What is SQL Server Profiler?
SQL Server Profiler helps in troubleshooting performance issues, long-running queries, deadlocks, blocking, and security issues in SQL Server 2019.
Step 1: Open SQL Server Profiler
1. Launch SQL Server Profiler
Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). Click on Tools → Select SQL Server Profiler.
2. Connect to SQL Server Instance
In the Connect to Server window, enter: Server name (e.g., localhost or your_server_name).
Authentication type (Windows Authentication or SQL Server Authentication).
Click Connect.
Step 2: Create a New Trace
1. Start a New Trace Session
Click File → New Trace.
Select your SQL Server instance and click Connect.
2. Configure the Trace
Enter a Trace Name .
Choose a template based on your troubleshooting needs
Step 3: Select Events to Capture
You can choose specific SQL events to monitor.
1. Go to the "Events Selection" Tab
By default, SQL Profiler captures many events, but you should limit events to avoid performance overhead. Click "Show all events" to see more options.
2. Select Important Events for Troubleshooting
Uncheck unnecessary events to reduce system load.
Click Column Filters to filter results (e.g., filter by Database Name, Login Name).
Step 4: Start and Run the Trace
Click Run to start monitoring SQL Server activity.
SQL Profiler will capture and display SQL events in real-time.
Step 5: Analyze Captured Data
1. Identify Long-Running Queries
Look for queries with high duration (milliseconds) in the Duration column.
High Reads/Writes indicate queries that consume more disk I/O.
2. Detect Deadlocks
If Deadlock Graph is enabled, deadlocks will appear in the Profiler window.
Deadlocks occur when two or more queries block each other.
3. Identify Blocking Queries
Look for Locks: LockTimeout or Locks: Blocked Process Report events.
Run this query in SSMS to check blocking:
EXEC sp_who2
Blocked by column shows which process is causing the blockage.
Step 6: Save and Export the Trace
1. Save Trace for Later Analysis
Click File → Save As → Choose Trace File or Trace Table.
If saved as a table, you can run queries to analyze the data.
2. Stop the Trace to Reduce Server Load
Click Stop Trace after collecting enough data.
Running SQL Profiler for too long can impact performance!
Step 7: Use Database Tuning Advisor (DTA) for Query Optimization
With Database Tuning Advisor, Select the trace file/table and click Start Analysis. It will recommend indexes, statistics, and partitions to improve performance.
Step 8: Best Practices for Using SQL Profiler
✅ Filter events to avoid excessive performance overhead.
✅ Run Profiler on a different server if monitoring a production database.
✅ Schedule traces for peak hours to capture critical performance issues.
✅ Use Extended Events instead of SQL Profiler for better performance in modern SQL versions.
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