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.
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.
Diagnosing Connection Pool Exhaustion From the SQL Server Side
Diagnose connection pool exhaustion by grouping SQL Server sessions, finding sleeping open transactions, and reading their last command.
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.
Statement Terminators: Where T-SQL Requires a Semicolon
Most T-SQL statements run fine without a semicolon, but a pasted CTE, THROW or MERGE will not. Here is how to read the error and fix the line above it.
What a Junior DBA Should Learn First
Build junior DBA skills around restores, permissions, blocking, and safe investigation, with a practical learning order and useful SQL checks.
Partitioned Views: Splitting a Table Without Table Partitioning
A view over yearly tables only skips the years it does not need while the CHECK constraints are trusted. Here is how to see it, break it and fix it.