Stairway to Server-side Tracing - Step 2: Creating a SQL Trace Using T-SQL (Stairway Series)

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Stairway to Server-side Tracing - Step 2: Creating a SQL Trace Using T-SQL (Stairway Series)

Dan Guzman

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February 14, 2011 at 10:37 am

#234948

Comments posted to this topic are about the item Stairway to Server-side Tracing - Step 2: Creating a SQL Trace Using T-SQL (Stairway Series)

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sailendra SSC Enthusiast Points: 125 More actions · Answer 1

I copied the script used to list all possible trace events and columns and executed on my sql server 2005 SP3 system. It returns only 14 rows (in other words not all possible categories - )

Is there something I am missing here?

The categories returned are:

Locks

Scans

Security Audit

Stored Procedures

Transactions

TSQL

Thanks for your help.

Dan Guzman SSCommitted Points: 1506 More actions · Answer 2

The query has an unintended predicate in the sys.trace_event_bindings JOIN clause. I thought this was removed from the final article draft but it looks like I erred. Below is the corrected version, which returns 3965 rows under SQL 2005.

I'll get the query in the article corrected. Thanks for pointing this out.

--list all possible trace events and columns

SELECT tcat.name AS EventCategoryName ,

tevent.name AS EventClassName ,

tcolumn.name AS EventColumn ,

tevent.trace_event_id AS EventID ,

tbinding.trace_column_id AS ColumnID ,

tcolumn.type_name AS DataType

FROM sys.trace_categories AS tcat

JOIN sys.trace_events AS tevent ON tevent.category_id = tcat.category_id

JOIN sys.trace_event_bindings AS tbinding ON tbinding.trace_event_id = tevent.trace_event_id

JOIN sys.trace_columns AS tcolumn ON tcolumn.trace_column_id = tbinding.trace_column_id

ORDER BY tcat.name ,

EventClassName ,

EventColumn ;

sailendra SSC Enthusiast Points: 125 More actions · Answer 3

Thanks Dan. The updated query now returns the full resultset.

Toby White SSCertifiable Points: 6187 More actions · Answer 4

Excellent article. I also wanted to let you know about your additional predicate, but you've already identified it. I have written server side traces like this for years, but I always went against sys.trace_events and sys.trace_columns and was unaware of the sys.trace_event_bindings view. I have added the corrected version of your script to give me a better result set of possible events/columns to choose from.

I try to use server side scripting exclusively even with dev/test environments. It seems a bit tedious at first, but since I already have something to start from there isn't that much to add/subtract usually. Further, the process of dealing with profiler is at least as tedious.

Thanks for the article,

Toby

Toby White SSCertifiable Points: 6187 More actions · Answer 5

Oh, there is one issue I wanted to discuss. It's not a problem with your article, but a problem I have struggled with in the past.

I often set the file name like so:

SELECT @File = Substring(Path,1,len(Path)-charindex('\',reverse(path))+1) + @File

FROM sys.traces

WHERE id = 1

Where the value of the @file variable is "Performance", "Duration" or something to that effect. The problem is that if the file already exists the sp_trace_create procedure fails. The two ways I have used to cope with this is check for existence with xp_fileexists and then either bail, or use xp_cmdshell programmatically to remove the file. I have never liked either of my options, and I wish there was a way to automatically overwrite the file if it exists on the sp_trace_create procedure.

I suppose another option would be to check file existence, then append a number in a loop until I get one that doesn't exist.

Do you have any thoughts or suggestions related to this problem?

Dan Guzman SSCommitted Points: 1506 More actions · Answer 6

Hi, Toby.

I also wish sp_trace_create had an option to overwrite an existing file. I'm not a big fan of file manipulation in T-SQL either.

You might consider making a habit of the TRACE_FILE_ROLLOVER (option 2) with a file count of 2, even if you only need a single file for a one-time trace. This way, SQL Trace will add the incremental number to the file name if the base file name already exists and automatically delete the n-2 file.

