Displaying Information About Tasks

Prerequisites

You are logged on to the database as the database system administrator.

Procedure

Select the database in the explorer tree.
In the context menu of the database, choose Administration.

Open the Task Manager tab page.

The running tasks are displayed.

Task Types
Name	Description
`Database Analyzer` task	Tasks for Database Analyzer Database Analyzer tasks are taken from the floating service task pool, which is limited by the `FloatingServiceTasks` parameter. More information: Support Parameter
`Event` task	Tasks for events Event tasks are also taken from the floating service task pool, which is limited by the `FloatingServiceTasks` parameter.
`Floating Service` task	`Database Analyzer` and `Event` tasks are taken from the floating service task pool, which is limited by the `FloatingServiceTasks` parameter.
`Idle` task	Used for internal task scheduling
`Log Writer`	`Log Writers` write log entries from the log queue to the log area, for example after a COMMIT or during a savepoint. There is a log writer for each log partition. More information: Log Area You define the maximum number of log writers with the special database parameter `MaxLogWriterTasks`. More information: Special Database Parameters
`Pager` (formerly `Data Writer`)	`Pagers` write the data from the data cache to the data volumes at each savepoint. Writing a savepoint can take a long time for a large data cache. If necessary, `Pagers` also become active between savepoints, to write the changed data asynchronously. During a restart of the database, `Pagers` read the converter pages from the data volumes into the converter. The system calculates the number of `Pagers` required. It is primarily dependent on the size of the data cache and the number of data volumes.
`Server` task	`Server` tasks parallelize database functions. They are required, for example, to back up data and log entries, create indexes and to permanently delete tables. During a restart of the database, `Server` tasks import log entries and process transactions in parallel. You can configure the number of `Server` tasks that are available using the `MaxServerTasks` special database parameter. Server tasks can have special names that reflect how they are used, for example `Savepoint`, `BackupMedium`, `BackupVolume`, `AutosaveCoordinator`, `AutosaveMedium`.
`Timer` task	The `Timer` task is responsible for time-outs of SQL lock requests and checks whether log entries can be backed up.
`Trace Writer` task	The `Trace Writer` task writes the trace entries in the working memory when the database trace is switched on.
`User` task	`User` tasks execute SQL statements. When a database user opens a database session, the database system assigns one `User` task to this database user. User tasks create the main load for the processor. You can configure the number of available `User` tasks using the special database parameter `MaxUserTasks`.
`Utility` task	The `Utility` task performs administration tasks.

