Explain Always Encrypted in plain words, including client-held keys, deterministic and randomized encryption, query limits, and operations.
SQL SERVER – Interesting Observation – Using sqlcmd From SSMS Query Editor
Turn on SQLCMD Mode and the SSMS Query Editor can run sqlcmd scripts that mix OS and SQL commands. The interesting part: the OS commands run first.
SQL SERVER – 2008 – 2005 – Find Longest Running Query – TSQL
My company owner asked which query runs longest and I found no ready script, so I wrote one: the Longest Running Query with its average and maximum time.
Rolling Date Ranges Forward Without Hard-Coded Years
Replace hard-coded years with indexed date ranges for current periods, full months, year-to-date comparisons, and any requested year.
Is a Certification Worth It, and What to Study Instead
Decide whether a SQL Server certification supports your next role, then build practical study projects around recovery, security, and tuning.
SQL SERVER – Add Any User to SysAdmin Role – Add Users to System Roles
How to add any user to the SysAdmin role in SQL Server, with a short T-SQL script using sp_addsrvrolemember, or the same steps in Management Studio.
Connection Resiliency: Surviving Brief Wi-Fi and Network Drops
Configure connection resiliency for brief idle network drops, test ConnectRetryCount and ConnectRetryInterval, and separate retryable failures.