Proving the Restore, Part 2: HEADERONLY Changes Shape Between Versions
In I used msdb to find a database whose newest full backup had aged past a week. msdb tells you a backup happened. It doesn’t tell you the file is still readable, or which database…
Upgrading Database Compatibility Levels Across a Whole Instance
The instance upgrade went perfectly. You moved from SQL Server 2019 to 2022, the installer turned green, the services came back up, and the application connected on the first try. A week later someone asks…
IS DISTINCT FROM: Comparing NULLs Without the Headache
It usually shows up in a code review. Someone writes a filter that is supposed to exclude voided rows, it looks completely reasonable, and yet a tester swears that records are going missing. The query…