For that type of table definition, I'd suggest forcing all LOB columns completely out of the main table space (since SQL doesn't allow you to customize column-by-column).  That should avoid...

I'd use CROSS APPLYs to determine the lengths (this helps keeps the other code "cleaner" by pushing calcs/computations into CROSS APPLYs).  For example:

SELECT PCMRetrievalCode, LenOfSchemaId,...

I still don't understand why you need the index in string format to determine that.  It's actually easier to accurately compare the meta-data rather than a string definition (where noncritical...

SELECT string, LEFT(string, split_byte - 1) AS string1,
    SUBSTRING(string, split_byte + 1, 8000) AS string2
FROM (
  VALUES('Apple is Red and Grapes are Purple'),

I'm going to label each q so others can comment without having to repeat the full q:

A1) transaction log back up verses a full back up? 
A tran...

For that INSERT, no.  In fact, SELECT ... INTO dbo.new_table...

DECLARE @start_date date
DECLARE @end_date date
SET @start_date = DATEADD(YEAR, -1, GETDATE())
SET @end_date = GETDATE()

SELECT
  AccountNumber,
  CASE WHEN MAX(CASE WHEN row_num =...

Btw, just based on the pattern of code in your OP, it looks like you're doing a BETWEEN range on a datetime.

Put simply, DON'T do that, ever.

Why do you need to save it in a string format?  Could you just grab the meta-data instead, and leave it a table format until/unless you actually needed to convert it...

I can't see any reason to test a COUNT(*) for "ISNUMERIC", since by definition a COUNT will be an int value.

Given that, I think this query does what...

1) Verify that table "DonAlias" is (1A) clustered by Donor_No or (1B) a nonclus index is keyed by Donor_No and contains Alias (as key or not, with or without other...