How to read SQL Server transaction logs in Toad for SQL Server? (4226327)

Toad for SQL Server includes a feature called Log Reader. It is a log analysis and data-recovery tool that reads the SQL Server transaction logs for databases to display information about changes to data and objects.

Log Reader is located under Tools | Administer | Log Reader.

In the main window there are 2 options:

1.  “Install/uninstall log reader server components”

To view the transaction log of an active database, such as on the Full Log page, the Log Reader server components must first be installed on the SQL Server instance hosting the database. The Log Reader Server Components are a set of extended stored procedures that enable the Log Reader to read the transaction logs for databases that are currently attached to SQL Server and are online. This link will bring up a wizard to walk through the check and installation of server side components.

Install the Log Reader Server Components on each SQL Server instance containing a database for which full database logs will be read from. If these components are not installed on the instance, the Log Reader can read only those log records currently in memory for the active database.

To install, the log reader will need the login information for that computer so that it can copy its server components to a SQL Server folder on the target computer.

2.  “Read Transaction Log” 

This link will bring up a wizard to location and access the logs.

If reading Online Transaction Log or Offline Transaction Log, the log files must be specify in decreasing order. For example, with 2 logs, online_log and latest transaction_log_backup_N-1, transaction_log_backup_N must be selected. It cannot be skipped and only select to read transaction_log_backup_N-1.

For more information please refer to Toad's Help files (within Toad, under Help | Contents | Manage Administration tasks | Log Reader).