log_nnn.trc, who runs this profiler

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Donald - 27 Mar 2008 17:17 GMT

Hello everyone,

I notice a bunch of log_nnn.trc files on my C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\LOG folder. The file size keeps increasing. However,
I cannot find any instance of SQL Server Profiler is running. And nobody
ran profiler at all. I notice the same on other SQL Servers.

Anyone know how these traces initiated? How to disable them?

Thank you in advance!

Donald

Reply to this Message

Aaron Bertrand [SQL Server MVP] - 27 Mar 2008 17:25 GMT

If this is SQL Server 2005, there is a default "black box" trace that runs
in the background by default. Here are some blog posts about it (including
how to turn it off, and some of the consequences of doing so):

http://blogs.technet.com/vipulshah/archive/2007/04/16/default-trace-in-sql-serve
r-2005.aspx

http://www.sqljunkies.com/WebLog/mz1313/archive/2006/05/09/20962.aspx

http://sqlblog.com/blogs/tibor_karaszi/archive/2007/03/12/whats-in-the-default-t
race.aspx

> Hello everyone,
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Donald

Reply to this Message

Ben Nevarez - 27 Mar 2008 18:58 GMT

Just to add to Aaron 's answer, this default trace is a lightweight trace
and, to avoid name confusion, it is not the blackbox trace.

The blackbox trace is heavier than the default trace and needs to be enabled
manually by using @options set to 8 (TRACE_PRODUCE_BLACKBOX) on
sp_trace_create.

Hope this helps,

Ben Nevarez

> If this is SQL Server 2005, there is a default "black box" trace that runs
> in the background by default. Here are some blog posts about it (including
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> >
> > Donald

Reply to this Message

Aaron Bertrand [SQL Server MVP] - 27 Mar 2008 18:59 GMT

> Just to add to Aaron 's answer, this default trace is a lightweight trace
> and, to avoid name confusion, it is not the blackbox trace.

Yes, sorry about the confusion, bad choice of words on my part.

Reply to this Message

Donald - 27 Mar 2008 19:49 GMT

Thank you all.

>> Just to add to Aaron 's answer, this default trace is a lightweight trace
>> and, to avoid name confusion, it is not the blackbox trace.
>
> Yes, sorry about the confusion, bad choice of words on my part.

Reply to this Message

Kalen Delaney - 28 Mar 2008 03:12 GMT

Also, to add to the other answers, keep in mind that Profiler is just one
way to run a trace. Not only do the default system trace and blackbox traces
NOT need profiler, you can create your own server side traces that do not
need Profiler. Profiler is just a GUI, the real tracing is done on the SQL
Server itself. For a production server, it is recommended that you don't
trace using Profiler, because the overhead is too high. You should always
use server-side traces for production systems.

Signature

HTH
Kalen Delaney, SQL Server MVP
www.InsideSQLServer.com
http://DVD.kalendelaney.com

> Just to add to Aaron 's answer, this default trace is a lightweight trace
> and, to avoid name confusion, it is not the blackbox trace.
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
>> >
>> > Donald

Reply to this Message