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SQL Server 2022 (Compatibility Level 160): GetSchemaTable() returns null
We have encountered a reproducible metadata derivation issue on some customer installations after moving databases to SQL Server 2022 compatibility level 160. The issue occurs during ADO.NET schema discovery when DbCommandBuilder attempts to derive base-table and key information in order to automatically generate INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE commands. Environment SQL Server 2022 (different releases) Database compatibility level 160 Microsoft.Data.SqlClient (different versions) as well as System.Data.SqlClient ADO.NET DbCommandBuilder Parameterized SELECT statements Identical database schema across customers Symptoms For some customers (7 so far, since 2023) for certain tables and columns, DbDataReader.GetSchemaTable() returns null. As a consequence, automatic command generation fails with errors similar to: Dynamic SQL generation is not supported against a SelectCommand that does not return any base table information. The underlying SELECT statement itself works correctly and returns rows when executed normally. The issue only occurs during metadata derivation. Example The following pattern triggers the problem: SELECT * FROM SomeTable WHERE SomePrimaryKeyColumn = @Parameter GetSchemaTable() returns null. However, if we use a constant value instead of a parameter or cast the value of the column explicitly, GetSchemaTable() returns valid metadata. SELECT * FROM SomeTable WHERE SomePrimaryKeyColumn = 0 or SELECT * FROM SomeTable WHERE CAST(SomePrimaryKeyColumn AS int) = @Parameter Characteristics of the issue The behavior is deterministic. It always affects the same primary key column(s) of a composite primary key. It is independent of the SELECT list. It depends on the presence of a parameterized predicate. The actual parameter value does not matter. NULL, DBNull.Value and non-null integer values all show the same behavior. The parameter type is always int. The issue currently affects only few tables. Different tables for different customers. Other columns in the same tables may work correctly. Metadata retrieval mode The issue only occurs when the command is executed using: CommandBehavior.SchemaOnly | CommandBehavior.KeyInfo which is the mode internally used by DbCommandBuilder to derive schema and key information If SchemaOnly is removed, metadata retrieval succeeds. Observed behavior: SchemaOnly | KeyInfo -> GetSchemaTable() returns null KeyInfo only -> Metadata returned correctly Normal execution -> Query executes and returns metadata correctly Therefore the problem appears to be specific to SQL Server's metadata-only derivation path rather than normal query execution. Things we verified Database schema The database schema is identical across customer installations. The issue cannot be correlated with schema differences. Query text / Select list The issue is independent of the projection. For example: SELECT * and SELECT ColumnA show the same behavior. Only the predicate appears to matter. Execution vs metadata retrieval The query executes successfully. Only metadata discovery fails. Plan cache The behavior does not appear to be related to plan cache reuse. The same affected predicate consistently fails during schema discovery. SQL Profiler observations During schema derivation we observed the following with SQL Profiler (re-worked to an example and reformatted to make it more easily readable for a human being): exec sp_executesql N'SET FMTONLY OFF; SET NO_BROWSETABLE ON; SET FMTONLY ON; SELECT SomeColumn FROM SomeTable WHERE PrimaryKeyColumn1 = @PrimaryKeyColumn1 AND PrimaryKeyColumn2 = @PrimaryKeyColumn2 AND PrimaryKeyColumn3 = @PrimaryKeyColumn3 AND PrimaryKeyColumn4 = @PrimaryKeyColumn4 ' ,N'@PrimaryKeyColumn1 int,@PrimaryKeyColumn2 int,@PrimaryKeyColumn3 int,@PrimaryKeyColumn4 int' ,@PrimaryKeyColumn1=NULL,@PrimaryKeyColumn2=NULL,@PrimaryKeyColumn3=NULL,@PrimaryKeyColumn4=NULL The issue occurs only in the metadata-only path used by SchemaOnly | KeyInfo. When the same query is actually executed, metadata and result data are returned correctly. Compatibility level observations The issue is reproducible at: COMPATIBILITY_LEVEL = 160 only. It disappears when the database compatibility level is lowered to: COMPATIBILITY_LEVEL = 150 or smaller. More interestingly, the database can remain at compatibility level 160 while the problem disappears if the query is compiled using compatibility level 150 (or smaller) optimizer behavior: OPTION (USE HINT('QUERY_OPTIMIZER_COMPATIBILITY_LEVEL_150')) With this hint, GetSchemaTable() successfully returns metadata. Additional observations The following query hints also make schema derivation succeed: OPTION (RECOMPILE) and OPTION (OPTIMIZE FOR UNKNOWN) This suggests that the metadata derivation path is sensitive to optimizer behavior, despite the fact that the query is not actually executed. Question Has anyone encountered a SQL Server 2022 / Compatibility Level 160 issue where: GetSchemaTable() returns null the command is executed with SchemaOnly | KeyInfo the underlying query executes normally the problem only occurs for specific parameterized predicates compatibility level 150 or smaller works QUERY_OPTIMIZER_COMPATIBILITY_LEVEL_150 also works while the database remains at level 160 If so, do you have any idea on how to solve this?
