Query-1: SQL Server log file growing unexpectedly?

“We are wondering why transaction logs keep on increasing?? It become so gigantic, the transaction log size get increase from 135GB to 350GB and that’s so annoying. My drive containing data store is losing space. I am using Full Recovery Model and the logs are backed up hourly. Please help me out why this is happening and what should be done to stop growing it too big?”

SOLVED: SQL Server Log File Getting Too Big

SQL Server Transaction logs records all activities of transaction logs. Each database in SQL Server instance consists of logs that records all the modification done in the databases. It is crucial component of the databases. Any modification, deletion can be tracked down in transaction logs.

There are various reasons of transaction log file getting expanded. The possible reasons are listed below:

• Large transaction log file
• Transaction taking too long to complete
• Transaction operation fail & may start to rollback
• Issue in performance
• Blocking issue
• Database participating in AlwaysOn availability group

What to do for stopping growing log file too big

1. Change the type of Recovery Model to Simple Recovery Model only if you are fine with not able to restore logs hence, failed point in time recovery. It is because if you are truncating your logs, you are breaking Transaction log LSN & if any disaster occur, you will not able to restore T-logs. Hence if you are fine with this situation, then change your Recovery model to Simple. This will not allow any extra growth of log file.
2. Take T-log backup every hour in Full recovery Model, your transaction log will keep on growing until you take backup and truncate of it. While taking hourly T-log backup, the logs will grow until one hour, but after this it would truncate all commited transaction.

Sometimes it might happen that you are in Simple Recovery Model, but your logs are still growing!!! Reason being is long running transaction. If your transaction taking long time when deleting thousand records in one delete statement, then logs will not be able to truncate until delete operation is done.

You can save yourself by maintaining proper size of log file or monitoring the usage of transaction.

By doing this, you can cut down the size of Transaction log.

Query-2 How To Shrink Transaction logs File in SQL Server?

“My log file size is growing continuously. Why is this happening?? I am lacking my disk space. I want to shrink my Transaction log file. Can anyone tell me how to shrink transaction logs in SQL Server. What will be the after effects if I shrink the log file.

SOLVED: Reduce SQL Server Database Transaction Log File

Relax!! There are several reasons for transaction log file growth. Long Running transaction, lack of taking log backup are some of the reasons which result in transaction log growth. Databases running for business purposes or production requires appropriate recovery model to be chosen for log management.

Log truncation frees up the log file space so that logs can reuse it. Truncation occur automatically if the database is backed up in Simple Recovery Model or after log backup when database is in Full Recovery Model.

Here I will resolve your shrink issue by two methods: By using SQL Server Management Studio and by using T-SQL.

Shrink By SQL Server Management Studio:

• Right Click on your Database–>Tasks–>Shrink—>Files.
• You will get the Shrink File Window, Change the File Type to Log.
• There are three different actions under Shrink Action option. Either release the unused space, or shrink file to reorganize pages before releasing unused space, or empty file by migrating the data to other files in the same filegroup. Choose it according to your need.

Shrink By T-SQL:

You can simply shrink transaction log file by running DBCC SHRINKFILE after taking log back. If you are using Simple Recovery Model, run below code:

DBCC SHRINKFILE (TestDB_log, 1)

If your database is in Full Recovery Model, first of all, set it to Simple Recovery Model, Then run DBCC SHRINKFILE and then set it to full.

Caution: Setting database again in Full Recovery Model leads to loss of data in the Log. So, if you dont care about losing your log data, then definitely go for it!

Tips when you plan to shrink database or file:

• Shrink operation found to be most effective after delete or drop table operation as it create lot of unused space.
• If you are repeatedly shrinking your database and you notice that the size of database grows again. Alert!! Shrinking database is a wasted operation, as most database require free space for regular day-to-day operation. This indicates that the space that was shrunk was a part of regular operation.
• You should not shrink your database or data file after rebuilding indexes. As shrinking increases fragmentation to extreme level.
• Do not ON Auto_Shrink option. (Unless you have very urgent requirement)

Is Shrinking database Bad?

Well, Yes.

After shrinking operation,you will definitely be able to reduce the size of the database. But Wait!! Check your Fragmentation level first. It is found to be way too much!!!

Shrink operation increases the value of the fragmentation way too much. And higher fragmentation costs you poor performance of the database.

While if you are thinking that you can reduce fragmentation by using rebuild index, let me alert you, this will definitely reduce your fragmentation level. But Let me check the size of the database The database size increases way higher than the original.

Query-3 How to check Deleted Records in SQL Server?

