Microsoft® SQL Server 2012 Unleashed

SQL Server Profiler Architecture

SQL Server 2012 has both a server and a client-side component for tracing activity on a server. The SQL trace facility is the server-side component that manages queues of events initiated by event producers on the server. Extended stored procedures can be used to define the server-side events that are to be captured. These procedures, which define a SQL trace, are discussed later in this chapter in the section, “Defining Server-Side Traces.”

The SQL Profiler is the client-side tracing facility. It comes with a fully functional GUI that allows for real-time auditing of SQL Server events. When it is used to trace server activity, events that are part of a trace definition are gathered at the server. Any filters ...