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Asked: 2026-05-30T01:16:47+00:00

I am trying to update a #temp table from a linked server using a

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I am trying to update a #temp table from a linked server using a top clause but am getting a very odd result – it seems to be ignoring the order by in my code.

I can fix the specific problem programatically but would like to know if this is a one off issue or there is a general problem with the way i have linked the servers.

The query is being run on a 2005 SQL Server (9.0.3042) linked to a 2008 SQL Server R2 (10.50.279) linked via the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server.

The query looks like this – i have already created #TempTable which has the columns Id, Date and PrevDate and inserted data into the Id and Date columns.

update #TempTable 
set PrevDate =      
(select top 1 
    d.Date
from   
    linkedserver.DB.dbo.Date as d
where
    d.Id = #TempTable.Id
    and d.Date < #TempTable.Date
order by
    d.Date desc)

The select is not picking the top 1, it appears to be picking the first date entered into the table for the specific Id and ignoring the order by clause.

  • When I just do a select, it works fine
  • When I put in the PrevDate via the inital insert, it works fine.
  • When I use a Max rather than a Top, it works fine.
  • When I run the exact same query/scenario on the 2008 SQL Server via a link (same provider) back to the 2005 SQL Server, it works fine

I am not looking for a fix for this specific query but would like to know if this is an isolated incedent or some fundamental problem with 2005 to 2008 linking that is going to manifest itself in very hard to find ways.

Thanks,
Tim

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    I have some bad news. I have replicated this issue here. It looks to me to be an issue with SQL Server 2005’s query plan (I tested with a later version too, v 9.0.4035):

    Image: Query plan for update statement

    (sorry I can’t embed images here, not enough reputation)

    The details for that remote query:

    Image: Remote Query details

    There is no ORDER BY statement sent to the remote server, so the results that come back are indeed just the TOP (1) in an arbitrary order, which is likely to be in the order of the primary key. It seems to me that SQL Server should have emitted an ORDER BY Date desc there.

    Therefore, I have to conclude that other queries like this, in this environment, could easily have the same issue (so, not an isolated incident).

    By the way, there is a Microsoft Connect issue already raised for this one, from 2009: connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/446017/missing-order-by-in-remote-query-with-update-statement

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