A quick script for point in time recovery: set up and back up a database, restore it to a point in time, then clean up. Three simple steps.
SQL SERVER – A Quick Trick about SQL Server CONCAT function
A quick trick from a Virtual Tech Days demo: adding a string to GETDATE() throws an error. CAST fixes it, and SQL Server 2012 CONCAT does it more simply.
EXISTS vs COUNT: The Right Way to Check If Rows Exist
Need a yes or no? Ask EXISTS. Need a number? Ask COUNT. Here is a small demo that shows why mixing them up can quietly give the wrong answer.
SQL SERVER – Explain Error:166 : does not allow specifying the database name as a prefix to the object name – Puzzle to Win SQL Server Interview Questions and Answers Book
Why does DROP PROCEDURE with the database name as a prefix give Error 166 when DROP TABLE works? Explain it and win my SQL Server Interview Questions and Answers book.
SQL SERVER – A Quick Look at Performance – A Quick Look at Configuration
Before I answer a performance question, I need to know the environment. Here is how I take a quick look at configuration to get the full picture fast.
Foreign Keys Across Databases: What to Use Instead
SQL Server will not create a foreign key to another database. Here is the real error, why a report is only detection, and a same-database option that enforces.
Error 3241 on Restore: Newer Version or Damaged Backup File
Error 3241 only says SQL Server could not read the file as a backup. Here are three broken files, three different messages, and the checks to run first.