READ LDF FILES - SQL Server Forums

Please start any new threads on our new site at https://forums.sqlteam.com. We've got lots of great SQL Server experts to answer whatever question you can come up with.

All Forums

Development Tools

Other Development Tools

READ LDF FILES

Author

Topic

ismar
Starting Member

3 Posts

Posted - 2005-10-27 : 13:10:11

We are developing the project where we should trace the SQL server activities(Only INSERTS & UPDATES). As I know so far these activities can be found in log file of database. I am interested how can I read the file programmatically in order to show these activites in datagrids. We are developing the project in VB.NET

Any code samples?

Thanx in advance

nr
SQLTeam MVY

12543 Posts

Posted - 2005-10-27 : 13:14:35

Not so easy.
Redgate and Lumigent both do products to look at log files.

==========================================
Cursors are useful if you don't know sql.
DTS can be used in a similar way.
Beer is not cold and it isn't fizzy.

ismar
Starting Member

3 Posts

Posted - 2005-10-28 : 03:31:37

Thank you for reply NR but to be frankly with you your answer is not one I wanted to hear.
Our main problem is; the reading of log files would be only part of our project, that is our customers want to know who is doing what and when. So we cannot use third party software.

Does anybody else have a clue? I am sure there is a way; for example someone told me that I can do it with SQL-DMO but I saw only that SQL-DOM get physical properties of LOG files.

Is there any SP that would read LOG Files?

sachinsamuel
Constraint Violating Yak Guru

383 Posts

Posted - 2005-10-28 : 05:38:19

Way to do this

1) You can use SQL Profile to do this task, but it has also got its own limitations. There will be overhead on the database server as the profiler will also logging each and evey statement. You can reduce this over head by running the profiler on a different machine and setting a narrow filter to capture only those events which you want.

2) The other way of doing this is trigger. On update and delete or insert you can log these details in some history table.

Regards
Sachin

paulrandal
Yak with Vast SQL Skills

899 Posts

Posted - 2005-10-28 : 14:14:54

I don't recommend you try to analyze the log file to work this out - there are a lot of special cases which make this extremely non-trivial without detailed internals information.

If you're hell-bent on doing this and you're an ISV, to be able to understand what's going on with the transaction log you'll need apply for a license of our On-Disk Structures document, which other ISVs use to aid them in this. We have one for SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005.

Thanks

Paul Randal
Dev Lead, Microsoft SQL Server Storage Engine
(Legalese: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.)

ismar
Starting Member

3 Posts

Posted - 2005-10-28 : 14:38:39

Thank you all for replys,
But we really need to exemine log files, simply our customers want to see table activities. Triggers and Jobs are not good solution for databases which exceed size of 10 GB. They dramaticaly slow down all processes and ofcourse incerase size of databse to double. I am still working on this as soon as I found suitable solution I will post it here.

Paul what is On-Disk Structures document and how can I apply and where to apply.

Thanx,

paulrandal
Yak with Vast SQL Skills

899 Posts

Posted - 2005-10-28 : 16:47:59

quote:

Paul what is On-Disk Structures document and how can I apply and where to apply.

It's a document we license to select ISVs who a building products that require knowledge of the structural internals of SQL Server (e.g. a transaction log analysis tool). I'll get the details for you.

Paul Randal
Dev Lead, Microsoft SQL Server Storage Engine
(Legalese: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.)

paulrandal
Yak with Vast SQL Skills

899 Posts

Posted - 2005-10-28 : 17:10:18

I've sent you the contact here at Microsoft in a private email.

Paul Randal
Dev Lead, Microsoft SQL Server Storage Engine
(Legalese: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.)

jrclark
Starting Member

2 Posts

Posted - 2005-11-01 : 12:52:10

Hi Paul,
I just sent you a private email requesting the contact info as well ...

Thanks!

James Clark

jrclark
Starting Member

2 Posts

Posted - 2005-11-01 : 15:13:54

Thanks Paul! We're looking forward to working with you guys!

sunil_baidyanath
Starting Member

1 Post

Posted - 2006-01-06 : 09:39:14

Hi Paul,

quote:
Originally posted by paulrandal

[quote]
It's a document we license to select ISVs who a building products that require knowledge of the structural internals of SQL Server (e.g. a transaction log analysis tool). I'll get the details for you.

