Get-DbaDbDbccOpenTran

Synopsis

Identifies the oldest active transactions in database transaction logs using DBCC OPENTRAN

Description

Executes DBCC OPENTRAN against specified databases to identify long-running or problematic transactions that may be causing blocking, transaction log growth, or replication delays.

This function helps DBAs troubleshoot performance issues by revealing the oldest active transaction and any distributed or replicated transactions within each database’s transaction log. When transactions remain open for extended periods, they prevent log truncation and can cause cascading blocking issues throughout your SQL Server instance.

The output includes detailed transaction information in structured PowerShell objects, making it easy to identify which transactions need attention. If no active transactions are found, the function clearly indicates this status for each database checked.

This is particularly valuable when investigating sudden transaction log growth, diagnosing blocking chains, or troubleshooting replication latency issues where old transactions may be preventing log reader processes from advancing.

Read more:
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/database-console-commands/dbcc-opentran-transact-sql

Syntax

Get-DbaDbDbccOpenTran
    [-SqlInstance] <DbaInstanceParameter[]>
    [[-SqlCredential] <PSCredential>]
    [[-Database] <String[]>]
    [-EnableException]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Examples

Example: 1

PS C:\> Get-DbaDbDbccOpenTran -SqlInstance SQLServer2017

Connects to instance SqlServer2017 using Windows Authentication and runs the command DBCC OPENTRAN WITH TABLERESULTS, NO_INFOMSGS against each database.

Example: 2

PS C:\> Get-DbaDbDbccOpenTran -SqlInstance SQLServer2017 -Database CurrentDB

Connects to instance SqlServer2017 using Windows Authentication and runs the command DBCC OPENTRAN(CurrentDB) WITH TABLERESULTS, NO_INFOMSGS against the CurrentDB database.

Example: 3

PS C:\> $cred = Get-Credential sqladmin
PS C:\> 'Sql1','Sql2/sqlexpress' | Get-DbaDbDbccOpenTran -SqlCredential $cred

Connects to instances Sql1 and Sql2/sqlexpress using sqladmin credential and runs the command DBCC OPENTRAN WITH TABLERESULTS, NO_INFOMSGS against each database.

Required Parameters

-SqlInstance

The target SQL Server instance or instances.

Optional Parameters

-SqlCredential

Login to the target instance using alternative credentials. Accepts PowerShell credentials (Get-Credential).
Windows Authentication, SQL Server Authentication, Active Directory - Password, and Active Directory - Integrated are all supported.
For MFA support, please use Connect-DbaInstance.

-Database

Specifies which databases to check for open transactions. Accepts database names or database IDs.
Use this when investigating transaction issues in specific databases rather than scanning all databases on the instance.
If omitted, DBCC OPENTRAN runs against all accessible databases, which may take longer on instances with many databases.

-EnableException

By default, when something goes wrong we try to catch it, interpret it and give you a friendly warning message.
This avoids overwhelming you with “sea of red” exceptions, but is inconvenient because it basically disables advanced scripting.
Using this switch turns this “nice by default” feature off and enables you to catch exceptions with your own try/catch.

Outputs

PSCustomObject

Returns one object per active transaction found, or one object per database when no active transactions exist.

Properties:

• ComputerName: The name of the server where the SQL Server instance is running
• InstanceName: The SQL Server instance name
• SqlInstance: The full SQL Server instance name (ComputerName\InstanceName)
• Database: The database name that was scanned
• DatabaseId: The unique identifier of the database
• Cmd: The DBCC OPENTRAN command executed (for reference/debugging)
• Output: Human-readable summary of the result (“Oldest active transaction” or “No active open transactions.”)
• Field: The property name from DBCC OPENTRAN output (e.g., “Transaction ID”, “OldestOpenTrxn”, “SPID”, “StartTime”, “Program Name”, “Host Name”), or $null if no active transactions
• Data: The corresponding value for the Field (e.g., transaction ID number, SPID number, timestamp, program name), or $null if no active transactions When no open transactions are found, all rows return the same database-level information with Output set to “No active open transactions.” and Field/Data set to $null. When open transactions are found, Field and Data contain the result columns from DBCC OPENTRAN output, providing detailed transaction details.