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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...

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...

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...