PURPOSE ------- The purpose of this article is to explain briefly the structure of the syntax to event-based trace generation. Setting an event: The structure of the trace syntax --------------------------------------------------- @ A comprehensive/full overview of the event syntax can be found in: @ Note:9331.1 - Full Event Syntax (from ksdp.c) @ Note:45217.1 - Summary Event Syntax for WWCS 0. "Setting an Event" - Abstract definition: ============================================ "Setting an event" means to tell oracle to generate information in form of a so called trace file in the context of the event. 1. Event Classes to be traced: ============================== There are 4 Classes of traceable events: Class 1 "Dump something": Traces are generated upon so called unconditioned, immediate, events. This is the case when oracle data has to be dumped like, e.g., the headers of all redolog files or the contents of the controlfile. These events can not be set in the init<SID>.ora. Class 2 "Trap on Error" : Setting this class of (error-) events cause oracle to generate a so called errorstack everytime the event happens. Class 3 "Change execution path" : Setting such an event will cause oracle to change the execution path for some specific code segment. For example, setting event "10269" prevents SMON from doing free space coalescing. Class 4 "Trace something": Events from this class are set to obtain traces that are used for, e.g., sql tuning. A common event is "10046" which will cause oracle to trace the sql access path on each sql-statement. II. Event based trace generation syntax - Overview and examples: ================================================================ 1. Session: alter session set events '10181 trace name context forever, level 1000'; 2. init<sid>.ora: event="10181 trace name context forever, level 1000"; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | TRACE | TRACE SYNTAX | | CLASS | | |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | <event name> | <action> | |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | <action key word> | "name" | <trace name> | <trace qualifier> | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | immediate | trace | "name" | blockdump | level 67110390 | | | immediate | trace | "name" | redohdr | level 10 | | | immediate | trace | "name" | file_hdrs | level 10 | | "Dump | immediate | trace | "name" | controlf | level 10 | | Something" | immediate | trace | "name" | systemstate | level 10 | | | | | | | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | | | | 942 | trace | "name" | errorstack | forever | | | 942 | trace | "name" | errorstack | off | | "Trap | 60 | trace | "name" | errorstack | level 1 | | on | 6501 | trace | "name" | processstate | level 10 | | Error" | 4030 | trace | "name" | heapdump | level 2 | | | | | | | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | | | "Change | 10269 | trace | "name" | context | forever, level 10 | | Execution | | | | | | | path" | | | | | | | | | | | | | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | | | | 10046 | trace | "name" | context | forever, level 12 | | "Trace | 10046 | trace | "name" | context | off | | something" | | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- III: Trace syntax: Annotations =============================== 0. There are tools like oradebug that allow for setting an event in another session; this is useful, e.g., for tracing the export utility. @Setting Events from Oracle Tools <Note:45219.1"> @For a list of common ACTIONS see <Event:List> @For COMMON numeric events see <event:Numeric> 1. The general syntax of setting an event is: <event name> <action> <action> consists of three parts: <action key word> <trace name> <trace qualifier> @<action key word> can be either "trace", "crash", or "debug". @ See <Note:9331.1"> <event name> is either "immediate", by this indicating an unconditioned event or an event name given as a symbolic number from the system event name table. An unconditioned event (keyword "immediate") cannot be set in the parameter file. <trace qualifier> "forever" means: Activate a trace whenever this event occurs. <trace name> "context" is a special trace name and pertains only to events set up to either trace a diagnostic event or to change the behaviour of the oracle code execution path. It cannot be used in conjunction with errorstack- ("errorstack") or dump-generating ("immediate") events. 2. There are exactly 2 types of events, session-events and process-events. Process-events are initialized in the parameter file, session-events are initialized with the "alter session..." or "alter system ..."command. When checking for posted events, the oracle server first checks for session events then for process-events. RELATED DOCUMENTS ----------------- @ Event Syntax for most common forms of event setting <Note:45217.1> @ The FULL Event syntax <Note:9331.1> @ Setting Events from Oracle Tools <Note:45219.1> @ List of common ACTIONS <Event:List> @ COMMON numeric events <Event:Numeric>