File Access and Process Monitoring: How to find locked files and the processes locking them

Sonja_Bauernfeind — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:26:58 GMT

There are multiple ways to go about finding out the exact process of locking a file and preventing QlikView or Qlik Sense from carrying out a specific operation. This article covers one possible option on a Windows Server Operating Systems, Process Monitor.

For other options and third-party implementations, please contact your Windows administrator.

Common causes for locks are:

A QVB (Reload Engine) that did not terminate correctly
Qlik Sense Engine service holding file in error
The QVS.exe (QlikView Server Service) holding the file in error
AntiVirus Software during the scanning process
Backup Software locking the file during the backup process
Scheduled maintenance tools (Windows or Third Party)

Using the Process Monitor

Download Windows Process Monitor and unzip it to your server (Desktop is fine, the location doesn't matter). Link: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645.aspx
Pause capture by clicking the Capture icon
Navigate to File > Backing Files...
Select Use file named: and choose the storage path for the .pml file which will be created by the capture
Click OK
Click Filter
Add the File Path to the files you need to monitor

Example:

Path is C:\FileShare then include
Click Add

If you need to exclude files, use the same method, pointing the filter at specific files or folders and choosing Exclude.
Click OK to close the Process Monitor Filter dialogue
Resume the Capture
Verify that your filter is correct, then click Filter > Drop Filtered Events to avoid creating a too-large file
Reproduce the issue you are looking to troubleshoot

If the issue cannot be replicated on demand, and Procmon needs to run until issue occurs, "Backing files" and "History Depth" may need to be configured to store the capture in multiple files with limited size.
Stop Capture once you have captured the issue

Note: Do not close Procmon as means to stop the capture as this may inadvertently remove the .pml files.
You can now open the saved .pml file and review it to identify the processes accessing the files you are monitoring.

Re: File Access and Process Monitoring: How to find locked files and the processes locking them

Luis_Galvan — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 17:18:17 GMT

Great documentation to identify those processes impacting a load or store statements and hard to identify in some situations.

article File Access and Process Monitoring: How to find locked files and the processes locking them in Official Support Articles

File Access and Process Monitoring: How to find locked files and the processes locking them

Using the Process Monitor

Re: File Access and Process Monitoring: How to find locked files and the processes locking them