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When INCLUDE Columns Quietly Inflate Your Transaction Logs

In this article, I wanted to test a common assumption we DBAs make – that adding INCLUDE columns to indexes is harmless. I created a FULL recovery test database with a realistic wide Orders table containing extra large VARCHAR columns to simulate an ERP workload. I ran updates and measured transaction log backup sizes before and after adding INCLUDE columns to a nonclustered index. The results shocked me. The update without INCLUDE columns generated a 10 MB log backup, while the same update with INCLUDE columns produced over 170 MB – a 17x increase in log volume. I explain why this happens: INCLUDE columns are physically stored in index leaf rows, so updates affecting them write bigger log records. I also clarify that updating key columns generates even more log than INCLUDE updates because it involves row movement (delete + insert), but INCLUDE updates still cost more log than if those columns weren’t indexed at all. The takeaway is clear – INCLUDE columns are powerful, but they silently increase transaction log generation, impacting backup sizes, replication lag, and DR readiness. Always measure their real cost before deploying to production.

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2025-07-18

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SQLServerCentral Article

Getting In: Running External Code in a Locked-Down PaaS

In Part 1, I explored how to bend SQL Server Agent to our will and peek under the hood of Azure SQL Managed Instance (SQL MI), gaining full OS access to the container (all without relying on xp_cmdshell). But once I realized what kind of door I'd opened, curiosity pushed us further, tempting us to […]

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2025-07-17 (first published: )

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SQLServerCentral Article

Cassandra Springboot Integration With Redis

Article Overview In this article we will learn how to integrate a Spring boot application with Apache Cassandra database and Redis cache. This is an extension to one of our previous articles which demonstrates the steps to set up Apache Cassandra and how to integrate is with Springboot, link shared below. https://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/cassandra-springboot-integration In this tutorial […]

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2025-07-14 (first published: )

63 reads

SQLServerCentral Article

Revolutionizing Efficiency: The Power of Custom Automation Software Development

With the ever-increasing pace of the digital era, companies are continuously looking for opportunities to enhance efficiency, cut costs, and optimize operations. The most viable way to accomplish these is through Custom Automation Software Development.

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2025-07-11

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SQLServerCentral Article

Cloning Master Admin User Permissions in Amazon RDS for SQL Server with Fine-Grained Control

This article explores how to securely clone the master user permissions in Amazon RDS for SQL Server using a custom stored procedure, usp_rds_clone_login. It outlines a step-by-step process to generate, review, and apply a script that replicates server- and database-level access from the master user to a new login without directly exposing elevated credentials. The guide emphasizes the principle of least privilege, supports named account management, and enables transparent, auditable permission handling for DBAs and applications. Designed for secure and scalable environments, this solution enhances operational security while maintaining administrative flexibility in Amazon RDS.

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2025-07-09

638 reads

SQLServerCentral Article

PostgreSQL Aggregate Functions

Overview In this article we will go through the various in built aggregate functions available in PostgreSQL. Aggregate functions perform a calculation on a set of rows and return a single value. COUNT Function The COUNT function is a simple and very useful function in counting the number of records, which are expected to be […]

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2025-07-09

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Which Result II

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Question of the Day

Which Result II

I have this code in SQL Server 2022:

CREATE SCHEMA etl;
GO
CREATE TABLE etl.product
(
    ProductID INT,
    ProductName VARCHAR(100)
);
GO
INSERT etl.product
VALUES
(2, 'Bee AI Wearable');
GO
CREATE TABLE dbo.product
(
    ProductID INT,
    ProductName VARCHAR(100)
);
GO
INSERT dbo.product
VALUES
(1, 'Spiral College-ruled Notebook');
GO
CREATE OR ALTER PROCEDURE etl.GettheProduct
AS
BEGIN
    exec('SELECT ProductName FROM product;')
END;
GO
exec etl.GettheProduct
When I execute this code as a user whose default schema is dbo and has rights to the tables and proc, what is returned?

See possible answers