Can I set timeout for a query?

Question

Can I set timeout for a query?

oRBIT

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Points: 430
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January 17, 2023 at 6:03 pm

#4138702

Is there a way to "timeout" a query? Assume I'm coding a long sql-query. A part of the query, I don't want to run it if takes more than X seconds, then I want to abort (throw exception or something). Is it possible?
Google hasn't helped me so far..

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frederico_fonseca SSCoach Points: 16224 More actions · Answer 1

any of the SQL Clients allows you to setup a command execution timeout - that is for the full execution of either a single query or the whole of a Stored proc.

The above is the normal way to do it.

with newer versions (2016 sp2 and higher) it is possible on Enterprise edition and with a trace flag to force a query to stop by using Resource Governor - but very dangerous as it affects everything on the particular workgroup. see https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/statements/create-workload-group-transact-sql?view=sql-server-ver16

oRBIT SSC-Addicted Points: 430 More actions · Answer 2

I mean within the SQL itself. Assume something like this fictional code:

IF (condition...)

BEGIN

SET EXECUTION_TIMEOUT=1000

SELECT * FROM dbo.VeryLargeTable

-- If the above select-statment takes more than 1000ms it aborts itself and throws an error or something...

END

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004593 More actions · Answer 3

oRBIT wrote:

I mean within the SQL itself. Assume something like this fictional code:
IF (condition...) BEGIN
SET EXECUTION_TIMEOUT=1000 SELECT * FROM dbo.VeryLargeTable -- If the above select-statment takes more than 1000ms it aborts itself and throws an error or something...
END

I could be wrong but my answer is no... not possible in SQL Server.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

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Can I set timeout for a query?

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