I write about SQL Server…and occasionally something else.

The function sys.fn_my_permissions is very useful for seeing what permissions you have, but it can be just as useful to check someone else. For this all that is needed is to use EXECUTE AS to impersonate them.

Dangers of giving dbo in MSDB

Apr 22, 2014

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I wanted to talk today about something that I have often seen in environments which is that dbo is granted to msdb without a second thought to the exact implications. So what? Its not got any user data in it, and…

SQL Saturday 269 Exeter

Feb 28, 2014

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in Blog, SQL Server

Not quite sure where the time is going this year, but coming very shortly is SQL Saturday 269 in Exeter and it is well worth attending. http://www.sqlsaturday.com/269/eventhome.aspx This event will be held on 21st and 22nd March 2014 at Jurys…

SQL Server Login password hash

Jan 30, 2014

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In this article we will look at how SQL Server stores passwords and how we can go about working them out. As a developer/administrator you are probably accessing SQL Server via a windows login, however the other option is when…

Running as local system to allow administrators in to SQL Server

Dec 15, 2013

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In cases when there are no provisioned accounts in a SQL Server instance which are known or working, then there is an option instead to run as nt authority \ system (local system). Note that in SQL 2012 local system no…

Simple Table and Index Breakdown With Buffered

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This script builds on the Simple Table and Index script to further show the buffered metrics. This script will give you a simple breakdown of your tables and indexes, which is shown with schema(s),table(s),index type(s),row count(s) as well as the…

Detailed Table Index Breakdown With Buffered

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This script builds on the Detailed Table and Index script to further show the buffered metrics. This script will give you a comprehensive breakdown of your tables and indexes, which is shown with schema(s),table(s),index type(s),index size(s),row count(s) as well as…

Quick data wipe via truncate

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in Powershell, SQL Server

“How to remove all data from a database?” is something that I have often seen asked on the forums. How do you remove all the data quickly? First you try with delete and find that this is too slow and…

Leap Year

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