https://www.sqldbachamps.
com Praveen Madupu +91 98661 30093
Sr SQL Server DBA, Dubai
[email protected]Trace Flags in SQL Server: A Detailed Overview
Trace flags in SQL Server are a way to enable or disable certain behaviors, features, or internal
functionality within the SQL Server engine. They provide a mechanism to diagnose issues, optimize
performance, or change the default behavior of SQL Server. These flags can be used to troubleshoot
problems, test new features, or fine-tune server behavior for specific workloads.
Types of Trace Flags
1. Global Trace Flags
2. Session-Specific Trace Flags
Global Trace Flags
Global trace flags affect the entire SQL Server instance and are typically set at the server level. They can
be enabled globally (for the entire instance) or temporarily via the SQL Server startup parameters or via
`DBCC TRACEON`.
Session-Specific Trace Flags
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Session trace flags apply only to the current user session and do not affect the global server behavior.
They can be activated or deactivated during a session via `DBCC TRACEON` and `DBCC TRACEOFF`.
How to Enable/Disable Trace Flags
- Enable Trace Flag: Use the `DBCC TRACEON` command or configure SQL Server startup parameters.
Example:
DBCC TRACEON(1204, 1222); -- Enable trace flags 1204 and 1222
- Disable Trace Flag: Use the `DBCC TRACEOFF` command.
Example:
DBCC TRACEOFF(1204, 1222); -- Disable trace flags 1204 and 1222
- Enable Trace Flag at Startup: Add the trace flag as a parameter when starting SQL Server. You do this
by adding `-T<flag_number>` to the SQL Server startup parameters.
Example:
If you want to enable trace flag 1204 permanently, you would add `-T1204` to the startup parameters.
https://www.sqldbachamps.com Praveen Madupu +91 98661 30093
Sr SQL Server DBA, Dubai
[email protected]
Common Trace Flags and Their Purposes
1. Trace Flag 1204: Lock and Deadlock Information
- Purpose: Provides detailed information about lock requests and deadlocks. It logs the process IDs,
transaction IDs, and resource IDs involved in the deadlock, which helps in diagnosing locking and blocking
issues.
- Use Case: Useful for identifying deadlock situations when you are troubleshooting blocking or
deadlocks.
Example Output:
2008-01-01 12:00:00.000 spid6s 1204 Transaction (Process ID 72) was deadlocked on lock resources
with another process and has been chosen as the deadlock victim. Rerun the transaction.
2. Trace Flag 1222: Deadlock Information
- Purpose: Similar to 1204, but provides more detailed deadlock information in XML format, showing
which session caused the deadlock and the resources involved.
- Use Case: Helpful for deeper analysis of deadlocks, especially when you need to understand the
deadlock chain and resource usage.
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Example:
2008-01-01 12:00:00.000 spid6s 1222 Deadlock victim process 72 killed while waiting for resources.
(XML data follows).
3. Trace Flag 1117: Enable Uniform Extent Allocation for Data Files
- Purpose: Ensures that all data files in a database grow at the same rate. When this flag is set, each
database file grows by the same amount, leading to better disk I/O performance in some cases, especially
for large databases.
- Use Case: For databases with multiple data files where uniform growth is required.
4. Trace Flag 1118: Single-Page Allocations
- Purpose: Forces SQL Server to use single-page allocations instead of mixed-page allocations (which
can sometimes cause contention).
- Use Case: May improve performance in systems with high contention on allocation pages, such as
systems with frequent index inserts or updates.
https://www.sqldbachamps.com Praveen Madupu +91 98661 30093
Sr SQL Server DBA, Dubai
[email protected]
5. Trace Flag 8192: Forces Query Plans to be Cached Using Optimized Parameterization
- Purpose: Forces SQL Server to use optimized parameterized queries in execution plans, which can
reduce plan cache bloat and improve reusability.
- Use Case: Can be beneficial when working with ad hoc queries or dynamic SQL that doesn't make
optimal use of parameterization.
6. Trace Flag 2371: Controls SQL Server Auto Growth Behavior
- Purpose: Modifies the threshold for when SQL Server will perform an auto-growth on a database file.
By default, SQL Server grows database files by 10%, but this can be adjusted based on database size
with this trace flag.
- Use Case: When you need to change the way SQL Server auto-grows large database files to avoid
frequent small increments.
7. Trace Flag 3604: Redirects Output to the Client
- Purpose: Directs the output of `DBCC TRACEON`, `DBCC TRACEOFF`, and other diagnostic
commands to the client (rather than the SQL Server error log).
- Use Case: Useful for debugging and monitoring, as it provides direct output to the query window.
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8. Trace Flag 4100: Disables Query Plan Caching
- Purpose: Forces SQL Server to not cache query execution plans. This can be useful for
troubleshooting scenarios where you suspect issues with plan reuse or invalidation.
- Use Case: Helps in testing or debugging issues related to query plan generation and caching.
9. Trace Flag 9130: Changes the SQL Server Maximum Degree of Parallelism (MAXDOP) Behavior
- Purpose: This trace flag forces SQL Server to use a fixed degree of parallelism for all queries,
regardless of their individual parallelism requests.
- Use Case: Useful when you want to ensure SQL Server uses the same degree of parallelism across all
queries to ensure consistent performance.
https://www.sqldbachamps.com Praveen Madupu +91 98661 30093
Sr SQL Server DBA, Dubai
[email protected]
Session vs Global Trace Flags
- Session-Level: Trace flags that are activated at the session level are only effective for the current user
session and do not persist once the session is closed.
Example:
DBCC TRACEON(1222); -- Enables trace flag 1222 for the current session
- Global-Level: Trace flags set globally are applied to all sessions on the instance.
Example (enabling trace flag at startup):
-T1222 -- Enables trace flag 1222 globally at SQL Server startup
Viewing Active Trace Flags
You can view the active trace flags using the following command:
DBCC TRACESTATUS;
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This returns a list of all active trace flags, their session or global status, and whether they are enabled.
Important Considerations
- Performance Impact: Some trace flags can impact performance, especially those that log detailed
information (e.g., 1204, 1222). Use them carefully in production environments, particularly on systems with
heavy load.
- Persistence: Trace flags set using `DBCC TRACEON` only persist for the duration of the session unless
added to SQL Server startup parameters.
- Testing/Diagnostics: Trace flags are primarily intended for troubleshooting and testing. They should be
used with caution in production environments unless absolutely necessary.
Conclusion
Trace flags are a powerful tool in SQL Server for controlling internal behaviors and troubleshooting
complex issues. They allow fine-grained control over various aspects of SQL Server’s operation, from
deadlock analysis to performance tuning. However, it is important to understand the potential impact on
system performance and stability when using them in production environments. Always test changes in a
safe environment before applying them to production systems.