“I am working in an organization and my manager assigned me work to check deleted database records of my database. How can I check my deleted records in SQL Server? Please Help me out from this situation.”

SOLVED: Ways to Check Deleted Records in SQL Server

You can track down your deleted database records by reading Transaction logs. And you can read it by using fn_dblog function. You can track down any DML as well as DDL activity like insert, delete , update, create operation by checking your transaction logs.

Fn_dblog function enables users to read all the database activity happening in SQL database. The function require begin and end LSN number for a transaction. You can easily trackdown the information of a person who did changes to your database. As LSN number are not in human readable form, SQL Server provide fn_dblog function for easy reading of transaction logs.

You can simply check your database activity by implementing below code:

USE ReadingDBLog;
GO
select [Current LSN],
[Operation],
[Transaction Name],
[Transaction ID],
[Transaction SID],
[SPID],
[Begin Time]
FROM fn_dblog(null,null)

How to Read Transaction Log Quickly

One quick way to read SQL Server database activity is to use SysTools SQL Log Viewer. It read & analyse operation like insert, update, delete. The software previews all .ldf activities like transaction name, table name, query etc. You have option to choose the database from different mode ie Online & Offline mode. You will able to fetch it from live databases. If your database is in Simple Recovery Mode, the tool is capable to recover deleted database records. You will get three different option for exporting. You can export it as in SQL Server Database , as CSV or as Compatible Script.

Conclusion

The blog covers various users queries about transaction logs along with its possible solution. I have discussed why transaction logs keep on increasing, how to track down your transaction details of your database and how to shrink transaction logs. I have also discussed some quick tips when you shrink your database.

To get a damaged MDF file is not rare. However, the main cause behind it is that the file is prone to corruption. When this occurs, all data saved in the server database becomes inaccessible and therefore, it leads to data loss. In such circumstances, it is important to repair corrupt MDF file of server database storage.

This segment will discuss how to execute the repair process. In addition, it will also give you in-depth information about MDF file, reasons, and way to repair damaged MDF file to store it in healthy form. Read further to know more.

Quick Glance on MDF File

SQL Server MDF file is a relational management system of the database. Moreover, it is a primary data file of the database, which saves all the server data. Thus, you can even state it as the master database file of MS SQL Server. Every database of SQL Server would enclose at least one .mdf file.

It saves components like XML Indexes, Views, Indexes, Stored Procedures, Tables, Triggers, Rules, Keys, User Defined Functions, sparse columns, data types, file stream, the column set property data types. The .mdf file can be said as a primary element for managing SQL Server database.

Reasons of MDF File Corruption

There are various causes, which are answerable for damaging the primary file type of server.

• Unexpected power failure.
• Various bugs in server.
• Defective Operating System.
• Sudden shutdown of the machine.
• Issues with hard drive
• Virus outbreaks.

Thus, issues for your .mdf file revolving corrupt can be everything from malfunctioning of hardware to software and so it is necessary to fix corrupted MDF file.

Technique to Repair Corrupt MDF File

Method 1: Inbuilt Tool

There are some tools that make easy for users to fix corrupted MDF file of the server. Thus, make the saved data available. In fact, all these tools are series of commands in T-SQL programming language, which is called DBCC (Database Console Commands). The purpose of these statements in DBCC is to test physical and logical uniformity of MS SQL Server database files and fix troubling problems that continue.

DBCC CHECKDB is a command via which you can simply check the logical and physical integrity of all objects in precise MS SQL Server database. You can do it by implementing the mentioned operations successively:

• Run DBCC CHECKALLOC command in the database.
• Run DBCC CHECKCATALOG command in the database.
• Run DBCC CHECKTABLE on every view & table in the database.
• Verifying content of every indexed view present in the database.
• Validating link-level constancy among table Metadata, file system directories files while saving varbinary (max) data utilizing FILESTREAM in the file system.
• Confirming Service Broker data in database.

Once the above steps to repair damaged MDF file is completed then, if the application finds any issues of corruption or any errors, it recommends users have the usage of various recover options for fixing troublesome problems. The recover or repair options are:

• REPAIR_FAST

It preserves syntax for compatibility of backward only; no repair actions are executed in definite. The syntax for this, Repair option is: DBCC CHECKDB (‘DB Name’, REPAIR_FAST).

• REPAIR_REBUILD

This option of repair implements repair process, which scarcely has potentials of data loss. This can do quick repairs like repair of missing rows in non-clustered indexes, even time-consuming repairs like the rebuilding of indexes. The syntax is DBCC CHECKDB (‘DB Name’, REPAIR_REBUILD).

• REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS

This command creates an effort to fix all the issues, which are reported. However, it can root cause the loss of data as specified in repair command itself. The syntax is: DBCC CHECKDB (‘DB Name’, REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS).

Limitations:

1. The specific database should be in single-user mode to be able to execute either of three commands of repair.
2. DBCC repair commands are not authenticated for memory-optimized tables.

Method 2: Trouble-Free Solution

There can be a possibility that when your SQL Server database MDF file is corrupt and when you try to connect to SQL Server you will find that it is marked as SUSPECT. During such scenarios or the above discussed, you will not be able to connect to the database. To repair corrupt SQL Server MDF database file best option is to restore from a recent full database backup available.

If no recent backup available in such cases best possible approach is to repair corrupted MDF file of Microsoft SQL Server 2000, 2005, 2008, 2012 and 2016 with SQL Database Repair Tool. One of the most highly used and recommended software to repair corrupt SQL MDF file with the assurance of 99% guaranteed recovery.

Observational Verdict

We have gone through the possible solution which you need to follow to recover a database in case MDF file get corrupted or database marked as SUSPECT. We serve you with the best of the best ways to repair corrupt MDF file. So, Hurry! What are you waiting for? You are raising the bar and we are taking it forward with the all in one and probably the best of solution repair damaged MDF database file.

Background

As you all know, Microsoft has already released SQL Server 2018 RC Version 1. So I wanted to give a try, and I decided to install the same. But at a stage in installation, I got an error which was not allowing me to continue further. I started to scratch my head. And finally I could find the solution. Here we will see that.

Fix to Rule “Oracle JRE 7 Update 51 (64-bit) or higher is required for Polybase” failed

Once you have started the installation, you can see a window as follows.

Installation Center SQL Server Start

If you have not installed SQL Server yet, you must select “New SQL Server stand-alone installation”, or you can upgrade by selecting “Upgrade from a previous version”. So we have started installing the things. When you are step away to finish everything once you have selected the features to add. You will be getting the error as follows.

—————————
Rule Check Result
—————————
Rule “Oracle JRE 7 Update 51 (64-bit) or higher is required for Polybase” failed.

This computer does not have the Oracle Java SE Runtime Environment Version 7 Update 51 (64-bit) or higher installed. The Oracle Java SE Runtime Environment is software provided by a third party. Microsoft grants you no rights for such third-party software. You are responsible for and must separately locate, read and accept applicable third-party license terms. To continue, download the Oracle SE Java Runtime Environment from http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=526030.
—————————
OK
—————————

As it is mentioned in the link provided in the link, you can always download and install the Java SE from that link. This link will be redirected to http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html.

Java SE

Now we have an another option that to disable the Java SE from the features selected. For that go back to the feature selection.

Feature Selection Installation Center SQL Server

Now Uncheck the selection PolyBase query service for external data.

Feature Selection Installation Center SQL Server Uncheck Polybase Query Service

Now you can go ahead and click next. At last, you will get the success message.

Installation Center SQL Server Success

Hooray, we have successfully installed our new version of SQL Server. That’s fantastic right? Have a happy coding.

Conclusion

Did I miss anything that you may think which is needed? Could you find this post as useful? I hope you liked this article. Please share me your valuable suggestions and feedback.

Your turn. What do you think?

A blog isn’t a blog without comments, but do try to stay on topic. If you have a question unrelated to this post, you’re better off posting it on C# Corner, Code Project, Stack Overflow, Asp.Net Forum instead of commenting here. Tweet or email me a link to your question there and I’ll definitely try to help if I can.

Kindest Regards
Sibeesh Venu

Background

I was working with an article which has so many database transactions/actions. So I thought of attaching the database scripts with data also in the source code download section of the article, so that it may help user to insert the data in his/her database. That made me to write this article. I hope you will like this.

Steps To Generate Database Scripts With Data In SQL Server

Step 1

Right click on your database and select Task -> generate script.

Database_Scripts_With_Data_Select_Option

Step 2

Click next in the introduction screen.

Database_Scripts_With_Data_Inroduction

Step 3

Select the database object which you are all you need and then click next.

Database_Scripts_With_Data_Select_Database_Objects

Step 4

Now you will be shown a window which asks you about how your script should be published.

Database_Scripts_With_Data_Publish_Options

Click advanced in that window.

Step 5

Select ‘Schema and data’ from type of data to script option and then click OK.