Can you please get me the details for obtaining the license for using the transaction log file structure? I have sent you the mail regarding the same.

skt

cooplarsh
Starting Member

1 Post

Posted - 2006-08-18 : 10:07:05

I work at an ISV that would love to be able to read the logs, so if you could help me find out what I have to do to license the On-Disk Structures document I'd greatly appreciate it.

quote:
Originally posted by paulrandal

I don't recommend you try to analyze the log file to work this out - there are a lot of special cases which make this extremely non-trivial without detailed internals information.

If you're hell-bent on doing this and you're an ISV, to be able to understand what's going on with the transaction log you'll need apply for a license of our On-Disk Structures document, which other ISVs use to aid them in this. We have one for SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005.

Thanks

Paul Randal
Dev Lead, Microsoft SQL Server Storage Engine
(Legalese: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.)

spirit1
Cybernetic Yak Master

11752 Posts

Posted - 2006-08-18 : 10:15:25

paul's on vacation for a week so he probably won't reply before then.

Go with the flow & have fun! Else fight the flow

blog thingie: http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/mladenp

cmolocznik
Starting Member

1 Post

Posted - 2006-09-26 : 12:41:34

My company needs to be able to read the log files. Could I get the details on obtaining a license for the On-Disk Structures document?

Thanks,

Clay

quote:
Originally posted by paulrandal

I don't recommend you try to analyze the log file to work this out - there are a lot of special cases which make this extremely non-trivial without detailed internals information.

If you're hell-bent on doing this and you're an ISV, to be able to understand what's going on with the transaction log you'll need apply for a license of our On-Disk Structures document, which other ISVs use to aid them in this. We have one for SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005.

Thanks

Paul Randal
Dev Lead, Microsoft SQL Server Storage Engine
(Legalese: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.)

nr
SQLTeam MVY

12543 Posts

Posted - 2006-09-27 : 05:37:34

quote:
Originally posted by ismar

Thank you all for replys,
But we really need to exemine log files, simply our customers want to see table activities. Triggers and Jobs are not good solution for databases which exceed size of 10 GB. They dramaticaly slow down all processes and ofcourse incerase size of databse to double.

Umm, not sure about that.
Might suggest getting someone in to look at your requirement before spending a lot of time developing something to read the log files.
You also need to understand the limitations of log files which makes me think they might not do what you think.

There are methods of auditing databases using log files which do not need you to read or know the structure of the files but have an administrative overhead.

==========================================
Cursors are useful if you don't know sql.
DTS can be used in a similar way.
Beer is not cold and it isn't fizzy.

mfeldman
Starting Member

2 Posts

Posted - 2006-11-30 : 23:14:13

I am an ISV who is looking to apply for the On-Disk Structures document. We are building am audit tool for the financial industry, and we need to read from the log. Can I please get the information on this?

thanks,

Mike

spirit1
Cybernetic Yak Master

11752 Posts

Posted - 2006-12-01 : 05:03:05

why do you "need" to read from the log?
implement auditing in another way.

Go with the flow & have fun! Else fight the flow

blog thingie: http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/mladenp

AndrewMurphy
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2916 Posts

Posted - 2006-12-01 : 09:23:27

Please review previous comments from PaulRandal on this specific message. Contact Paul for information.

mfeldman
Starting Member

2 Posts

Posted - 2006-12-07 : 22:04:57

because i can not add triggers to their tables to write it out to an audit log. i know of no other way. Thats why i would love to apply for the information

quote:
Originally posted by spirit1

why do you "need" to read from the log?
implement auditing in another way.

Go with the flow & have fun! Else fight the flow
blog thingie: http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/mladenp

kroyce
Starting Member

1 Post

Posted - 2007-12-05 : 08:28:16

I work for the University of Puget Sound and we would really like to license the on-disk structures document. How would we go about this?

Thanks,
Kevin

graz
Chief SQLTeam Crack Dealer

4149 Posts

Posted - 2007-12-05 : 20:02:17

I think you'll need to contact Microsoft directly about this. Paul Randal no longer works for MS so you'll need to contact the product team directly. Unfortunately I don't have a good contact at this point. You might start with your local MS field office and see who they can contact.

=================================================
Creating tomorrow's legacy systems today. One crisis at a time.

Next Page

Subscribe to SQLTeam.com

SQLTeam.com Articles via RSS

SQLTeam.com Weblog via RSS

- Advertisement -

Resources