Which of the following resources is the best way to lock rows in SQL Server?

Question

Options

• ATID
• BSID
• CRID
• DPID

• A
  4% (2)
• B
  2% (1)
• C
  91% (42)
• D
  2% (1)

Explanation

RID (Row Identifier) is the lock resource SQL Server uses to lock a single row in a heap table (a table without a clustered index). When SQL Server needs to protect a specific row from concurrent modification, it acquires a lock on that row's RID - the physical address combining file:page:slot that uniquely identifies the row.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A. TID - Not a SQL Server lock resource; in other contexts "TID" refers to a transaction ID, which tracks transactions, not locks on individual rows.
• B. SID - A Security Identifier in Windows/SQL Server, used for authentication and authorization, not row-level locking.
• D. PID - A Process ID (or in SQL Server, a session/process identifier), used to identify connections, not to lock data rows.

Memory tip: Think Row = RID - the "R" stands for Row, and it's the most granular standard lock resource in SQL Server's locking hierarchy (RID → KEY → PAGE → TABLE).

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