https://www.sqlserver70.com/tags/long-running-transactions/Recent content in Long Running Transactions on SQL Server ScriptsHugo -- gohugo.ioenSQLServer70.comSun, 02 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.sqlserver70.com/post/long-open-transactions-dm-tran-active-transactions/Sun, 02 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.sqlserver70.com/post/long-open-transactions-dm-tran-active-transactions/ <p>A transaction that never commits keeps every log record written after it pinned in place, no matter how much work piles up behind it. <code>sys.dm_tran_active_transactions</code> lists every transaction currently open on the instance, but on its own it only shows a transaction ID and a start time — pairing it with <code>sys.dm_tran_session_transactions</code> and <code>sys.dm_exec_sessions</code> turns that anonymous row into a specific session, login, and elapsed duration worth investigating.</p> <script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1012089347386563" crossorigin="anonymous"></script> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-1012089347386563" data-ad-slot="8593449130"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <h2 id="purpose-and-overview">Purpose and Overview</h2> <p>The transaction log can only truncate up to the oldest point still needed for recovery, and an open transaction — no matter how small the actual data change behind it — holds that point fixed wherever it began. A transaction log backup running on schedule and a <code>CHECKPOINT</code> completing normally free nothing if a session opened a transaction ten minutes ago and hasn't committed or rolled back since. The log keeps growing, autogrow events start firing, and the eventual full-log error traces back to a single session that most routine monitoring never surfaces directly.</p>