I eventually found an explanation for this error message that, while not completely satisfactory, did lead me to diagnose wider-reaching I/O issues on the affected instance and led me to a better understanding of latching in general.
A SQL Server upgrade left a log shipping secondary unable to accept transaction logs. Re-seeding it without touching the primary or its mirror is straightforward in principle — drop, restore full + diff + log with NORECOVERY, hand back to the job — but three undocumented traps will stop you along the way. Here's what they are and how to get past them.
I'm sure I've never mentioned this before, but I'm a little aged. I'm not real far from 40 years in IT, and I got started a little late in life. Regardless, I've heard this tale of woe before. And no, this isn't going to be a rehash of all the old stories ("self-tuning" SQL Server […]
Should SQL Server databases enforce foreign key constraints? A veteran DBA breaks down the real arguments
Learn how to normalize values in Power BI to allow you to compare disparate different data.
I was reading about a recent security failure when I saw the phrase "...a series of missed opportunities...". Made me giggle and say to myself "No Kidding Kojak" except I used Sherlock Holmes and a different word. Fact is, security failures, and hey, let's face it, process failures, almost never come down to a single […]
Since the transition from DTS to SSIS, I have found myself looking for alternative ways to do simple tasks such as exporting data from SQL Server into text files. SSIS is a far more powerful tool than DTS, but I generally try to stay away from it for simple operations. With the combination of a few T-SQL commands this tip shows you a simple way to export data to text files.
In just over a week, I'm going to be in Valencia, Spain, for pgConf.eu. While there, I'm planning to take the first certification to come out of the Open Alliance for PostgreSQL Education. I'm more than a little nervous because I'm not sure I'm ready. However, I've been studying and reading, watching videos, practicing my […]
See how security in SSAS tabular models might not work as you expect, and how you could easily fail an audit.
Introduction I was experimenting with vector search in SQL Server 2025 using approximately 3.8...
By Steve Jones
This is timely, as I’m currently on a boat in the Adriatic taking a...
You can find the slides and SQL scripts for my session “Spice up your...
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Communication, For Incidents and Life
Comments posted to this topic are about the item PostgreSQL psql Meta Commands: Tables
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Building a Support Ticket Triage...
Which of the following psql meta commands (also called backslash or slash commands) will provide information about tables within a database?
See possible answers