Task States
Old Name	New Name (as of software version 7.7.03.15 )	Description
`AsynClose`	`Stream Close`	Task is closing I/O ports after backup or restore.
`AsynCntl`	`-`	Task is determining parameters or initializing a backup device.
`AsynIO`	`Stream IO`	Task is executing I/O operation (during backup or restore).
`-`	`Stream Init`	Task is initializing backup or restore operation.
`AsynOpen`	`Stream Open`	Task is opening I/O ports for backup or restore.
`AsynWaitRead/Write`	`Stream Wait(R)/(W)`	Task is waiting for the end of an I/O operation during backup or restore (W: Write, R: Read).
`Command reply`	`Command reply`	Task is sending the result of a request to the application.
`Command wait`	`Command wait`	Database session without a request.
`Connect wait`	`Connect wait`	Task is already running and waiting for the database session to be created.
`Continue`	`Continue`	Tasks is in the process of releasing another task from the `Stopped` state.
`DcomObjCalled`	`LCApp Called`	Task is executing an SAP liveCache application routine.
`Inactive`	`Inactive`	Task is free (not linked) and cannot run. The task does not have a stack.
`InsertEvent`	`Insert Event`	Task is generating an event.
`-`	`IO CPort Wait`	Task is waiting for an `RTE Completion Port`.
`-`	`IO Job Execute`	Task is executing an I/O job.
`-`	`IO Job Wait`	Task is waiting for the end of an I/O job.
`IO wait (W/R)`	`IO wait (W/R)`	Task is waiting for the result of an I/O operation (`W`: Write, `R`: Read).
`Locked`	`Locked`	Task was locked as the kernel was shut down (to avoid this task being rescheduled).
`Mark for Start`	`Startable`	Task is free (not linked) and cannot run. The task already has a stack (system has already allocated all resources) and is waiting for the start.
`RescheduleMsec`	`RescheduleMsec`	Short-term wait situation, task will run again automatically after a predefined time span (in microseconds).
`Runnable`	`ShareLck Yield`	Task can run now, but has been displaced due to long runtime or priority of another task.
`Runnable`	`ExclLock Yield`	Task can run now, but has been displaced due to long runtime or priority of another task.
`Running`	`Running`	Task is running, using CPU.
`Spinlock loop`	`Spinlock Loop`	Task is trying to obtain a spinlock.
`SpinlockYield`	`Spinlock Yield`	Task gives up control voluntarily. This situation occurs when the task has just tried to obtain a spinlock but without success.
`Stopped`	`Stopped`	Task was stopped by the kernel and is waiting to run again.
`Terminated`	`Terminated`	Task or database session was ended.
`UNKNOWN`	`UNKNOWN`	Task state is unknown.
`Vattach`	`Volume Attach`	Task is opening I/O ports (volumes, normal operation).
`Vbegexcl`	`Enter ExclLock`	Task is waiting to be allowed to enter a protected area exclusively.
`Vdetach`	`Volume Detach`	Task is closing I/O ports (volumes).
`Vdevsize`	`-`	Task is determining the size of a volume or formatting a volume.
`Vdualvectorio`	`Dual Vector IO`	Task is performing a vector I/O operation (read or write) on two volumes in parallel.
`vdiaginit`	`Trace init`	Task is initializing the trace volume.
`Vendexcl`	`Leave ExclLock`	Task is leaving a protected area.
`VenterRWRegion`	`Enter ShareLck`	Task is waiting to be allowed to enter a conditionally shared area.
`Vfclose`	`File Close`	Task is closing a file.
`Vfopen`	`File Open`	Task is opening a file.
`Vfwrite`	`File Write`	Task is writing to a file.
`VleaveRWRegion`	`Leave ShareLck`	Task is exiting a protected, conditionally shared area.
`-`	`VolumeFormatW`	Task is waiting for a volume to be formatted.
`Vopmsg`	`Message Output`	Task is writing a message to one of the following database files: `knldiag`, `knldiag.err`, `opmsg[n]`
`Vrelease`	`Connect Close`	Task is ending the database session.
`Vshutdown`	`DB OFFLINE`	Task is changing the operational state of the database from ONLINE to OFFLINE.
`Vsleep`	`Sleeping`	Short-term wait situation, task will run again automatically after a predefined time span.
`Vsuspend`	`Suspend`	Task is suspended and waiting to be awoken explicitly by another task (`Vresume`). There are special `Vsuspend` wait situations that are displayed under a specific name. More information: Vsuspend Task States table
`Vvectorio`	`Vector IO`	Task is executing a vector I/O operation (read or write).
`-`	`Volume Format`	Task is formatting volume(s).
`-`	`IOComPort Wait`	Task is waiting for an I/O order confirmation from the I/O completion port.
`-`	`Aborting`	Task is exiting the database session.
`Yielding`	`-`	Task gives up control voluntarily.
`-`	`Initialized`	Task was initialized.
`WaitForEvent`	`Wait For Event`	Task is waiting for an event.

You can show and hide tasks according to the following criteria:
- Active: running tasks
- Runnable: tasks that could run
- User: user tasks
- System: all tasks other than user tasks
- All: all tasks
To display further information about a task, select the task and choose Details for Tasks underneath the task overview.

Time Measurement

In the task overview, you can also activate or deactivate the database-internal time measurement of database activities.

Caution Caution

Only activate time measurement when asked to do so by support.

Time measurement has a negative impact on the performance of your system.

End of the caution.

If internal time measurement is active, the system collects detailed information about database activities (for example, the average response times of SQL statements or the duration of log I/O operations). This information is used, for example, by the Database Analyzer or XCONS.

More Information

Concepts of the Database System, Tasks
Database Analyzer
XCONS