How do you transfer the logins and passwords between instances of SQL Server 2005 after a hardware upgrade? I summarize Microsoft KB 918992 and its script.
SQL SERVER – Introduction to SQL Server Encryption and Symmetric Key Encryption Tutorial
SQL Server 2005 added encryption to protect data from hackers. My article introduces SQL Server encryption and walks through a symmetric key encryption tutorial.
SQL SERVER – Dynamic Case Statement – FIX : ERROR 156 : Incorrect syntax near the keyword
Using CASE in ORDER BY to switch between ASC and DESC gives Error 156: Incorrect syntax near the keyword. I show two ways to write a dynamic case that works.
SQL SERVER – SELECT 1 vs SELECT * – An Interesting Observation
SELECT 1 vs SELECT * inside IF EXISTS: I ran 4 tests and both gave the same result and the same execution plan cost. Can you find a case where they differ?
Templates and Snippets in SSMS
Templates and snippets in SSMS turn repeated SQL patterns into editable starting points while keeping environment assumptions visible.
SQL SERVER – Find All The User Defined Functions (UDF) – Part 2
Madhivanan shared another way to find all the user defined functions in a database, using information_schema.routines. Here is his short script.
Reading the SQL Server Error Log Properly
Read the SQL Server error log for startup details and incident context, filter it with T-SQL, and cycle files without losing needed history.