Modify trace templates

Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Managed Instance

You can modify templates that are saved in a file on the local computer on which SQL Server Profiler is running. You can also modify templates derived from those files. When you modify existing templates, you edit template properties such as event classes and data columns, in the same order that the properties were set originally, on the Events Selection tab of the Trace Properties dialog box. Event classes and data columns can be added or removed, and filters can be changed. After the template is modified, a user-specific template is created and the original system template is left intact. For more information, see Save Traces and Trace Templates.

You may need to derive a template from an existing trace file if you cannot remember (or have not saved) the original template that was used to create the trace, or if you want to run the same trace at a later date. When working with existing traces, you can view the properties, but you cannot modify the properties. To modify the properties, stop or pause the trace. For more information, see Derive a Template from a Trace File or Trace Table (SQL Server Profiler) and Derive a Template from a Running Trace (SQL Server Profiler).

To modify a trace template

  1. On the File menu, point to Templates, and then click Edit Template.

  2. In the Trace Template Properties dialog box, on the General tab, you can modify the server type and template name, or choose to use a default template for the server type.

  3. On the Events Selection tab, use the grid control to add or remove events and data columns from the trace file as follows.

    • To add an event, expand the appropriate event category in the Events column, and then select the event name.

    • When you add an event, all relevant data columns are included by default. To remove a data column for an event from a trace, clear the check box in the data column for the event.

    • To add filters, click the data column name and specify the filter criteria in the Edit Filter dialog box. You can also right-click the data column name, and click Edit Column Filter to launch the Edit Filter dialog box. Click OK to add the filter.

  4. Click Save, or click Save As to save the trace template under another name.

Next steps

Start a trace
Create a trace
Modify an existing trace using Transact-SQL
Specify events and data columns for a trace using SQL Server Profiler
sp-trace-setevent-transact-sql