Get-DbaDbccSessionBuffer

Want to see the source code for this command? Check out Get-DbaDbccSessionBuffer on GitHub.
Want to see the Bill Of Health for this command? Check out Get-DbaDbccSessionBuffer.

Synopsis

Retrieves session input or output buffer contents using DBCC INPUTBUFFER or DBCC OUTPUTBUFFER

Description

Executes DBCC INPUTBUFFER or DBCC OUTPUTBUFFER to examine what SQL statements a session is executing or what data is being returned to a client. InputBuffer shows the last SQL batch sent by a client session, which is essential for troubleshooting blocking, investigating suspicious activity, or understanding what commands are causing performance issues. OutputBuffer reveals the actual data being transmitted back to the client, useful for debugging connectivity problems or examining result sets. This replaces the need to manually run DBCC commands and parse their output, especially when investigating multiple sessions simultaneously.

Read more:
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/database-console-commands/dbcc-inputbuffer-transact-sql
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/database-console-commands/dbcc-outputbuffer-transact-sql

Syntax

Get-DbaDbccSessionBuffer
    [-SqlInstance] <DbaInstanceParameter[]>
    [[-SqlCredential] <PSCredential>]
    [[-Operation] <String>]
    [[-SessionId] <Int32[]>]
    [[-RequestId] <Int32>]
    [-All]
    [-EnableException]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Examples

Example: 1

PS C:\> Get-DbaDbccSessionBuffer -SqlInstance Server1 -Operation InputBuffer -SessionId 51

Get results of DBCC INPUTBUFFER(51) for Instance Server1

Example: 2

PS C:\> Get-DbaDbccSessionBuffer -SqlInstance Server1 -Operation OutputBuffer -SessionId 51, 52

Get results of DBCC OUTPUTBUFFER for SessionId's 51 and 52 for Instance Server1

Example: 3

PS C:\> Get-DbaDbccSessionBuffer -SqlInstance Server1 -Operation InputBuffer -SessionId 51 -RequestId 0

Get results of DBCC INPUTBUFFER(51,0) for Instance Server1

Example: 4

PS C:\> Get-DbaDbccSessionBuffer -SqlInstance Server1 -Operation OutputBuffer -SessionId 51 -RequestId 0

Get results of DBCC OUTPUTBUFFER(51,0) for Instance Server1

Example: 5

PS C:\> 'Sql1','Sql2/sqlexpress' | Get-DbaDbccSessionBuffer -Operation InputBuffer -All

Get results of DBCC INPUTBUFFER for all user sessions for the instances Sql1 and Sql2/sqlexpress

Example: 6

PS C:\> 'Sql1','Sql2/sqlexpress' | Get-DbaDbccSessionBuffer -Operation OutputBuffer -All

Get results of DBCC OUTPUTBUFFER for all user sessions for the instances Sql1 and Sql2/sqlexpress

Example: 7

PS C:\> $cred = Get-Credential sqladmin
PS C:\> Get-DbaDbccSessionBuffer -SqlInstance Server1 -SqlCredential $cred -Operation InputBuffer -SessionId 51 -RequestId 0

Connects using sqladmin credential and gets results of DBCC INPUTBUFFER(51,0) for Instance Server1

Example: 8

PS C:\> $cred = Get-Credential sqladmin
PS C:\> Get-DbaDbccSessionBuffer -SqlInstance Server1 -SqlCredential $cred -Operation OutputBuffer -SessionId 51 -RequestId 0

Connects using sqladmin credential and gets results of DBCC OUTPUTBUFFER(51,0) for Instance Server1

Required Parameters

-SqlInstance

The target SQL Server instance or instances.

Optional Parameters

-SqlCredential

Login to the target instance using alternative credentials. Accepts PowerShell credentials (Get-Credential).
Windows Authentication, SQL Server Authentication, Active Directory - Password, and Active Directory - Integrated are all supported.
For MFA support, please use Connect-DbaInstance.

-Operation

Specifies which DBCC operation to execute: InputBuffer shows the last SQL statement sent by a client, while OutputBuffer shows data being returned to the client.
Use InputBuffer when troubleshooting blocking sessions, investigating suspicious activity, or identifying problematic queries.
Use OutputBuffer when debugging client connectivity issues or examining what data is being transmitted to applications.

-SessionId

Specifies one or more session IDs to examine for buffer contents. Session IDs can be found in sys.dm_exec_sessions or sys.dm_exec_requests.
Use this when you need to investigate specific sessions that are causing blocking, consuming resources, or exhibiting unusual behavior.
Cannot be used together with the -All parameter.

-RequestId

Specifies the exact request (batch) to examine within a session when multiple requests are active. Optional parameter that defaults to the current request.
Use this when a session has multiple concurrent requests and you need to examine a specific batch rather than the most recent one.
Find request IDs by querying sys.dm_exec_requests for the target session_id.

-All

Retrieves buffer information for all active user sessions instead of specific session IDs. Excludes system sessions to focus on user activity.
Use this when performing broad troubleshooting to identify which sessions are running problematic queries or consuming resources.
This parameter overrides any SessionId or RequestId values and may return large result sets on busy servers.

-EnableException

By default, when something goes wrong we try to catch it, interpret it and give you a friendly warning message.
This avoids overwhelming you with "sea of red" exceptions, but is inconvenient because it basically disables advanced scripting.
Using this switch turns this "nice by default" feature off and enables you to catch exceptions with your own try/catch.