SQL Server Diaries

In an earlier post I explained a number of migration or upgrade issues arising from the usage of SELECT TOP 100 PERCENT…ORDER BY… constructs when used in a VIEW. I wrote the below script to identify the VIEW objects which are implemented in this way and also identify from which... [Read More]

When it comes to testing queries I noticed that most developers usually write the query, verify that it returns the required result set then deploy it in the application or report and move on to the next query. While some might see this as one of the rapid development techniques,... [Read More]

For a while now, business have been more aware of the importance of protecting their data, at least from unwanted changes or deletions.  I will not go into the specifics of which method to use, whether to comply with an international standard or not, or even whether to use in-house... [Read More]

One of the simplest database backup procedures is to back up the database to disk using a script (or the SQL Server Maintenance Plan GUI). The minimum command necessary to back up a database is: [Read More]

We have been migrating and upgrading SQL Server 2000 databases to SQL Server 2005 for a while and the momentum increased soon after Microsoft stopped Mainstream Support in April 2008 (Microsoft Product Lifecycle). During the course of the upgrades we have occasionally been told that certain VIEWs did not return... [Read More]