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Open Log File Viewer

Applies to: SQL Server

You can use Log File Viewer in SQL Server Management Studio to access information about errors and events that are captured in the following logs:

  • Audit collection
  • Data collection
  • Database Mail
  • Job history
  • SQL Server
  • SQL Server Agent
  • Windows events (These Windows events can also be accessed from Event Viewer.)

You can use Registered Servers to view SQL Server log files from local or remote instances of SQL Server. By using Registered Servers, you can view the log files when the instances are either online or offline.

For more information about how to access offline SQL Server log files, see View Offline Log Files.

You can open Log File Viewer in several ways, depending on the information that you want to view.

Permissions

To access log files for instances of SQL Server that are online, this requires membership in the securityadmin fixed server role.

To access log files for instances of SQL Server that are offline, you must have read access to both the Root\Microsoft\SqlServer\ComputerManagement10 WMI namespace, and to the folder where the log files are stored. For more information, see the Security section of the topic View Offline Log Files.

View log files

  1. In Object Explorer, expand Management.

  2. There are two options to view logs:

    • Right-click SQL Server Logs, point to View, and then select either SQL Server Log or SQL Server and Windows Log.

    • Expand SQL Server Logs, right-click any log file, and then select View SQL Server Log. You can also double-click any log file.

    The logs include Database Mail, SQL Server, SQL Server Agent, and Windows.

In Object Explorer, expand SQL Server Agent, right-click Jobs, and then select View History.

The logs include Database Mail, Job History, and SQL Server Agent.

In Object Explorer, expand Management, right-click Maintenance Plans, and then select View History.

The logs include Database Mail, Job History, Maintenance Plans, Remote Maintenance Plans, and SQL Server Agent.

In Object Explorer, expand Management, right-click Data Collection, and then select View Logs.

The logs include Data Collection, Job History, and SQL Server Agent.

In Object Explorer, expand Management, right-click Database Mail, and then select View Database Mail Log.

The logs include Database Mail, Job History, Maintenance Plans, Remote Maintenance Plans, SQL Server, SQL Server Agent, and Windows.

In Object Explorer, expand Security, expand Audits, right-click an audit, and then select View Audit Logs.

The logs include Audit Collection and Windows.

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