Cannot initialize the data source object of OLE DB provider Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0 showed up only from the client machine. Here is why and the fix.
Why an Encrypted Column Shows NULL on a Subscriber
An encrypted column shows NULL on a subscriber when the subscriber’s symmetric key doesn’t match the publisher’s key. This post reproduces the symptom with two demo databases, compares key_guid in both and shows the fix. It also explains what replication copies and what it leaves behind.
How to Find Number of Times Function Called in SQL Server? – Interview Question of the Week #104
A function was causing CPU spikes. How many times was that function called, and at what cost? The SQL Server 2016 DMV dm_exec_function_stats shows it.
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.
What is Memory Grants Pending in SQL Server? – Interview Question of the Week #103
What is Memory Grants Pending in SQL Server? A short interview-style answer: what the counter shows, what value you want to see and why it matters.
SQL SERVER – SqlServerWriter Missing from an Output of VSSadmin List Writers Command
Third party backups failed because SqlServerWriter was missing from the output of VSSadmin List Writers. Here are the possible reasons and what to check.
SQL SERVER – Testing Database Performance with tSQLt and SQLQueryStress
Database testing is often skipped until there is a problem. Here is my approach to testing database performance with tSQLt and SQLQueryStress.