T-SQL Tuesday #187 – Troubleshooting Weird Problems

This month’s T-SQL Tuesday invite comes from Joe Fleming who asks us to write about how we worked through a strange or unique problem. Coincidentally, I had already started writing a blog post about a particular issue that fits this theme, so this invite was good timing. To read the full invite, click the T-SQL Tuesday logo.

Linked Server Limbo

After some database infrastructure changes related to phasing out the use of linked servers, I encountered issues with a setup tool used to build out new databases and other related features. One section of the tool was failing, and the errors indicated that there were still stored procedures utilizing linked servers, which was causing the problem. I asked myself a few questions on how best to proceed. Does the setup tool need to be updated? Do the related database procedures using linked servers need to be updated? Do the linked server changes made need to be rolled back altogether?

One bit of good news was that it wasn’t an urgent issue, and I could take my time while testing.

Still, I ended up spending more time than planned troubleshooting. It became one of those instances of going down rabbit holes, finding an issue, then finding more issues related to that issue. The way linked servers were being used was weird, and I kept coming across more weirdness that was beyond explanation or documentation.

There were solutions, but those were going to require a substantial amount of effort with not much return, as this piece of the solution wasn’t being used much anymore. Which got me thinking…

Is this part of the solution still being used at all?

It was old, and based on its age, the question was asked, “is this even still necessary?”

After some more investigation, it was discovered that what the setup tool was failing on was obsolete and no longer needed. That section was removed from the setup tool and all was well.

The tool hadn’t been hurting anything prior to the breaking changes, but it hadn’t been doing anything worthwhile either.

Sometimes the Fix is to Delete the Problem

This ended up being a weird problem (why are we trying to fix something that’s no longer necessary) with what’s not usually a viable solution (delete the problem).

We all love the idea of fixing problems, but sometimes the effort isn’t worth it, especially when there is no real value.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions like, “why are we doing this?” or “is this still necessary?” You’ll save some time at best or learn more about what you’re working on at worst.

Thanks for reading!