System Stored Procedures (Transact-SQL)
In SQL Server, many administrative and informational activities can be performed by using system stored procedures. The system stored procedures are grouped into the categories shown in the following table.
In This Section
Category |
Description |
|---|---|
Used to register instances of SQL Server and SQL Server databases in Microsoft Windows 2000 Active Directory. |
|
Used to implement ODBC data dictionary functions and isolate ODBC applications from changes to underlying system tables. |
|
Used to enable, disable, or report on change data capture objects. |
|
Used to implements cursor variable functionality. |
|
Used for general maintenance of the SQL Server Database Engine. |
|
Used to perform e-mail operations from within an instance of SQL Server. |
|
Used to set up core maintenance tasks that are required to manage database performance. |
|
Used to implement and manage distributed queries. |
|
Used to implement and query full-text indexes. |
|
Used to configure, modify, and monitor log shipping configurations. |
|
Used to enable standard Automation objects for use within a standard Transact-SQL batch. |
|
Used for Policy-Based Management. |
|
Used to manage replication. |
|
Used to manage security. |
|
Used by SQL Server Profiler to monitor performance and activity. |
|
Used by SQL Server Agent to manage scheduled and event-driven activities. |
|
Used for XML text management. |
|
Used to provide an interface from an instance of SQL Server to external programs for various maintenance activities. |
Note
Unless specifically documented otherwise, all system stored procedures return a value of 0 to indicate success. To indicate failure, a nonzero value is returned.
API System Stored Procedures
Users that run SQL Server Profiler against ADO, OLE DB, and ODBC applications may notice these applications using system stored procedures that are not covered in the Transact-SQL Reference. These stored procedures are used by the Microsoft SQL Server Native Client OLE DB Provider and the SQL Server Native Client ODBC driver to implement the functionality of a database API. These stored procedures are just the mechanism the provider or driver uses to communicate user requests to an instance of SQL Server. They are intended only for the internal use of the provider or the driver. Calling them explicitly from a SQL Server-based application is not supported.
The sp_createorphan and sp_droporphans stored procedures are used for ODBC ntext, text, and image processing.
The sp_reset_connection stored procedure is used by SQL Server to support remote stored procedure calls in a transaction. This stored procedure also causes Audit Login and Audit Logout events to fire when a connection is reused from a connection pool.
The system stored procedures in the following tables are used only within an instance of SQL Server or through client APIs and are not intended for general customer use. They are subject to change and compatibility is not guaranteed.
The following stored procedures are documented in SQL Server Books Online:
sp_catalogs |
sp_column_privileges |
sp_column_privileges_ex |
sp_columns |
sp_columns_ex |
sp_databases |
sp_cursor |
sp_cursorclose |
sp_cursorexecute |
sp_cursorfetch |
sp_cursoroption |
sp_cursoropen |
sp_cursorprepare |
sp_cursorprepexec |
sp_cursorunprepare |
sp_execute |
sp_datatype_info |
sp_fkeys |
sp_foreignkeys |
sp_indexes |
sp_pkeys |
sp_primarykeys |
