Mysterious start up trace

  • Hi everyone. I deleted a Windows folder that I thought was unused and it caused SQL Server to go offline and failover to the other node.

    I found the below in the event log.

    Cluster file server resource 'FileServer-(SQLInstance2)(Cluster Disk 6)' cannot be brought online. The resource failed to create file share 'sqltrace' associated with network name 'SQLInstance2'. The error code was '2'. Verify that the folders exist and are accessible. Additionally, confirm the state of the Server service on this cluster node using Server Manager and look for other related events on this cluster node. It may be necessary to restart the network name resource 'SQLInstance2' in this clustered service or application.

    sys.traces shows that there is an active trace being written to that Windows directory "sqltrace" which I had deleted. There used to be a start up stored procedure that started this trace when the instance came online but I stopped the trace, deleted the start up stored procedure, and even set the "scan for startup procs" configuration option to 0 but it still launches the trace at start up.

    This is a mystery. I don't know what is causing the trace to start. I assume that is why the SQL Server went down when I deleted the directory.

    Has anyone seen anything like this?

  • C2 audit enabled?

    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
  • Is there a SQL Agent job that runs at startup that creates the trace?

    If the trace definition is still in sys.traces then the trace definition is somewhere.

  • Hi Gail and Jack,

    c2 auditing is not enabled. Common Criteria compliance is enabled.

    I've checked all of the Agent jobs. None of them are set to execute at start up.

    This trace is one that I used to have as an auto start because we used it for auditing at one point. Since then, we no longer need the auditing so I deleted the stored procedure that had the auto execute flag. For some reason, it is still launching the trace when SQL Server starts.

    There is something I'm missing but haven't been able to find it yet.

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