Is your SQL Server generating dump files?

What are the SQL Server memory dump files?

They are memory dumps files generated when SQL hits a bug, or something “unexpected” happens. This same as Windows OS bluescreening.

The size and contents of which are dependent on the problem that occurred.

By the way, this check is a part of our SQL Server Health Check.

Note: Memory dump files may contain sensitive information.

Should you care about SQL Server dumps?

It’s equivalent to Windows bluescreening, so it isn’t typical behavior of SQL Server.

These files may be consuming a Lot of Disk Space too.

How can I find the dump files?

You can use the query below to list all  SQL Server dump files.

  1. SELECT *
  2. FROM sys.dm_server_memory_dumps
  3. ORDER BY creation_time DESC
Figure 1 -SQL Server Dump files.

How can I fix the issue?

  1. Patch your SQL Server, upgrade to the latest SP & CU.
  2. If the memory dumps continue and you are familiar with a debugger, you can try to understand the issue troubleshooting the files.
  3. If you’re not comfortable, open a support case with Microsoft. 

More information

Microsoft – Get Full Memory Dump.
Microsoft – sys.dm_server_memory_dumps.

Mark Varnas

Mark Varnas

Hey I'm Mark, one of the guys behind Red9. I make a living performance tuning SQL Servers and making them more stable. I channel my SQL into our SQL Managed Services, SQL Consulting and our internal database products.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *