Microsoft KB Archive/931843

= FIX: SQL Server 2005 does not reclaim the disk space that is allocated to the temporary table if the stored procedure is stopped =

Article ID: 931843

Article Last Modified on 11/20/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition
 * Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition
 * Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard X64 Edition
 * Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise X64 Edition
 * Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition for Itanium-based Systems
 * Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition for Itanium-based Systems

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Bug #: 50000769 (SQL Hotfix)

Bug #: 501162 (SQLBUDT)



Microsoft distributes Microsoft SQL Server 2005 fixes as one downloadable file. Because the fixes are cumulative, each new release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous SQL Server 2005 fix release.



SUMMARY
This article describes the following about this hotfix release:
 * The issues that are fixed by the hotfix package
 * The prerequisites for installing the hotfix package
 * Whether you must restart the computer after you install the hotfix package
 * Whether the hotfix package is replaced by any other hotfix package
 * Whether you must make any registry changes
 * The files that are contained in the hotfix package



SYMPTOMS
Consider the following scenario:
 * In Microsoft SQL Server 2005, you have a stored procedure that creates a temporary table. The stored procedure also inserts data into the temporary table.
 * You do not run the stored procedure in an explicit transaction.
 * When you run the stored procedure, the stored procedure is stopped for one of the following reasons:
 * An exception occurs.
 * A server process ID (SPID) stops the process that runs the stored procedure.

In this scenario, SQL Server 2005 does not reclaim the disk space that is allocated to the temporary table. Additionally, you may receive one of the following error messages:

Error message 1

Error 1101: Could not allocate a new page for database 'tempdb' because of insufficient disk space in filegroup ' '. Create the necessary space by dropping objects in the filegroup, adding additional files to the filegroup, or setting autogrowth on for existing files in the filegroup.

Error message 2

Error 1105: Could not allocate space for object ' ' in database 'tempdb' because the ' ' filegroup is full. Create disk space by deleting unneeded files, dropping objects in the filegroup, adding additional files to the filegroup, or setting autogrowth on for existing files in the filegroup.



Cumulative update information
To resolve this problem, obtain the cumulative update package (build 3161) for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

935356 Cumulative update package (build 3161) for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 is available

Hotfix information
A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem, submit a request to Microsoft Online Customer Services to obtain the hotfix. To submit an online request to obtain the hotfix, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6294451

Note If additional issues occur or any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. To create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Prerequisites
You must have Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 (SP1) installed to apply this hotfix. For more information about how to obtain SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

913089 How to obtain the latest service pack for SQL Server 2005

Restart information
You do not have to restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Registry information
You do not have to change the registry.

Hotfix file information
This hotfix contains only those files that are required to correct the issues that this article lists. This hotfix may not contain all the files that you must have to fully update a product to the latest build.

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

SQL Server 2005 Itanium architecture version


WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, use one of the following methods.

Method 1
In the stored procedure, use a table variable instead of the temporary table.

For example, you have the following statement in the stored procedure. CREATE TABLE #tab (id INT, a CHAR(80)) Instead, use the following statement. DECLARE @tab TABLE (id INT, a CHAR(80))

Method 2
Run the stored procedure in an explicit transaction.

For example, you have the   stored procedure. Use the following statements to run the   stored procedure. BEGIN TRANS EXEC MySP COMMIT

Method 3
In the stored procedure, perform the operations on the temporary table in an explicit transaction.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the &quot;Applies to&quot; section.



MORE INFORMATION
If you know the reason that the stored procedure is stopped, you can prevent the stored procedure from being stopped by using a SET statement. Therefore, SQL Server 2005 reclaims the disk space that is allocated to the temporary table.

For example, you can prevent the stored procedure from being stopped by using one of the following SET statements:
 * SET XACT_ABORT OFF
 * SET ARITHABORT OFF

You can run the following statement to obtain the number of pages that are allocated by the temporary objects in the tempdb database in SQL Server 2005. SELECT Name=so.name, TotalPages=total_pages FROM tempdb.sys.objects so (NOLOCK) JOIN tempdb.sys.partitions pa (nolock) ON so.object_id = pa.object_id LEFT JOIN tempdb.sys.allocation_units al (NOLOCK) ON (al.type in (1, 3) AND pa.hobt_id = al.container_id) OR (al.type = 2 AND pa.partition_id = al.container_id) WHERE name LIKE '#%' ORDER BY Name In the result that this statement returns, many objects in the Name column may have a value that is greater than 0 in the TotalPages column. In this case, you experience this problem.

Note If an object has 0 in the TotalPages column, the object is a cached object. A cached object is truncated instead of deleted. This behavior has the following benefits:
 * The metadata of the cached object is cached.
 * The risk of contention in the tempdb database is reduced.

