TRANSACTION LOG (.

ldf)
 maintains a physical record of all transactions

 The transaction log is a binary file.

 In the default database configuration, the transaction log
keeps a record of all database modifications and is never
cleared unless it is backed up or explicitly truncated by a
database administrator.
Pankaj Bhatia - MBA(IT)- LPU
 The transaction log is maintained on disk as one or
more physical files.

 Log files are configured dynamically by SQL Server

and are not configurable

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TRANSACTIONS
a single unit of data operations that can be controlled so that
either all the modifications in a transaction occur, or none
occur.

ATMs

In malls, petrol stations, retail chains…

Pankaj Bhatia - MBA(IT)- LPU
 Auto-Commit
By default SQL Server connections use Auto-Commit Transactions
Balance = 1000
UPDATE SavingsAccount
Balance = 1000
SET Balance = Balance - 300
- 300
WHERE AccountID = ‘10023’
= 700

UPDATE SavingsAccount
Balance = 700
SET Balance = Balance + 500
+500
WHERE AccountID = ‘10023’
= 1200

Final Balance = 1200

Pankaj Bhatia - MBA(IT)- LPU
ERROR !!!
Balance = 1000
UPDATE SavingsAccount
Balance = 1000
SET Balance = Balance - 300
- 300
WHERE AccountID = ‘10023’
= 700

UPDATE SavingsAccount
Balance = 700
SET Balance = Balance + 500
+500
WHERE AccountID = ‘10023’
= 1200

Final Balance = 700

Customer loses Rs. 500
Pankaj Bhatia - MBA(IT)- LPU
Three ways of Executing Transactions

1. IMPLICIT
Uses try and catch block
2. EXPLICIT

3. AUTO COMMIT

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IMPLICIT

The ANSI standard for the Structured Query Language

specifies that no modifications should be made to data unless
explicitly committed.

SQL Server 2008 uses IMPLICIT_TRANSACTIONS

connection property

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SET IMPLICIT_TRANSACTIONS ON

BEGIN TRY

UPDATE CheckingAccount
SET Balance = Balance + 500
WHERE AccountID = ‘123456789-CK’
Unsaved
UPDATE SavingsAccount
SET Balance = Balance - 500
WHERE AccountID = ‘123456789-SV’

COMMIT TRANSACTION Changes saved

END TRY

BEGIN CATCH Seeks for any errors

ROLLBACK TRANSACTION
RAISERROR(’Account Transfer Failed’, 14,1) Prints message

END CATCH

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Observations

 IMPLICIT_TRANSACTIONS is set to ON - any data

modification will implicitly begin a transaction,

 but will not close the transaction.

 The transaction will remain open until it is explicitly

committed or rolled back.

Pankaj Bhatia - MBA(IT)- LPU

EXPLICIT

SQL Server uses property named BEGIN TRANSACTION to

begin the transaction

and an explicit COMMIT TRANSACTION or ROLLBACK

TRANSACTION to close the transaction

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BEGIN TRY

BEGIN TRANSACTION Explicitly used

UPDATE CheckingAccount
SET Balance = Balance + 500
WHERE AccountID = ‘123456789-CK’

UPDATE SavingsAccount
SET Balance = Balance - 500
WHERE AccountID = ‘123456789-SV’
COMMIT TRANSACTION

END TRY

BEGIN CATCH
ROLLBACK TRANSACTION
RAISERROR(’Account Transfer Failed’, 14,1)
END CATCH

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RECORDING TRANSACTIONS Data Page

CACHE
OR
SQL
SERVER HDD
SSMS Data Page

RAM (Buffer cache) CACHE (Buffer cache)

SQL Server modifies the page and simultaneously updates

transaction log

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CHECKPOINT
When issued, all dirty pages in the buffer cache are written to
the data file on disk.
BEGIN TRANSACTION 1
UPDATE ...
INSERT ...
UPDATE ...
COMMIT TRANSACTION 1 Safely written to disk
BEGIN TRANSACTION 2
INSERT ...
UPDATE ...

***CHECKPOINT***

BEGIN TRANSACTION 3
DELETE ...
UPDATE ... Modification in
COMMIT TRANSACTION 3 Transaction Log only
BEGIN TRANSACTION 4
UPDATE ...
***Server Power failure*** Pankaj Bhatia - MBA(IT)- LPU
Transaction Log Physical Characteristics
 The transaction log is implemented as a serialized,
sequential, rotary write-back log.

LSN : Log Sequence Number

The preferred method of clearing the log is by backing up the transaction log

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Thank You

Any Queries ???

Pankaj Bhatia - MBA(IT)- LPU