SQL Server crashes when data drive full?

  • Hi. Has anyone experienced this in SQL 2005; that SQL Server goes down when the data or log drive drives are full? I haven't but a couple people in the company have. We're on 9.0.4053 (SP3) which I think is still a supported version.

    This doesn't make sense to me. An autogrowth should fail and that be the end of it.

    Thanks,

    Ken

  • A full drive shouldn't cause SQL to crash. It'll cause transactions to fail, that's about all.

    Check the SQL error log, see what's the last few entries in the log

    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
  • Thanks, not seeing much in the logs. I'm tempted to let the data drive fill up just to see what happens :-D. But our end user folks would be going crazy with alerts, not to mention it's a production DB.

  • So take a full backup of your production database and restore it to a test server. Then let the drives on that machine fill and see if you can recreate the behavior. Good research, maybe you'll find a solution and production isn't harmed by the testing.

  • Scott D. Jacobson (10/23/2012)


    So take a full backup of your production database and restore it to a test server. Then let the drives on that machine fill and see if you can recreate the behavior. Good research, maybe you'll find a solution and production isn't harmed by the testing.

    Scott,

    Hope server crash is something related to a sql service or setting nothing related to DB.

    Regards
    Durai Nagarajan

  • GilaMonster (10/23/2012)


    A full drive shouldn't cause SQL to crash. It'll cause transactions to fail, that's about all.

    Check the SQL error log, see what's the last few entries in the log

    I agree with Gail, it shouldn't cause it to crash, just won't be able to add new data if trans log or mdf file try to expand. You need to look at the SQL Server log and the Windows event logs to see why SQL Server crashes. There should be details in there.

  • 1) I suppose the failure of some system action could cause SQL to barf (just a supposition here)

    2) SQL 2005 SP3 is unsupported by Microsoft

    Best,
    Kevin G. Boles
    SQL Server Consultant
    SQL MVP 2007-2012
    TheSQLGuru on googles mail service

  • Gail - what if it were a system database, in particular the master database?

    Chris Powell

    George: You're kidding.
    Elroy: Nope.
    George: Then lie to me and say you're kidding.

  • Meet George Jetson (10/26/2012)


    Gail - what if it were a system database, in particular the master database?

    THe master database will probably never grow. All it holds is logins and records of the application databases. Typically it is under 10mb.

  • Truth is, this machine is flakey. Maybe it's tempdb. It was setup by another group with way too many files, 16 on an 8 core box. We've been trying to take it down to 8 files. That may be neither here nor there but the reason we're stuck on 2005 SP3 is that I'm TOLD our server admin team tried to get it up to SP4 but that "it wouldn't take". That the original group put some incompatible software on it that prevented SQL from being updated. As far as I know this original group had only installed database drivers and the like on it so SSIS packages/jobs could pull from other sources.

    Thanks,

    Ken

  • TEMPDB files can grow quite large due to sorts and temp tables.

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