How to make Sql Trace Without Sql Profiler?

Sometimes maybe we dont have some sql trace tool . But actually we really have to work around some tracing work in sql server. especially in sql server express .

As microsoft said.There are nothing tools like sql profiler in sql server express .

so . we have to work out this problem . when we face it .

Actually . the backgroud things which done in the Sql profiler tools is based on the Procedure . function etc .

so . Let us have a look at the stored procedures and functions being responsible for the tracing.

If we want to list all existing traces we should run select query on sys.traces table.

SELECT * FROM sys.traces

This should give list of all traces on server with their id, status, path to *.trc log file etc…

We’re creating trace with sp_trace_create command:

DECLARE @tid INT
EXEC sp_trace_create
 @traceid = @tid OUTPUT,
 @options = 2,
 @tracefile = N'c:\trace'
SELECT @tid -- this will display our new trace id
GO

After creating new trace we should set events we want to be traced and columns we want to be written when this event occurs. We can do this with sp_trace_setevent procedure.

DECLARE @tid INT, @cid INT-- 
SET @tid = 2     -- our trace id use the trace id you got from sp_trace_create
SET @cid = 1     -- 1 for ON
WHILE(@cid < 65) -- there are 65 columns in result,
                 -- let's process them all
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_trace_setevent @tid, 10, @cid, 1
        EXEC sp_trace_setevent @tid, 12, @cid, 1
        EXEC sp_trace_setevent @tid, 14, @cid, 1
        EXEC sp_trace_setevent @tid, 41, @cid, 1
        EXEC sp_trace_setevent @tid, 43, @cid, 1
        SET @cid += 1
      END
GO

Now we can add some filters to trace, for example we want to trace only inserts on table “Users” in “cms” database. This can be done with sp_trace_setfilter procedure.

DECLARE @tid INT
SET @tid = 2     -- our trace id
EXEC sp_trace_setfilter @tid, 1, 1, 6, N'%insert into %Users%'
EXEC sp_trace_setfilter @tid, 35, 0, 0, N'cms'

Now we can set our trace in running state with command sp_trace_setstatus. It is very important one.

DECLARE @tid INT
SET @tid = 2     -- our trace id
EXEC sp_trace_setstatus @tid, 1
GO

We can use this same function for stopping or deleting trace.

DECLARE @tid INT
SET @tid = 2     -- our trace id
EXEC sp_trace_setstatus @tid, 0 -- stops trace
GO
EXEC sp_trace_setstatus @tid, 2 -- deletes trace
GO

And at the end, for viewing *.trc file we’re using fn_trace_gettable function:

select * from ::fn_trace_gettable(N'c:\trace.trc',default)

I hope this will be helpful for someone.