sql debugger enabling in the production server without admin privileges?

  • Hi

    I am trying to help my DBA so that I get the DEBUGGER enabled ? The caveats are:

    1. It is PRODUCTION Dabatase there is not dev/test ENVIRONMENT, so i read that by enabling debugger it will slow down the entire server, is it true ? if yes
    2. Then I can't use DEBUGGER because I also saw that I can get GRANT DEBUGGER without admin privileges I guess it doesn't matter if it slows down the server right ?

    Thanks

  • Debugging requires sysadmin permissions, and it is NOT something you want to be doing on production. Get yourself a development environment and test there. There's no good reason to be developing and testing on a live production system. If you don't have a spare server, fire up and Azure/AWS virtual machine and use that.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • It's not just a question of the debugger slowing down the server. You can generate all sorts of errors on the server during the debugging process. They can have impacts beyond what you're doing with the debugger. This type of work should never be done on a production environment. Assuming the business depends on that production environment, your primary responsibilities, even as a developer, are to ensure that the server stays online and available for the business.

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

  • Thank you both in it i am working on Dwh development and usually we don't have test /development server so can I still enable debugger? What are pros and cons

  • Rankerg - Monday, February 20, 2017 12:25 PM

    Thank you both in it i am working on Dwh development and usually we don't have test /development server so can I still enable debugger? What are pros and cons

    I've seen people hose out development environments with this so the cons are you will impact the accessibility of the data on the server and impact others.
    I understand you don't have a dev or test server. Do you have a spare PC you can use instead? You need to come up with something outside of the production environment.

    Sue

  • Rankerg - Monday, February 20, 2017 12:25 PM

    Thank you both in it i am working on Dwh development and usually we don't have test /development server so can I still enable debugger? What are pros and cons

    The cons are pretty simple and clear, you mess up some part of the production server and it is offline for some period of time. The business stops. I see no scenario where this is acceptable to most businesses.

    Debug on your laptop.

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

  • Rankerg - Sunday, February 19, 2017 3:42 PM

    Hi

    I am trying to help my DBA so that I get the DEBUGGER enabled ? The caveats are:

    1. It is PRODUCTION Dabatase there is not dev/test ENVIRONMENT, so i read that by enabling debugger it will slow down the entire server, is it true ? if yes
    2. Then I can't use DEBUGGER because I also saw that I can get GRANT DEBUGGER without admin privileges I guess it doesn't matter if it slows down the server right ?

    Thanks

    Just curious - what exactly does your DBA expect to do with the debugger which cannot be done with more conventional and environmentally-friendly tools?


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  • Rankerg - Monday, February 20, 2017 12:25 PM

     usually we don't have test /development server so can I still enable debugger?

    You can. It's a terribly idea, likely to cause all sorts of problems with the production server and severely impact the users who are working on that server, but you can do it if you're willing to accept the consequences.

    Sort out a dev/test server. VMs on Azure/AWS are not expensive, use one of those if you don't have a local server.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

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