trace Archives - Grant Fritchey

28Sep 2020 by Grant Fritchey 4 Comments

Capture Execution Plans Only For Long Running Queries

I love questions. Most of all, I love questions I can answer. I spotted this question recently: How can I use Profiler to capture execution plans for queries over a certain duration? Oh, that's easy. You don't use Profiler. You use Extended Events. Query_post_execution_showplan Extended events are just better than Profiler. Period. One of many things that is superior is the way in which the events are configured. Take for example query_post_execution_showplan. Here are the fields it captures: This event will capture execution plans plus runtime metrics. It can easily be filtered on any of the fields listed, and you can even add the database_name field if you want. So, to filter by duration is pretty simple: CREATE EVENT SESSION ExecPlansDuration ON SERVER ADD EVENT sqlserver.query_post_execution_showplan (WHERE ([duration] > (1000000)))…

24Feb 2020 by Grant Fritchey 6 Comments

Extended Events: Database Auditing

SQL Server, You Can't Do That In Profiler

Extended Events can do things that simply are not possible with Profiler and another example comes from the stack of audit events that exist only in Extended Events. One of these is a set of expanded events for database auditing. Comparing the list of things exposed through Extended Events to those exposed through Trace/Profiler isn't entirely fair. All new functionality is only in Extended Events since Trace hasn't been updated since 2008. However, these events that you can use to audit your database, aren't new functionality, they're just new events for watching old functionality. The addition of new events is just one more reason why moving to use Extended Events is a must. Auditing Databases In this instance, when I say audit the database, what I mean is keep an…

20Jan 2020 by Grant Fritchey 10 Comments

Extended Events Misperceptions: Profiler is Easier

SQL Server

I know, I know, I'm on #teamexevents so I think that Extended Events can do no wrong, but let's address this thought that Profiler is easier. Now, if we're strictly talking knowledge, sure, if you've got a lot of experience with Profiler/Trace and very little with Extended Events, of course Profiler is easer. However, what I'm told is that Profiler doesn't require very much set up, while Extended Events does. That's just wrong, but let's put it to the test. The Test For the comparison, we're not going to do anything special with either tool. I'm just going to start collecting query data with the fewest possible clicks and/or key strokes. I'm going to use both tools short cuts to make this as fast as possible. The goal is, click,…

19Aug 2019 by Grant Fritchey 19 Comments

Profiler and Trace vs. Extended Events

SQL Server

It's a running joke among the more experienced (read, older) Microsoft Data Platform specialists as to whether you're #teamprofiler or #teamexevents. I'm very much #teamexevents, but I really don't care that you're #teamprofiler. If you want to use the old way of doing things, that's fine. However, I do have a bone to pick. Why on earth would you recommend to new data professionals working on modern systems, let's say at least 2016 or better, who are just getting going on this journey, that they should be using Trace? What are you smoking? Trace vs. Extended Events We're not just talking about where you are comfortable. I get it. You've used Trace/Profiler for 20+ years. Getting it going is all muscle memory. That's fine. As the kids say, you do…

24Sep 2018 by Grant Fritchey 14 Comments

Extended Events and Stored Procedure Parameter Values

SQL Server, SQL Server 2016, SQL Server 2017

One complaint I've received frequently is that you can't see stored procedure parameter values in Extended Events. That is patently not true. However, it does depend on where and how you capture the events and which stored procedure parameter values you're going for. I think this is a holdover from 2008 when Extended Events... well, let's be kind and say... didn't work well. Now, they do. Let's explore this a little. Capturing Stored Procedure Executions As with most things, there's more than one way to capture stored procedure execution in Extended Events. First up, it depends entirely on how they're called and on your intentions when you capture the information. Here are the three methods I know to capture just the completion metrics on stored procedure calls: rpc_completed sql_batch_completed module_end…

19Mar 2018 by Grant Fritchey 1 Comment

Query Monitoring and the GDPR

DevOps

I've been reading the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and discussing the ramifications of the beginning of enforcement with lots of people. The implications of it all are fascinating. The real serious issues remain primarily a business problem, with business defined solutions. However, there are technology issues that we need to think about. For example, performance metrics are going to be impacted by the GDPR. Private Data and Monitoring Queries First and foremost, let me say something I've said before. The vast majority of the focus around GDPR has to come from your business. Second, the bulk of your work and focus must be on ensuring core functionality in support of the GDPR. Third, the attack vectors and leaks for GDPR are not going to primarily be around something like…

07Nov 2017 by Grant Fritchey 19 Comments

Extended Events and Profiler: XE Profiler

SQL Server 2017

There's a war on in the SQL Server world. On the one side is Profiler (although, really, everyone uses Trace Events). On the other, the "new" (they came out in 2008 with a full GUI in 2012, so...) Extended Events. Lots of people have picked sides on this, including Microsoft. New Trace Events There are none. All the new functionality of every sort from Availability Groups to Query Store to R & Python, have Extended Events created for them. Trace Events, and the technologies supporting them in the form of Profiler, are a dead end. Don't fear. While Trace is on the deprecation list, there doesn't appear to be any fear of that technology being removed completely. At least it won't be removed in the foreseeable future. A future which,…

02Dec 2010 by Grant Fritchey No Comments

SQL Spackle

SQL Server, T-SQL, Tools

I previously mentioned how SQL Server Central was listing ideas for articles, primarily for short, quick, pointed articles that they were terming SQL Spackle. Spackle is a term in the USÂ that representsÂ the filler you put into dry-wall to smooth it out or fix small holes, so SQL Spackle is meant to fix small gaps in knowledge or documentation. My first SQL Spackle article was published today. I kind of forgot it was coming. I wroteÂ a quick and pointed outline of how to set up and schedule a server-side trace. This is something I've always advocated, and now I can point to a bit of spackle to fill in the gaps for those who don't know how to get it done.

28Oct 2009 by Grant Fritchey 6 Comments

Snags With Profiler GUI

SQL Server, T-SQL, Tools

Running the Profiler GUI against a production server is not something you should do. I've outlined my research into exactly why in the past. But I hit another little issue with the Profiler GUI as part of work I'm doing on a Microsoft PSS call (more on that in another post). We have a procedure on one of our systems that is erroring out, but only on a particular server and only when called from the application, not when it's called, on the same server, from SQL Server Management Studio. I needed to capture some trace events and do it quickly, so I decided to use the GUI, just this once. I put filters on it so that I would only collect certain data, and the database I was collecting…

30Sep 2009 by Grant Fritchey 27 Comments

Pre-Compiled Stored Procedures: Fact or Myth

SQL Server, T-SQL

There's a very common belief among DBA's: Stored procedures are pre-compiled. I had someone tell me all about it just last week. There are lots of sources that say what I'm getting ready to say, so this really shouldn't come as news to anyone,but it will. No, they're not. Stored procedures are not pre-compiled. When you create or update a stored procedure on the server, it gets a syntax check. But there is no compile process, let alone a pre-compile process. That stored procedure exists exactly as it is named, a procedure that is stored on the server. It's just a collection of TSQL code, possibly with some parameters, waiting to be called. Until it's called, it is not ready to be executed. Don't believe me? I'm not a huge…

Tag: trace