I'll cover trace data and file management later in this Stairway.

Leonel Umaña Araya SSC Veteran Points: 257 More actions · Answer 7

Thanks Dan for the article. I'll hope for the next ones.

Leonel E. Umaña Araya
leo_umana@hotmail.com

Anipaul SSC-Insane Points: 24681 More actions · Answer 8

I am loving reading these articles... Thank you.

Paul

Kartik M SSChasing Mays Points: 644 More actions · Answer 9

Good Article.. Thanks for posting such helpful topics...

Thanks & Regards, Kartik M Kumar..

@SixStringSQL Ten Centuries Points: 1026 More actions · Answer 10

Guys, after I create, run, stop, and delete the trace, I cannot ever seem to open the resulting file with Profiler: "Access denied". I'm assuming something still has it locked.

I am able to view it using fn_trace_gettable().

Am I missing a step?

@SixStringSQL Ten Centuries Points: 1026 More actions · Answer 11

Grubb (4/8/2011)
Guys, after I create, run, stop, and delete the trace, I cannot ever seem to open the resulting file with Profiler: "Access denied". I'm assuming something still has it locked.
I am able to view it using fn_trace_gettable().
Am I missing a step?

Nevermind...It was truly a permissions issue. It's fun being a DBA without local admin access 🙁

jb 60938 Valued Member Points: 53 More actions · Answer 12

Hey

I am getting an error on adding the event

DECLARE @return_code INT;

DECLARE @TraceID INT;

DECLARE @maxfilesize BIGINT;

SET @maxfilesize = 5;

--step 1: create a new empty trace definition

EXEC sp_trace_create

@traceid OUTPUT

, @options = 2

, @tracefile = N'd:\LongRunningQueries'

, @maxfilesize = @maxfilesize

, @stoptime =NULL

, @filecount = 2;

-- step 2: add the events and columns

EXEC sp_trace_setevent

@traceid = @TraceID

, @eventid = 10 -- RPC:Completed

, @columnid = 1 -- TextData

, @on = 1;--include this column in trace

Gives me

Msg 214, Level 16, State 3, Procedure sp_trace_setevent, Line 1

Procedure expects parameter '@on' of type 'bit'.

The trace is created, it's just the event selection that fails I guess (didn't try running it).

It's probably something simple, I just can't see it - any bright ideas?

By the way great article, reading it with great interest - only ever used the GUI profiler before (I haven't gotten to section 3 yet, but I hope there is a way of converting the GUI profiler trace setting to a script as mentioned in section 1)

/Jon

Dan Guzman SSCommitted Points: 1506 More actions · Answer 13

Hi, Jon.

Thanks for the positive feedback. I’m glad you found this Stairway informative.

It looks like you are using SQL 2005, which is a bit pickier regarding the bit data type parameter passed to sp_trace_setevent. Just declare and initialize a local variable of type bit for the parameter like the example below. You can pass the literal directly in SQL 2008 and later versions without the need for the local variable.

DECLARE @return_code INT;

DECLARE @TraceID INT;

DECLARE @maxfilesize BIGINT;

SET @maxfilesize = 5;

--SQL 2005 needs local variable for bit value

DECLARE @on bit

SET @on = 1;

SET @maxfilesize = 5;

--step 1: create a new empty trace definition

EXEC sp_trace_create

@traceid OUTPUT

, @options = 2

, @tracefile = N'd:\LongRunningQueries'

, @maxfilesize = @maxfilesize

, @stoptime =NULL

, @filecount = 2;

-- step 2: add the events and columns

EXEC sp_trace_setevent

@traceid = @TraceID

, @eventid = 10 -- RPC:Completed

, @columnid = 1 -- TextData

, @on = @on; --include this column in trace

jb 60938 Valued Member Points: 53 More actions · Answer 14

jb 60938

Valued Member

Points: 53

January 9, 2012 at 12:22 am

#1430291

Awesome!

Thanks a lot, that works great 🙂

/Jon