Wavin’ Flag: Sorting Out SQL Server Trace Flags for Microsoft Dynamics NAV
Editor's Note: Jörg will be leading the session SQL Performance Featuers with Microsoft Dynamics NAV at Decisions Fall 2010 on November 3.
Just a few months ago we had the FIFA 2010 World Cup (for our American readers: a small soccer tournament that brings a halt to all other activity worldwide every 4 years) with its famous anthem, for which I've named this article. We've seen a lot of flags from various nations, peacefully waving at each other in and around the stadiums, united in the spirit of sportsmanship. Yep, a flag is actually quite an ancient thing used for communication; in older times probably somewhat less peaceful when the troops followed their banners into battle, or - afterwards - used a white sheet to indicate surrender. The Navy actually made an art of using flags to transfer information in the times before radio or phone - an effective, if not slow, method of communicating (although it might have been little time consuming to waggle a good joke from ship to ship (...but I digress...)
Even today flags are useful and used - and as I'd like to write about NAV/SQL, I'm specifically referring to so called "Trace Flags" (TF). Speaking about SQL Server, we're not talking about colors, of course, but numbers. But the purpose is still the same: with "waving" a certain flag we tell the SQL Server either to do something or to give us some information back.
Confusingly, there are lots of KB articles, BLOGS and best-practice documents around, telling ...
FREE Membership Required to View Full Content:
Joining MSDynamicsWorld.com gives you free, unlimited access to news, analysis, white papers, case studies, product brochures, and more. You can also receive periodic email newsletters with the latest relevant articles and content updates.
Learn more about us here