I have shown how to build a comma separated list many times. This time a reader wanted the reverse: split a comma separated list into rows without a function.
Dirty Pages in Memory: Count Them Before and After CHECKPOINT
Dirty pages in memory are changed data pages that SQL Server has not yet written to disk. This post counts them with sys.dm_os_buffer_descriptors on SQL Server 2025, before and after CHECKPOINT, and explains why the same script can show nothing on newer servers.
Interview Question of the Week #016 – How to Take Database Offline
Take a database offline with the right waiting policy, compare detach and SINGLE_USER, and verify SQL Server state before and after.
SQL SERVER – Create Login with SID – Way to Synchronize Logins on Secondary Server
Create login with SID to keep SQL logins in sync on a secondary server, so users connect after log shipping, AlwaysOn or mirroring failover.
SQL SERVER – Walking the Table Hierarchy in Microsoft SQL Server Database – Notes from the Field #076
Kevin Hazzard shows how to walk the table hierarchy in a SQL Server database using the catalog, so you know the right order to load or clear tables.
SQL SERVER – Is XP_CMDSHELL Enabled on the Server?
Is XP_CMDSHELL enabled on your server? I recommend avoiding it for security. Here are two ways to check and turn it off, starting with T-SQL.
SQL SERVER – Transaction Log Backup Failing After Rebuilding Database Log File
A DBA at a Delhi conference asked why the transaction log backup kept failing after rebuilding the database log file. Here is why it happens.