Records and How to Fix Them?
Forwarded Records in heap tables still puzzle many SQL Server users, years after I first wrote about them. Here is what they are and how to fix them.
SQL SERVER – What is Tail-Log Backups?
Tail-Log Backups capture the end of an available transaction log before a restore. I assess them within the intended recovery chain.
Asterisk Instead of a Number: A SQL Server Puzzle
This puzzle assigns a nine digit number to a varchar(8) variable and gets an asterisk instead of a number. The answer is an implicit conversion that does not fit. The post tests which data types behave this way, which ones raise an error, and how to size the variable.
How to Shrink TempDB Without SQL Server Restart? – Interview Question of the Week #163
A client ran the shrink command again and again, but TempDB would not get any smaller. Here is how to Shrink TempDB without a SQL Server restart.
SQL SERVER – Puzzle – How Does Table Qualifier Work in INSERT Statement?
You can use a table alias in SELECT just fine, but how does a Table Qualifier work in the column list of an INSERT statement? Try this short puzzle.
SQL SERVER – Empty Startup Parameter in SQL Cluster on One Node
Many problems lead to the same symptom. Here is another reason for an empty startup parameter in SQL Cluster, when it was not a registry permission issue.