The diagnostics process will trap various server related health (diagnostics) information related to the SQL Server instance in an effort to try and detect potential failures and errors.
SQLs Black Box Recorder – sp_server_diagnostics
SQL Servers Black Box Recorder – system_health
In this article, the focus will be directed to the next leg of the black box recorder – or the system_health Extended Event Session.
SQL Servers Black Box Recorder – Def Trace
Very much like what you may find with the airline industry, the black box recorder in SQL Server is not just a single method (device) implemented to capture all of the desired data points.
How to: File Target use in Extended Events
Using a file target is not difficult from a creation point of view (event session creation). But, some basics are critical or you could end up with fewer follicles.
Upgrading From SQL Server Profiler
How to correlate all of your favorite trace/profiler options into the shiny new XE equivalents.
As luck would have it, there is a means to correlate trace/profiler events to Extended Event events (yeah that sounds weird). With the release of SQL Server 2012, Microsoft introduced a couple of catalog views to help with this correlation effort.