ConvertTo-DbaXESession View Source Chrissy LeMaire (@cl), netnerds.net Windows, Linux, macOS Synopsis Converts SQL Server Traces to Extended Events sessions using intelligent column and event mapping.
Description Converts existing SQL Server Traces to Extended Events sessions by analyzing trace definitions and mapping events, columns, actions, and filters to their Extended Events equivalents. This eliminates the need to manually recreate monitoring configurations when migrating from the deprecated SQL Trace to Extended Events.
Get-DbaSchemaChangeHistory View Source Stuart Moore (@napalmgram), stuart-moore.com Windows, Linux, macOS Synopsis Retrieves DDL change history from the SQL Server default system trace
Description Queries the default system trace to track CREATE, DROP, and ALTER operations performed on database objects, providing a complete audit trail of schema modifications. This helps DBAs identify who made changes, when they occurred, and which objects were affected without needing to manually parse trace files or enable custom auditing.
Get-DbaTrace View Source Garry Bargsley (@gbargsley), blog.garrybargsley.com Windows, Linux, macOS Synopsis Retrieves SQL Server trace information including status, file paths, and configuration details
Description Queries the sys.traces system view to return detailed information about active and configured traces on a SQL Server instance. This includes trace status, file locations, buffer settings, event counts, and timing data. Commonly used for monitoring trace activity, auditing trace configurations, and locating the default system trace file for troubleshooting and compliance purposes.
Read-DbaTraceFile View Source Chrissy LeMaire (@cl), netnerds.net Windows, Linux, macOS Synopsis Parses SQL Server trace files and extracts events for security auditing and performance analysis
Description Reads SQL Server trace files (.trc) using the fn_trace_gettable function and returns events as PowerShell objects for analysis. This function is essential for DBAs who need to investigate security incidents, audit database access, troubleshoot performance issues, or extract compliance data from trace files.
Remove-DbaTrace View Source Chrissy LeMaire (@cl), netnerds.net Windows, Linux, macOS Synopsis Stops and removes SQL Server traces by ID or piped input from Get-DbaTrace.
Description Stops active SQL Server traces and permanently removes their definitions from the server using sp_trace_setstatus. This function helps clean up unnecessary traces that may be consuming server resources or disk space from previous troubleshooting sessions. The default trace is protected and cannot be removed - use Set-DbaSpConfigure to disable it instead.
Start-DbaTrace View Source Chrissy LeMaire (@cl), netnerds.net Windows, Linux, macOS Synopsis Starts existing SQL Server traces that are currently stopped
Description Starts SQL Server traces that have been defined but are not currently running. This function activates traces by setting their status to 1 using sp_trace_setstatus, allowing you to begin collecting trace data for performance monitoring, auditing, or troubleshooting. The default trace cannot be started with this function - use Set-DbaSpConfigure to enable it instead.
Stop-DbaTrace View Source Chrissy LeMaire (@cl), netnerds.net Windows, Linux, macOS Synopsis Stops running SQL Server traces using sp_trace_setstatus
Description Stops one or more running SQL Server traces by calling sp_trace_setstatus with a status of 0. This is useful when you need to stop traces created for troubleshooting, performance monitoring, or security auditing that are no longer needed or are impacting server performance. The function prevents you from accidentally stopping the default trace and provides guidance to use Set-DbaSpConfigure if you need to disable it.
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