sp_prepare |
sp_prepexec |
sp_prepexecrpc |
sp_unprepare |
sp_server_info |
sp_special_columns |
sp_sproc_columns |
sp_statistics |
sp_table_privileges |
sp_table_privileges_ex |
sp_tables |
sp_tables_ex |
The following stored procedures are not documented:
sp_assemblies_rowset |
sp_assemblies_rowset_rmt |
sp_assemblies_rowset2 |
sp_assembly_dependencies_rowset |
sp_assembly_dependencies_rowset_rmt |
sp_assembly_dependencies_rowset2 |
sp_bcp_dbcmptlevel |
sp_catalogs_rowset |
sp_catalogs_rowset;2 |
sp_catalogs_rowset;5 |
sp_catalogs_rowset_rmt |
sp_catalogs_rowset2 |
sp_check_constbytable_rowset |
sp_check_constbytable_rowset;2 |
sp_check_constbytable_rowset2 |
sp_check_constraints_rowset |
sp_check_constraints_rowset;2 |
sp_check_constraints_rowset2 |
sp_column_privileges_rowset |
sp_column_privileges_rowset;2 |
sp_column_privileges_rowset;5 |
sp_column_privileges_rowset_rmt |
sp_column_privileges_rowset2 |
sp_columns_90 |
sp_columns_90_rowset |
sp_columns_90_rowset_rmt |
sp_columns_90_rowset2 |
sp_columns_ex_90 |
sp_columns_rowset |
sp_columns_rowset;2 |
sp_columns_rowset;5 |
sp_columns_rowset_rmt |
sp_columns_rowset2 |
sp_constr_col_usage_rowset |
sp_datatype_info_90 |
sp_ddopen;1 |
sp_ddopen;10 |
sp_ddopen;11 |
sp_ddopen;12 |
sp_ddopen;13 |
sp_ddopen;2 |
sp_ddopen;3 |
sp_ddopen;4 |
sp_ddopen;5 |
sp_ddopen;6 |
sp_ddopen;7 |
sp_ddopen;8 |
sp_ddopen;9 |
sp_foreign_keys_rowset |
sp_foreign_keys_rowset;2 |
sp_foreign_keys_rowset;3 |
sp_foreign_keys_rowset;5 |
sp_foreign_keys_rowset_rmt |
sp_foreign_keys_rowset2 |
sp_foreign_keys_rowset3 |
sp_indexes_90_rowset |
sp_indexes_90_rowset_rmt |
sp_indexes_90_rowset2 |
sp_indexes_rowset |
sp_indexes_rowset;2 |
sp_indexes_rowset;5 |
sp_indexes_rowset_rmt |
sp_indexes_rowset2 |
sp_linkedservers_rowset |
sp_linkedservers_rowset;2 |
sp_linkedservers_rowset2 |
sp_oledb_database |
sp_oledb_defdb |
sp_oledb_deflang |
sp_oledb_language |
sp_oledb_ro_usrname |
sp_primary_keys_rowset |
sp_primary_keys_rowset;2 |
sp_primary_keys_rowset;3 |
sp_primary_keys_rowset;5 |
sp_primary_keys_rowset_rmt |
sp_primary_keys_rowset2 |
sp_procedure_params_90_rowset |
sp_procedure_params_90_rowset2 |
sp_procedure_params_rowset |
sp_procedure_params_rowset;2 |
sp_procedure_params_rowset2 |
sp_procedures_rowset |
sp_procedures_rowset;2 |
sp_procedures_rowset2 |
sp_provider_types_90_rowset |
sp_provider_types_rowset |
sp_schemata_rowset |
sp_schemata_rowset;3 |
sp_special_columns_90 |
sp_sproc_columns_90 |
sp_statistics_rowset |
sp_statistics_rowset;2 |
sp_statistics_rowset2 |
sp_stored_procedures |
sp_table_constraints_rowset |
sp_table_constraints_rowset;2 |
sp_table_constraints_rowset2 |
sp_table_privileges_rowset |
sp_table_privileges_rowset;2 |
sp_table_privileges_rowset;5 |
sp_table_privileges_rowset_rmt |
sp_table_privileges_rowset2 |
sp_table_statistics_rowset |
sp_table_statistics_rowset;2 |
sp_table_statistics2_rowset |
sp_tablecollations |
sp_tablecollations_90 |
sp_tables_info_90_rowset |
sp_tables_info_90_rowset_64 |
sp_tables_info_90_rowset2 |
sp_tables_info_90_rowset2_64 |
sp_tables_info_rowset |
sp_tables_info_rowset;2 |
sp_tables_info_rowset_64 |
sp_tables_info_rowset_64;2 |
sp_tables_info_rowset2 |
sp_tables_info_rowset2_64 |
sp_tables_rowset;2 |
sp_tables_rowset;5 |
sp_tables_rowset_rmt |
sp_tables_rowset2 |
sp_usertypes_rowset |
sp_usertypes_rowset_rmt |
sp_usertypes_rowset2 |
sp_views_rowset |
sp_views_rowset2 |
sp_xml_schema_rowset |
sp_xml_schema_rowset2 |