Mike Byrd

Former rocket scientist and USAF Fighter Pilot -- now a SQL Server geek. Past opportunities include free-lance technical writer for PC Magazine, Senior Software Manager for government sponsored munitions effectiveness committee, and IT Director for Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (9 years), Currently senior database consultant for several companies. Presenter at many SQL Saturdays in US, Europe, and Australia. Ideal job is sproc and query performance tuning or TSQL instruction

Specialties
SQL Server performance tuning; database (OLTP & OLAP) architecture; trouble-shooting; teaching TSQL (Basic through Advanced).

Video presentations (for local SQL Server user groups or SQL Saturdays) can be found at http://usergroup.tv/videos/category/speaker/mike-byrd

Looking only for part-time or short-time opportunities -- either performance tuning or TSQL training.
  • Interests: Water skiing, boating, tennis, Sudoku and KenKen puzzles

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Where Your Value Separates You from Others

By Steve Jones - SSC Editor

Comments posted to this topic are about the item Where Your Value Separates You...

Fixing the Error

By Steve Jones - SSC Editor

Comments posted to this topic are about the item Fixing the Error

T-SQL in SQL Server 2025: Encoding Functions

By Steve Jones - SSC Editor

Comments posted to this topic are about the item T-SQL in SQL Server 2025:...

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Question of the Day

Fixing the Error

On SQL Server 2025, I have a database that has this collation: SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS. I decide I want to run this code: 

SELECT UNISTR('*3041*308A*304C*3068 and good night', '*') AS 'A Classic';
I get this error:Msg 9844, Level 16, State 4, Line 24 The char/varchar input type uses an unsupported collation. Only a UTF8 collation is supported with char/varchar input type in UNISTR function.What is the easiest way to fix this error?

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