New session trace file not getting created (4229548)

New session trace file not getting created

I am trying to trace the session. I go to Session Browser, select a session and click right   and select "Start Trace". I run a few SQL statements and find that a  trace is not generated. Sometimes I get it to trace but when I stop the trace I don't get another trace file. I can't start trace second time.

Steps to replicate:
1.  Open the application "CLASS"   that I want to  monitor.
2.  Log into TOAD as SYS with SYSDBA privilege to initiate trace. My trace should go to bdump as noted in the Help file.
3. I  initiate Trace for SID 19 and will  check my udump (and bdump).
4. I right click on the session I want to trace - Choose "Start Trace" and  I get the message "Trace Started"
5. I do my stuff in the "CLASS" application.
6.  I stop the trace - right click in Toad on the session and choose "Stop trace" and I get the message "Trace Stopped"
7. I check the dump file for a trace file for that trace session. I do find a trace file for the session I just traced.
8. I try to do trace again. I copy the newly created trace file in the dump directory to different file name then I delete the original trace file.
9. Back in Toad I select the session again, start trace as before, and  do some more work in "CLASS" application.
10. I stop trace as before.

Now when I check for the trace file in the dump directory, I don't find one for the last session I just traced. A new one was not created for my new trace session as I had expected and not information was traced about the work I just did. No matter what I do I can't run trace again that will recreate the file and trace to it unless I restart TOAD.

Toad is a GUI that helps you use your Oracle features like trace. In this case Toad gives you an easy way to turn on and off the Trace to a specific session but ultimately the trace functionality used it Oracle's. This is an Oracle limitation since the Trace that is run in Toad uses the Oracle feature.

Please test trace in SQL Plus, manually choosing a session and starting the  tracing in only SQL Plus. The result of the trace file creation and traced information generated by SQL Plus should be the same as what was experienced through Toad.

This is an Oracle issue, please contact Oracle support for further information.

The trace file is written to the INIT.ORA parameter user_dump_dest which is typically the bdump directory on the server. If you cannot locate them there, check your Oracle Parameters to see if the pathname for user_dump_dest has been changed. If the session being traced does not have any activity between when the trace starts and finishes, a file will not be created. There may be other reasons too, but that is an Oracle question. The file name specified in the session browser comes from Oracle. The name of the file is known before tracing starts (if it starts at all).