Database_Scripts_With_Data_Advanced

Click next.

Step 6

Click finish, now check the script file, it must be having the insert queries too.

Database_Scripts_With_Data_Finish

Now what else is pending, go ahead and run your script.

Conclusion

Did I miss anything that you may think which is needed? Have you ever wanted to do this requirement? Could you find this post as useful? I hope you liked this article. Please share me your valuable suggestions and feedback.

Your turn. What do you think?

A blog isn’t a blog without comments, but do try to stay on topic. If you have a question unrelated to this post, you’re better off posting it on C# Corner, Code Project, Stack Overflow, Asp.Net Forum instead of commenting here. Tweet or email me a link to your question there and I’ll definitely try to help if I can.

Kindest Regards
Sibeesh Venu

Hi All, How are you today? In this article we will see a solution for a fix that we usually encounter when you work in Microsoft SQL server. The error message will be “Saving changes is not permitted,The changes you have made require the following table to be dropped and re-created. You have either made changes to the table that can’t be re-created or enabled the option Prevent saving changes that require the table to be re-created.”. Let us see how we can solve this issue. I hope you will like it.

Background

As the error message says, it is because of you have enabled the option Prevent saving changes. Now we will see how we can disable that option in SQL Server Management Studio. Before going through the fix, we will see teh screenshot of the error.

Steps to follow

To fix this issue, you need to follow some certain steps. We will explain that here.

Step 1

Go to Tools menu and click on options.

Step 2

Now you can see a window is opened as follows. You can see some settings there. No need to change anything in that.

Step 3

Now go to Designers menu and click on “Table and Database designers”

Step 4

It is time for changing the settings. As you can see there is a check box which is captioned as “Prevent saving changes that requires table re-creation” . Just uncheck that and click OK.

That is all. Now if you try to save that table, you won’t be facing above mentioned issue. Have a happy table designing.

Conclusion

I hope you will like this article. Please share me your valuable thoughts and comments. Your feedback is always welcomed.

Thanks in advance. Happy coding!

Kindest Regards
Sibeesh Venu

Hi All, I hope you are fine. We all are using SQL parameter in our application right?Yeah it is a good way to restrict the Injections are hijacks. But still if you pass those parameters in the right way, you will face lots of problems. In this article I am going to share you such an Issue. I hope you will like it.

Background

Morning I was working in a grid control which editable, and I selected a row to edit and started editing. In a date field I edited the date and clicked update button. I was expecting an output result as “Successfully updated”. But it didn’t happen. Instead it throws an error. “SqlDateTime Overflow, Must be between”

Using the code

To resolve this issue, first you must understand the root cause for this. I was passing the parameters as follows.

[csharp]
SqlParameter[] myParam = new SqlParameter[3];
myParam[0] = new SqlParameter("@name", myObject.name);
myParam[1] = new SqlParameter("@ValidFrom", myObject.hjcValidFrom);
myParam[2] = new SqlParameter("@ValidTo", myObject.hjcValidTo);
[/csharp]

When I run my application with above code, I got the following error.

So what is the fix/solution?

I changed the parameter as follows.

[csharp]
SqlParameter[] myParam = new SqlParameter[3];
myParam[0] = new SqlParameter("@name", myObject.name);
myParam[1] = new SqlParameter("@ValidFrom", myObject.hjcValidFrom.ToString("MM/dd/YYYY"));
myParam[2] = new SqlParameter("@ValidTo", myObject.hjcValidTo.ToString("MM/dd/YYYY"));
[/csharp]

That solved the issue. Simple right?

Some other case

There are dome other cases you may get this error if you use the codes as follows.
[csharp]
SqlParameter[] myParam = new SqlParameter[3];
DateTime myDate=new DateTime();
myParam[0] = new SqlParameter("@name", myObject.name);
myParam[1] = new SqlParameter("@ValidFrom", myDate);
myParam[2] = new SqlParameter("@ValidTo", myDate);
[/csharp]

What you have to do all to fix this issue is just take the now property value from your date time object and pass it your parameter.

[csharp]
SqlParameter[] myParam = new SqlParameter[3];
DateTime myDate = DateTime.Now;
myParam[0] = new SqlParameter("@name", myObject.name);
myParam[1] = new SqlParameter("@ValidFrom", myDate);
myParam[2] = new SqlParameter("@ValidTo", myDate);
[/csharp]

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed reading and found this useful. Please share me your valuable feedback. For me it matters a lot.

Kindest Regards
Sibeesh Venu

select * from #missingindexes
[/sql]