Replay Requirements
In order to replay trace data with SQL Server Profiler or the Distributed Replay Utility, a specific set of event classes and columns must be captured in the trace. These settings are enabled by default if the TSQL_Replay trace template is used to configure a trace that is later used for replay. This topic describes these settings and other replay requirements.
Note
We recommend using the Distributed Replay Utility for replaying an intensive OLTP application (with many active concurrent connections or high throughput). The Distributed Replay Utility can replay trace data from multiple computers, better simulating a mission-critical workload. For more information, see SQL Server Distributed Replay.
Event Classes Required for Replay
To be replayed by SQL Server Profiler, the following set of event classes, in addition to any other event classes you want to monitor, must be captured in the trace:
**CursorClose (**only required when replaying server-side cursors)
CursorExecute (only required when replaying server-side cursors)
CursorOpen (only required when replaying server-side cursors)
CursorPrepare (only required when replaying server-side cursors)
CursorUnprepare (only required when replaying server-side cursors)
Audit Login
Audit Logout
ExistingConnection
RPC Output Parameter
RPC:Completed
RPC:Starting
Exec Prepared SQL (only required when replaying server-side prepared SQL statements)
Prepare SQL (only required when replaying server-side prepared SQL statements)
SQL:BatchCompleted
SQL:BatchStarting
Data Columns Required for Replay
In addition to any other data columns you want to capture, the following data columns must be captured in a trace to allow the trace to be replayed:
Event Class
EventSequence
TextData
Application Name
LoginName
DatabaseName
Database ID
ClientProcessID
HostName
ServerName
Binary Data
SPID
Start Time
EndTime
IsSystem
NTDomainName
NTUserName
Error
Note
Use the trace template TSQL_Replay for traces that capture data for replay.
Other Replay Requirements
In Microsoft SQL Server, replay checks for the presence of required events and columns. This change helps improve the accuracy of replay and takes the guesswork out of troubleshooting replay when required data is missing. Replay returns an error and stops replaying a file when required data is missing from a trace.
To replay a trace against a server (the target) on which SQL Server is running other than the server originally traced (the source), make sure the following has been done:
All logins and users contained in the trace must be created already on the target and in the same database as the source.
All logins and users in the target must have the same permissions they had in the source.
All login passwords must be the same as those of the user that executes the replay.
The database IDs on the target ideally should be the same as those on the source. However, if they are not the same, matching can be performed based on DatabaseName if it is present in the trace.
The default database for each login contained in the trace must be set (on the target) to the respective target database of the login. For example, the trace to be replayed contains activity for the login, Fred, in the database Fred_Db on the source. Therefore, on the target, the default database for the login, Fred, must be set to the database that matches Fred_Db (even if the database name is different). To set the default database of the login, use the sp_defaultdb system stored procedure.
Replaying events associated with missing or incorrect logins results in replay errors, but the replay operation continues.
For information about what permissions are required to replay a trace, see Permissions Required to Run SQL Server Profiler.
See Also
Tasks
Replay a Trace Table (SQL Server Profiler)
Replay a Trace File (SQL Server Profiler)
Reference
SQL Server Event Class Reference