SQLWriter

SQLWriter

SQLWriter is a powerful SQL script editor for all database developers and database administrators. It can edit different database SQL scripts in the same window and support Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP, Window 2003/2008, Vista and Windows 7. In addition, it also edits or runs SQL queries and scripts with code completion. You can browse the SQL result data and objects of any database. So this SQL tool can help you work more efficiently. It has many features. Support many databases with ODBC or OLEDB driver. Highlight the keywords of SQL script and you can custom the keywords by yourself. Show the objects of the database, such as table, column, view, etc. Support line commentary wherever the database supports it. Format SQL scripts, convenient read SQL. Execute many SQL scripts at the same time and you can stop them when the SQL script is executing. Browse or edit the SQL results and save them to html, svc and xml format file. Support transaction if the database supports it. Export and import database table’s data. Support code auto completion even the alias in SQL scripts. Drag the database’s object’s name from schema tree to the edit area. You can Custom the font of edit area, schema tree, data grid and the color of keywords, string or numeric constant in the edit area. Powerful edit function such as Copy, Paste, Cut, Redo and Undo. Frozen any data grid’s columns or rows.

As SQL Server Back up Applications – Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and SQL Writer describes in depth, SQL Server can be involved in VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) backup and restore operations through its dedicated SQL Writer service. The service would report execution errors to Windows Application Event Logs with a SQLWRITER event source, but up until SQL Server 2019 (15.x), it had no dedicated activity log. It could make investigations against SQL Server as a participant in VSS operations challenging. This article describes the new log introduced by SQL Server 2019 (15.x) to provide better visibility on its SQLWriter operations.

The main characteristics of SQL Server 2019 (15.x) SQLWriter logging are:

• It’s on by default
• It’s system-wide (it will trace SQL Writer activity against all SQL Server instances running on the server)
• It’s text-based
• Its working directory is C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared
• Within that directory:
  • Logging takes place in file SqlWriterLogger.txt
  • This file gets renamed to SqlWriterLogger1.txt when reaching a maximum size (by default 1 MB), with logging continuing in main SqlWriterLogger.txt.
  • There’s only one rollover file, so the second rollover would overwrite the existing SqlWriterLogger1.txt.
  • Parameters are managed by file SqlWriterConfig.ini

SQL Writer being a SQL Server shared component, it has a single instance on a system and its major version will be the same as the highest major version of any installed SQL Server Instance. For example, if instances of, say,SQL Server 2012 (11.x), SQL Server 2014 (12.x), SQL Server 2016 (13.x) SP2 and SQL Server 2019 (15.x) are collocated on the same system, the SQL Writer binary will be the one provided by SQL Server 2019 (15.x) and will service all running instances from all major versions (even though its home directory remains under \90). Local instances and versions will benefit from the new SQL Server 2019 (15.x) tracing described here. It also implies that only SQL Server 2019 (15.x) cumulative updates will upgrade SQL Writer binaries in this situation.

Basic Operations

You can benefit from the new logging without any manual change. You can open, or get a copy of, the main SqlWriterLogger.txt log file in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\. The file will reflect all VSS events reaching SQL Writer, which would mainly be:

• OnIdentify events, as triggered by command vssadmin list writers
• Backup events
• Restore events

That is, even if these operations take place successfully the log file will record detailed entries. The log will allow the DBA to confirm VSS operations are occurring and successfully interacting with SQL Writer. It’s an improvement that offers an easy built-in way of establishing these details at SQL Server level.

Additionally, SQLWriter service start-up events will also be recorded and will report active logging parameters.

Obviously if there’s a VSS operation failure that involves SQL Server, the SqlWriterLogger becomes an important place to check for any information.

This program is required to run on startup in order to benefit from its functionality or so that the program will work. The following information is a brief description of what is known about this file. If you require further assistance for this file, feel free to ask about in the forums.