Category Identities

In this tip we look at how to insert missing values for an identity column using the SET IDENTITY_INSERT command.

In this tip we look at how to create a simple stored procedure that reports the current value for all identity values for all tables in a database.

In this tip we look at a script and an SSIS package to email a report of all columns on your SQL Server instance that are close to hitting the maximum allowed values for integer identity values.

Take a look at a new database scoped configuration option that controls how identify values are cached.

Read this tip to learn about the different functions you can use when working with SQL Server identity columns.

Learn the best practices to Monitor SQL Server IDENTITY Column Values to Prevent Arithmetic overflow error converting data type.

In this tip we look at the Sequence Number feature in SQL Server and compare it to the use of identity columns.

In a previous tip, Using Identity Insert to keep SQL Server database table keys in sync, we discussed how to move data between like tables when the table has an identity column. The biggest drawback when doing this is that you need to specify each column

Learn about SQL Server uniqueidentifier and identity values to generate a unique value for for you SQL Server tables.

I have a database table that has a lot of data already in the table and I need to add a new column to this table to include a new sequential number. In addition to adding the column I also need to populate the existing records with an incremental counter

One nice feature of SQL Server is identity columns, but if you need to add or drop the identity property for an existing column it is not that easy.

When inserting a row into a database table that contains an identity column, I need a way to capture the identity value generated by the database engine after it inserts the row into this table. What can I use to capture this value while also making sure

I recently had a business situation where I needed to generate a unique handle on groups of rows in my database. This handle (in reality, a grouping identifier) was to be used to logically lock these rows from further processing and to allow them to be

One feature of SQL Server that is used in probably just about every database is identity columns. Identity columns allow you to create an auto generated number to keep your data unique. In a previous tip Managing and maintaining identity values we talked

I have a table that makes use of integer based sequential values (identity based or otherwise) and I need to determine what gaps exist within this table. What is the best way to determine these gaps using a set-based approach (i.e. no cursor operations)?

In this article we look at how to check the current values for an identity column and how to reset the value for the next record.

In this tip we look at how to retain the value of a record if we need to insert a record with a specific value when the table uses an identity column.