Debugging MSDTC Issues
For the most part the DTC (Distributed Transaction Coordinator) just works. What happens when it doesn't? Chris had to resolve an issue with it recently and documented some of the steps he used.
2004-01-19
19,986 reads
Administration
2004-01-16
1,919 reads
Review of SQL Compare v3
Regular columnist Robert Marda had some extra time so we got him to take a look at the latest upgrade to SQL Compare - for those of you aren't familiar with it, it is a tool that will let you compare two databases to see the differences, then optionally sync one to the other.
2004-01-15
10,210 reads
2004-01-14
2,865 reads
Sending Alerts Via a Custom SMTP procedure
SQL Mail comes with SQL, but you have to load Outlook to use it. The alternative is to send email directly via SMTP. Combine that idea with alerts and you've got a new article!
2004-01-13
14,479 reads
Alert! Alert! Backup and Restore Baby!
Are you using alerts to help you keep track of things? Are you using as many alerts as you should be? Jeremy has a great list of alerts that he considers so important they are on his 'best practice' list. Definitely worth reading.
2004-01-08
11,576 reads
2004-01-05
1,737 reads
Using xp_cmdshell
Haidong continues to point out ideas that might get you thinking about ways you can do more administration with less work. In this article he demonstrates a couple useful tasks you can do with xp_cmdshell.
2004-01-05
21,825 reads
2004-01-02
2,187 reads
2003-12-31
1,736 reads
Blogs
Asking for Help Isn’t a Weakness
By Brian Kelley
During COVID, I attended training on software/enterprise architecture given by Mark Richards. One of...
The Proof of the Backup Is in the Pudding
For me, the objective is straightforward: have a backup strategy that is reliable, understandable,...
T-SQL Tuesday #204 – Are blogs still relevant?
By DesertDBA
Note: This post is the invitation for T-SQL Tuesday #204 on November 3rd, 2026....
Forums
The ##MS_DatabaseConnector## User
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The ##MS_DatabaseConnector## User
Planning for Change
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Planning for Change
Importing Excel files into SQL Server, Azure Edition
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Importing Excel files into SQL...
Question of the Day
The ##MS_DatabaseConnector## User
On SQL Server 2025, I run this code as a sysadmin:
CREATE LOGIN Demo WITH PASSWORD = 'Demo1234567' GO ALTER SERVER ROLE ##MS_DatabaseConnector## ADD MEMBER Demo GOI then login as Demo and run this:
USE sandbox go SELECT CURRENT_USERWhat is returned? See possible answers