SQL Server 2000 Useful Undocumented Stored Procedures

In this article, Alexander Chigrik covers some useful undocumented stored procedures that have been shipped with SQL Server 2000.

Introduction

In this article, I want to tell you about some useful undocumented stored procedures shipped with SQL Server 2000.

sp_MSget_qualified_name

This stored procedure is used to get the qualified name for the given object id. Syntax

sp_MSget_qualified_name object_id, qualified_name

where object_id - is the object id. object_id is int. qualified_name - is the qualified name of the object. qualified_name is nvarchar(512). This is the example to get the qualified name for the authors table from the pubs database.

USE pubs
GO
declare @object_id int, @qualified_name nvarchar(512)
select @object_id = object_id('authors')
EXEC sp_MSget_qualified_name @object_id, @qualified_name output
select @qualified_name
GO

Here is the result set from my machine:

--------------------------------------
[dbo].[authors]

sp_MSdrop_object

This stored procedure is used to drop the object (it can be table, view, stored procedure or trigger) for the given object id, object name, and object owner. If object id, object name, and object owner are not specified, then nothing will be dropped. Syntax

sp_MSdrop_object [object_id] [,object_name] [,object_owner]

where object_id - is the object id. object_id is int, with a default of NULL. object_name - is the name of the object. object_name is sysname, with a default of NULL. object_owner - is the object owner. object_owner is sysname, with a default of NULL. This is the example to drop the titleauthor table from the pubs database.

USE pubs
GO
declare @object_id int
select @object_id = object_id('titleauthor')
EXEC sp_MSdrop_object @object_id
GO

sp_gettypestring

This stored procedure returns the type string for the given table id and column id. Syntax

sp_gettypestring tabid, colid, typestring

where tabid - is the table id. tabid is int. colid - is the column id. colid is int. typestring - is the type string. It's output parameter. typestring is nvarchar(255). This is the example to get the type string for the column number 2 in the authors table, from the pubs database.

USE pubs
GO
declare @tabid int, @typestring nvarchar(255)
select @tabid = object_id('authors')
EXEC sp_gettypestring @tabid, 2, @typestring output
select @typestring
GO

Here is the result set from my machine:

-------------------------------
varchar(40)

sp_MSgettools_path

This stored procedure returns the path to the SQL Server 2000 tools and utilities. Syntax

sp_MSgettools_path install_path

where install_path - is the installation path. It's output parameter. install_path is nvarchar(260). This is the example to get the path to the SQL Server 2000 tools and utilities.

USE master
GO
declare @install_path NVARCHAR(260)
EXEC sp_MSgettools_path @install_path OUTPUT
select @install_path
GO

Here is the result set from my machine:

------------------------------------------------------------
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools

sp_MScheck_uid_owns_anything

This stored procedure returns the list of the object, owned by the specified user. Syntax

sp_MScheck_uid_owns_anything uid

where uid - is the User ID, unique in this database. 1 is the database owner. uid is smallint. This is the example to get the list of the objects, owned by the database owner in the pubs database.

USE pubs
GO
EXEC sp_MScheck_uid_owns_anything 1
GO

sp_columns_rowset

This stored procedure returns the complete columns description, including the length, type, name, and so on. Syntax

sp_columns_rowset table_name [, table_schema ] [, column_name]

where table_name - is the table name. table_name is sysname. table_schema - is the table schema. table_schema is sysname, with a default of NULL. column_name - is the column name. column_name is sysname, with a default of NULL. This is the example:

USE pubs
GO
EXEC sp_columns_rowset 'authors'
GO

sp_fixindex

This stored procedure can be used to fix a corruption in a system table by recreate the index. Syntax

sp_fixindex dbname, tabname, indid

where dbname - is the database name. dbname is sysname. tabname - is the system table name. tabname is sysname. indid - is the index id value. indid is int Note. Before using this stored procedure the database has to be in single user mode. See this link for more information: "How can I fix a corruption in a system table?" http://www.windows2000faq.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=14051 This is the example:

USE pubs
GO
EXEC sp_fixindex pubs, sysindexes, 2
GO

sp_MSforeachdb

Sometimes, you need to perform the same actions for all databases. You can make cursor for this purpose, but you can also use sp_MSforeachdb stored procedure in this case. You can use this stored procedure to check all databases with DBCC CHECKDB statement:

EXEC sp_MSforeachdb @command1="print '?' DBCC CHECKDB ('?')"

sp_MSforeachtable

Sometimes, you need to perform the same actions for all tables in the database. You can make cursor for this purpose, but you can also use sp_MSforeachtable stored procedure in this case. You can use this stored procedure to rebuild all indexes in your database. Try to schedule it to execute when your server is not very hard work.

