Per-database options, for example MAXDOP, IDENTITY_CACHE and scalar UDF inlining, that are set on an individual database instead of server-wide; a secondary replica can be given its own value.
Also called ALTER DATABASE SCOPED CONFIGURATION.
Read more: Microsoft Learn
In the Ultra Transcenders books
Each book explains Database scoped configuration in context, with comparison tables and the common traps.
Terms in this definition
- Table options
Set only at creation with
OPTIONS, these key-value storage settings can't be altered or dropped afterwards; on Delta tables they also show up among the table properties. - MAXDOP
Max degree of parallelism: it caps how many processors one query may use, and can be set for the server, as a database scoped configuration or as a query hint.
- IDENTITY
A column property, written IDENTITY(seed, increment), that gives each new row the next number in a rising sequence. SCOPE_IDENTITY reports the latest value created in the current scope, and a rolled-back transaction still uses up the numbers it took.
- Scalar UDF inlining
From compatibility level 150, intelligent query processing can replace an eligible scalar user-defined function with an equivalent expression or subquery inside the query that calls it. The optimiser can then cost it properly and consider a parallel plan.
- Set
Secret permission in Key Vault for writing secrets; some older material refers to it as Create.
- Schema
The middle part of a Unity Catalog name (
catalog.schema.table), grouping tables, views, volumes, functions and models inside a catalog. A grant on it covers everything in it now and later, and nothing inside can be reached withoutUSE SCHEMA. - Azure AI Search replica
Additional copy of a search service's engine and indexes. Replicas spread queries for load balancing and improve availability, so adding them is the fix when queries are throttled with HTTP 503.
Related terms
- ALLOW_BUILTIN_TVF_IN_ALL_COMPAT_LEVELS
Lets functions like
REGEXP_SPLIT_TO_TABLE,REGEXP_MATCHESandOPENJSONbe used whatever the database's compatibility level. It is a database scoped configuration, currently in preview, for SQL database in Fabric and Azure SQL Database. - PREVIEW_FEATURES
Turning this database scoped configuration ON gives access to SQL Server 2025 preview features, among them the fuzzy string matching functions.