Can filters be applied on DBCC LOG( ) command?

  • I need to know if DBCC log command can have filters?

    If yes, then what can be the filters? And if no then kindly explain.

    Thanks

  • I don’t think that you can filter dbcc log command (unless there is a third parameter that can be used and I’m not aware about). If you do want to filter it, you can create a table and then insert the data into the table and use SQL query on this table. For example:

    create table LogInfo (currentLSN varchar(50),

    Operation varchar(50),

    Context varchar(20),

    TransactionID varchar(20))

    go

    insert into LogInfo

    exec ('dbcc log (DBName, 0)')

    Another alternative is to work with the function fn_dblog. Fn_dblog is a table values function and as such you can use it in SQL queries. Here is a small example of how to work with it:

    SELECT TOP 10 * FROM ::fn_dblog(null, null)

    Of course you can add a where clause. I have to admit that the data that I get from both DBCC log and fn_dblog tells me almost nothing. At the time when I looked for some information about it, I didn’t find much, so I left it and didn’t use anyone of them. Do you have any information about the results that you get from those commands? If so can you share this info?

    Adi

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  • So Cohen finally you've removed my confusion.

    About understanding the output of these commands, you are true they are of quite no use unless we understand them. I am trying to analyze specifically the "opertaion" field values but haven't succeeded yet!

  • As far as i've come to know transaction log contains data in encrypted form, is there any way (beside third party tools) to interpret the information we get using DBCC commands? Or if we are able to decrypt it? I am concerned to the "operation" & "context" fields!

    Thanks

    Hira Masood

  • The tran log's not encrypted, but it's not designed to be human-readable. As far as I know, there are no official documents that are publicly released describing the data in the tran log.

    All the log reading commands are undocumented, and may change between versions or even within versions.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • There is no DBCC Log command...in ss2k5

  • nvkumar12 (1/4/2009)


    There is no DBCC Log command...in ss2k5

    Yes there is, but it is undocumented. You don't have to take my word for it, you can just try run it on SQL Server 2005.

    Adi

    --------------------------------------------------------------
    To know how to ask questions and increase the chances of getting asnwers:
    http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/

    For better answers on performance questions, click on the following...
    http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/SQLServerCentral/66909/

  • I think part of it you can decode like your data, page no which was modified , record size . I will just show a small thing here

    -- create a database

    USE master;

    GO

    IF EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM sys.databases WHERE name = 'Page')

    DROP DATABASE Page;

    GO

    CREATE DATABASE Page

    ON PRIMARY

    ( NAME='Page_Data',

    FILENAME = 'D:\Work\POC\DatabaseEngine\Data\Page_Data.mdf',

    SIZE=3MB,

    MAXSIZE=10MB,

    FILEGROWTH=1MB)

    LOG ON

    ( NAME='Page_Log',

    FILENAME = 'D:\Work\POC\DatabaseEngine\Data\Page_Log.ldf',

    SIZE=1MB,

    MAXSIZE=10MB,

    FILEGROWTH=1MB);

    GO

    -- create table test

    Use Page

    GO

    CREATE TABLE Test (c1 int,c2 varchar(900))

    CREATE CLUSTERED INDEX idx_Test ON Test (c1);

    -- insert data into test

    INSERT INTO Test VALUES (1, REPLICATE('a',900));

    -- check the page allocation using DBCC IND. I can see page 80 as data page and 89 as IAM

    DBCC IND (Page,Test,1);

    -- DBCC PAGE on data page

    DBCC TRACEON (3604)

    DBCC PAGE (Page, 1, 80, 0)

    PAGE HEADER:

    Page @0x0000000083BAE000

    m_pageId = (1:80) m_headerVersion = 1 m_type = 1

    m_typeFlagBits = 0x4 m_level = 0 m_flagBits = 0xc000

    m_objId (AllocUnitId.idObj) = 30 m_indexId (AllocUnitId.idInd) = 256

    Metadata: AllocUnitId = 72057594039894016

    Metadata: PartitionId = 72057594038845440 Metadata: IndexId = 1

    Metadata: ObjectId = 2105058535 m_prevPage = (0:0) m_nextPage = (0:0)

    pminlen = 8 m_slotCnt = 1 m_freeCnt = 7177

    m_freeData = 1013 m_reservedCnt = 0 m_lsn = (30:83:19)

    m_xactReserved = 0 m_xdesId = (0:0) m_ghostRecCnt = 0

    m_tornBits = 0

    -- Look at m_lsn 30:83:19. Converting to hex 30:83:19 = 1e:53:13

    -- fire a DBCC LOG command and look for this record

    DBCC LOG (Page, 4)

    -- Output --

    0000001e:00000053:0013LOP_INSERT_ROWSLCX_CLUSTERED0000:000002c700x00006210200000001e:00000053:00010x000274

    0x00003E001E0000005300000001000200C70200000000020250000000010000001E0000001E000000530000001000000100000E000000000100000000000003009

    50300001A0003133000080001000000030000020011009503

    61616161616161616161616161616161616161616161616161616161616161616161

    0001000101000C0000E7A4787D0000010200040204000A0200C411BA730000

    -- In this text I have highlighted in bold 3 fields

    first is 50 (hex) = 80 (decimal) is the page no

    second is 9503 (hex - reversed bytes) = 5930 = 0395 = 917 (decimal) is the record size

    third is a strig of 61 = which is nothing but the column data 'a'

    I am still digging into it. If anyone has already please publish..

    Thanks

    j

  • As much as I am against necro'n a thread, this topic kept coming up on related searches so I wanted to add a link to relevant information.

    http://artofsql.net/dbcc-log-in-sql-2000-part-1/[/url]

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