xp_logevent
xp_logevent extended stored procedure is used to log the message into the SQL Server error log and event viewer application log.
Syntax
xp_logevent { error_number , ‘message’ } [ , ‘severity’ ]
Parameter Description
Error number Error number should be greater than 50000
Message Text you want to record in the error log and event viewer log
Severity Optional parameter (warning, informational or error) used to determine the type of error that will be logged in the NT application event log.
Than the question will arise in your mind what is the use of RAISERROR, here is the difference between XP_LOGEVENT and RAISEERROR
| XP_LOGEVENT | RAISEERROR |
| Logs a user-defined message in the SQL Server log file and in the Windows Event Viewer. xp_logevent can be used to send an alert without sending a message to the client. | Generates an error message. RAISERROR can either reference a user-defined message stored in the sys.messages view or build a message dynamically |
| Syntax xp_logevent { error_number , ‘message’ } [ , ‘severity’ ] |
Syntax RAISERROR ( { msg_id | msg_str | @local_variable } { ,severity ,state } [ ,argument [ ,…n ] ] ) [ WITH option [ ,…n ] ] |
| Does not return the error to the client application | Does return the error to the client application |
| Does not change the value of @@error | Does change the value of @@error |
| Can only be used to log the messages in the SQL Server error log and event viewer log | Can use for error handling and RaiseError with log can perform the similar functionality to XP_LOGEVENT |
| Permission Requires membership in the db_owner fixed database role in the master database, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role. |
Permission Severity levels from 0 through 18 can be specified by any user. Severity levels from 19 through 25 can only be specified by members of the sysadmin fixed server role or users with ALTER TRACE permissions |
Example
EXEC master..xp_logevent 50003, ‘Stored Procedure executed successfully’
Exec xp_readerrorlog –check the error message in error log or event viewer log
Doing this: EXEC master..xp_logevent 50003, ‘Stored Procedure executed successfully’
On event viewer we get this: Error: 50003 Severity: 10 State: 1 Stored Procedure executed successfully
Can we not showing ‘Error: 50003’ as part of the message, as this is not intended to be logged as an error?