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SQL Server 2025 Encryption Changes and the @@SERVERNAME Linked Server Problem

SQL Server 2025 Encryption Changes and the @@SERVERNAME Linked Server Problem Last updated: 2026-08-21 Table of Contents Why Microsoft Changed the OLE DB Driver The Certificate Requirement Why data access and provider string matter for @@SERVERNAME Procedure: Connect to @@SERVERNAME as a Linked Server The Recommended Fix vs. the Fallback Sources Why Microsoft Changed the OLE DB Driver SQL Server 2025 (17.x) removes the SQL Server Native Client (SQLNCLI) OLE DB provider. The Microsoft OLE DB Driver 19 for SQL Server (MSOLEDBSQL19) is the default OLE DB provider for linked servers. This driver adds support for TDS 8.0 and TLS 1.3. In OLE DB Driver 18 and earlier versions, the Encrypt setting had a default value of No. A linked server connection with no explicit Encrypt setting ran without encryption. Microsoft changed this default to close that security gap. In OLE DB Driver 19, the Encrypt setting has a default value of Mandatory. A linked server connecti...
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Windows Server 2025 Performance Defaults — Issues and Justification

Windows Server 2025 Performance Defaults — Issues and Justification Table of Contents Purpose Scope and Conditions 1. SMB Server Signing 2. SMB Client Signing 3. SMB Authentication Rate Limiter 4. Virtualization Based Security (VBS / HVCI) 5. Network Offloads (RSS, RSC, LSO) 6. IPsec Keying Module 7. Remote Mailslots 8. Network ATC 9. Azure Arc Setup 10. Power Plan Summary Table Related Operational Change (Not a Performance Issue) Trade-off and Warning Conclusion Purpose This document lists the performance issues in the default settings of Windows Server 2025 (WS2025). It explains what you can change on a server in a trusted private network. Each section also gives the command for that change. Scope and Conditions WS2025 changed 10 default settings. Each change raises a security control. Each change also adds a performance cost. On a trusted private network, you can disable the extra security control. On a public-facing server, keep the extra sec...
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AI Assistant ASD-STE100 Writing Rule

AI Assistant ASD-STE100 Writing Rule This document states the writing rule for an AI assistant. The rule applies to Claude, GitHub Copilot, and a similar tool. The rule is ASD-STE100, Simplified Technical English (STE). Table of Contents Table of Contents What ASD-STE100 Is The Rule Core Writing Rules for the Assistant Sentence Length Verb Forms Voice Structure Words Contractions How the Rule Applies to Each Output Type How the Assistant Performs This Work Limits of This Rule What ASD-STE100 Is ASD-STE100 is an international standard for technical writing. The Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) owns the standard. STE has two parts: Part 1: 53 writing rules, in 9 sections. Part 2: a controlled dictionary of about 900 approved words. STE removes ambiguity from technical text. STE also makes technical text easier to translate. STE is not a simple style choice. STE needs strong English skill to apply correctl...
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Windows Server Recommendations For AWS

Windows Server Recommendations for AWS.md Windows Server Recommendations for AWS Overview This document gives a high-level recommendation for building a Windows Server EC2 host in AWS. It also covers support for Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC). Table of Contents Table of Contents Overview EC2 Host Recommendations EC2 Network Recommendations EC2 Security Recommendations Security Group 1: Internal Region Traffic Security Group 2: Inbound Windows and SQL Server Access Security Group 3: Outbound Access Security Group 4: Cross-Region WSFC and AG Traffic EC2 O/S Recommendations Operating System Image Network Configuration Drive Configuration Patching and Drivers Backups EC2 Host Recommendations This section gives recommendations for an EC2 host in AWS. It covers instance type and storage. Use the r6idn or i3en instance type for a SQL Server host in AWS. Both instance types come with NVMe SSD storage. Use the NVMe SSD storage for te...
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Linux Pacemaker Failover Clustering/SQL Server Firewall Access Rules

Firewall Ports: Linux Pacemaker Multi-Subnet Cluster for SQL Server Availability Groups Last updated: 2026-08-21 16:28:01 This document lists the firewall ports for a Linux Pacemaker Multi-Subnet Cluster that hosts SQL Server Availability Groups (AG). The ports are in order by function and by number, for the network and security teams. Contents Firewall Ports: Linux Pacemaker Multi-Subnet Cluster for SQL Server Availability Groups Contents 1. Pacemaker, Corosync, and Clustering Ports 2. SQL Server and Availability Group Ports 3. Custom and Non-Standard Port Examples 4. Research and Reference URLs 5. Document Notes Inter-node traffic: Allow every port in the tables below, Inbound and Outbound, between the cluster subnets. Note: The subnets 10.10.33.192/26 and 10.20.33.192/26 are examples. The actual IP ranges depend on your environment. 1. Pacemaker, Corosync, and Clustering Ports These ports keep quorum among the cluster nodes. The ports also s...
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Cloud Recommendation - SQL Server Connection String Changes

Cloud Recommendation - SQL Server Connection String Changes Last updated: 2026-08-21 18:26:59 Table of Contents Overview Recommended Settings Availability Groups Failover .NET .NET Client Drivers .NET Connection Pooling .NET TLS Connectivity .NET ApplicationName/WorkstationID Java or Python Java or Python Client Drivers Java or Python Connection Pooling Java or Python TLS Connectivity Java or Python ApplicationName/WorkstationID Reference Links .NET References Java or Python References Shared References Overview This document recommends connection string changes for applications that connect to SQL Server with .NET, Java, or Python drivers. You can make these changes on-premises, before you migrate to a cloud infrastructure. These changes do not affect application performance. NOTE : Any changes must go through the SDLC first , before they go into production. Recommended Settings We recommend TRUE (or your driver's equivalent va...
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