How to open the SQL Server Transaction Log File(LDF)?

sql-server ldf
BlackThought picture BlackThought · Oct 13, 2011 · Viewed 13.7k times · Source

I mean the way to open the LDF file and read/analyze it.

Now, I have ability to extract the backup LDF file, but it seems that the LDF file is SHARE_DENY_READ when the database is working.

But the other 3rd-party software like Lumigent Log Explorer，how could they open the file?Does this kind of software read LDF directly?

Answer

Iza Pastoor picture Iza Pastoor · Sep 24, 2013

SQL Server transaction log format is not documented and therefore can’t be used to read data from it directly.

There are tools such as ApexSQL Log that can read the transaction log but it’s only because they probably spent a ton of time reverse engineering its format.

Options for reading are to:

a) figure the format on your own (not recommended) b) get yourself a third party tool c) using functions such as fn_dblog that are also not documented but can give you some details.

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