EXEC sp_MSforeachtable @command1="print '?' DBCC DBREINDEX ('?')"

sp_MShelpcolumns

This stored procedure returns the complete schema for a table, including the length, type, name, and whether a column is computed. Syntax

sp_MShelpcolumns tablename [, flags] [, orderby] [, flags2]

where tablename - is the table name. tablename is nvarchar(517). flags - flags is int, with a default of 0. orderby - orderby is nvarchar(10), with a default of NULL. flags - flags2 is int, with a default of 0. To get the full columns description for the authors table in the pubs database, run:

USE pubs
GO
EXEC sp_MShelpcolumns 'authors'
GO

sp_MShelpindex

This stored procedure returns information about name, status, fill factor, index columns names, and about used file group for the given table. Syntax

sp_MShelpindex tablename [, indexname] [, flags]

where tablename - is the table name. tablename is nvarchar(517). indexname - is the index name. indexname is nvarchar(258), with a default of NULL. flags - flags is int, with a default of NULL. To get the indexes description for the authors table in the pubs database, run:

USE pubs
GO
EXEC sp_MShelpindex 'authors'
GO

sp_MShelptype

This stored procedure returns many useful information about system data types and about user data types. Syntax

sp_MShelptype [typename] [, flags]

where typename - is the type name. typename is nvarchar(517), with a default of NULL. flags - flags is nvarchar(10), with a default of NULL. To get information about all built-in and user defined data types in the pubs database, run:

USE pubs
GO
EXEC sp_MShelptype
GO

sp_MSindexspace

This stored procedure returns the size in kb, which the indexes in the particular table use. Syntax

sp_MSindexspace tablename [, index_name]

where tablename - is the table name. tablename is nvarchar(517). index_name - is the index name. index_name is nvarchar(258), with a default of NULL. To determine the space used by the indexes from the authors table in the pubs database, run:

USE pubs
GO
EXEC sp_MSindexspace 'authors'
GO

sp_MSkilldb

This stored procedure sets database to suspect and let dbcc dbrepair to kill it. You should run this sp from the context of the master database. Use it very carefully. Syntax

sp_MSkilldb dbname

where dbname - is the database name. dbname is nvarchar(258). To kill the pubs database, run:

USE master
GO
EXEC sp_MSkilldb 'pubs'
GO

sp_MStablespace

This stored procedure returns the number of rows and the space the table and index use. Syntax

sp_MStablespace name [, id]

where name - is the table name. name is nvarchar(517). id - id is int, with a default of NULL. To determine the space used by the authors table in the pubs database, run:

USE pubs
GO
EXEC sp_MStablespace 'authors'
GO

Here is the result set from my machine:

Rows        DataSpaceUsed IndexSpaceUsed
----------- ------------- --------------
23          8             32

sp_tempdbspace

This stored procedure can be used to get the total size and the space used by the tempdb database. You should execute sp_tempdbspace without parameters. Syntax

sp_tempdbspace

This is the example:

EXEC sp_tempdbspace

Here is the result set from my machine:

database_name database_size           spaceused
------------- ----------------------- -----------------------------
tempdb        9.750000                .562500

sp_who2

This stored procedure returns information about current SQL Server 2000 users and processes as sp_who, but provides more detailed information. sp_who2 returns CPUTime, DiskIO, LastBatch and ProgramName in addition to sp_who. Syntax

sp_who [loginame]

where loginame - the user's login name. If not specified, the procedure reports on all active users of SQL Server. This example returns information for the 'sa' login:

EXEC sp_who2 'sa'

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