Extended Events

Extended Events#

This page explains how to run, save, and manage ad‑hoc Extended Events (XE) traces in DBA Dash. It covers multi‑instance tracing, templates, history, export options, and the required configuration and repository security.

Demo#

Running an ad‑hoc trace (XE session)#

1. Instances to trace

Select the instance(s) you want to trace. If you open the “Extended Events” node under a specific SQL instance, that instance is preselected. From the root you can add instances using the Add Instance button.

2. Trace configuration

Adjust the trace duration and any other properties. The default duration is 1 minute — increase or decrease as needed.

3. Events

Select which events to capture. Common events are provided as shortcuts:

• rpc_completed (RPC Completed)
  • Selecting this automatically filters out sp_reset_connection (connection pool resets). Remove the filter if you need those events.
• sql_batch_completed (Batch Completed)
• error_reported (Error Reported)
  • Selecting this automatically adds a filter for severity >= 11 to remove informational messages. Remove or edit the filter if you wish to capture other severities.

Use the event dropdown to browse the full event list; use the search box to filter a large list. You can also select global and event-specific fields from the grid link.

4. Filters

Apply filters to limit collected events to the subset you care about:

• Choose an event (or select “(All events)”)
• Select a field (event fields are marked with an asterisk)
• Choose a comparison operator
• Enter the filter value

Duration and cpu_time filters accept values in milliseconds (ms) by default for convenience; you can switch to microseconds, seconds, or minutes as needed.

Start the trace by clicking “Start Trace” and wait for the results to appear.

Screenshot shows events collected from two Azure DBs.

Templates#

Templates let you save and reload an XE configuration quickly.

You can define template parameters so the UI prompts for values when loading a template (for example, application name or session_id).

History#

The History menu provides quick access to recent traces for the current context.

The XE Trace History tab shows details for traces you ran, with actions to view data, delete traces, or copy the generated CREATE EVENT SESSION script. By default you can see only your own traces unless you are db_owner on the repository database.

Traces are retained for 30 days by default; retention is configurable in the data retention settings (XETraceEvent, XETraceSession tables).

Traces can be exported to disk in JSON or XML formats (compressed and uncompressed). Exported traces can be reloaded using the “Open Trace file…” option in the History menu.

Configuration and security#

XE sessions are triggered from the GUI via the messaging feature. Sessions are created and managed under the DBA Dash service account. The Extended Events functionality is disabled by default and must be enabled in the Service Configuration tool (Messaging tab). Access is then controlled via repository database role membership.

Enable the feature#

To enable Extended Events:

• Open the Messaging tab in the Service Configuration tool
• Ensure Enable Communication is checked
• Check Allow Ad-hoc XE to permit creating ad‑hoc XE traces
• Set an appropriate XE Trace maximum duration (client-side durations will be capped at this value)
• Configure Manage XE sessions to control which existing sessions may be started/stopped. This is a comma‑separated list of session names. Use * to allow all sessions and prefix a session with - to exclude it (for example: *,-system_health,-AlwaysOn_health,-telemetry_xevents)
• Configure Watch XE sessions to control which sessions can be viewed (blank = none, * = all)
• Save and restart the service for changes to take effect

Repository DB security#

Only users with the appropriate roles in the repository database can run ad‑hoc XE sessions or manage/watch existing sessions.

• db_owner (or sysadmin) — access by default

Other users require:

• Membership in the Messaging role (required for all messaging access)
• Plus one or more of the application-level roles below:
  • AdhocXE — allows running ad‑hoc XE sessions
  • WatchXE — allows watching and viewing data for XE sessions
  • ManageXE — allows starting/stopping existing XE sessions