services.exe D:\MSSQL\MSSQL17.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Binn\SQLAGENT.EXE ACCESS DENIED
I've been getting failed installs with SQL Server Developer Standard Edition on Windows 2025 Standard edition, error has been: services.exe 1000 QueryOpen D:\MSSQL\MSSQL17.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Binn\sqlceip.exe ACCESS DENIED services.exe 1000 QueryOpen D:\MSSQL\MSSQL17.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Binn\SQLAGENT.EXE ACCESS DENIED I ended up granting local admin rights to the service account I'm using for the SQL Server, whcih allowed the install to complete but still had the same error on sqlceip.exe. I'm logged in to the server the install is running on, as a Domain Admin. The detail file from the setup bootstrap files shows these errors, see below. Any idea why this is happening? 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Prompting user if they want to retry this action due to the following failure: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: ---------------------------------------- (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Inner exceptions are being indented (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.ScoException (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Message: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation. (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: HResult : 0x84bb0001 (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: FacilityCode : 1211 (4bb) (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: ErrorCode : 1 (0001) (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Data: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: DisableRetry = true (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Inner exception type: System.UnauthorizedAccessException (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Message: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation. (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: HResult : 0x80070005 (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Stack: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.Service.StartService(String[] startParams) (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: ---------------------------------------- (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: User has chosen to retry this action (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to close service handle for service SQLSERVERAGENT (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to close SC Manager (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open SC Manager (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open service handle for service SQLSERVERAGENT (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Prompting user if they want to retry this action due to the following failure: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: ---------------------------------------- (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Inner exceptions are being indented (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.ScoException (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Message: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation. (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: HResult : 0x84bb0001 (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: FacilityCode : 1211 (4bb) (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: ErrorCode : 1 (0001) (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Data: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: DisableRetry = true (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Inner exception type: System.UnauthorizedAccessException (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Message: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation. (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: HResult : 0x80070005 (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Stack: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.Service.StartService(String[] startParams) (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: ---------------------------------------- (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: User has chosen to retry this action (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to close service handle for service SQLSERVERAGENT (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to close SC Manager (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open SC Manager (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open service handle for service SQLSERVERAGENT (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Prompting user if they want to retry this action due to the following failure: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: ---------------------------------------- (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Inner exceptions are being indented (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.ScoException (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Message: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation. (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: HResult : 0x84bb0001 (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: FacilityCode : 1211 (4bb) (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: ErrorCode : 1 (0001) (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Data: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: DisableRetry = true (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Inner exception type: System.UnauthorizedAccessException (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Message: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation. (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: HResult : 0x80070005 (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Stack: (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.Service.StartService(String[] startParams) (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: ---------------------------------------- (01) 2026-07-26 13:54:34 Slp: User has chosen to cancel this action
sql server 2019 how to reverse engineer a View using VS or Visio
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Kerberos double hop delegation on SQL Linked Server fails on AG listener after RC4 disablement
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Cannot connect Azure OpenAI Embeddings model to SQL Server 2025
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Migrate SQL 2016 to SQL 2022 - Detail Work Breadown Structre (WBS)
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