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

[Sonja_Bauernfeind]

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

1. 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
   
   
2. Pause capture by clicking the Capture icon 
   
   
   
3. Navigate to File > Backing Files...
   
4. Select Use file named: and choose the storage path for the .pml file which will be created by the capture
   
   
5. Click OK
   
   
   
6. Click Filter
   
   
7. Add the File Path to the files you need to monitor 
   
   Example:
   
   Path is C:\FileShare then include
   
   
8. Click Add
   
   
   
   If you need to exclude files, use the same method, pointing the filter at specific files or folders and choosing Exclude.
   
9. Click OK to close the Process Monitor Filter dialogue
   
10. Resume the Capture
    
    
11. Verify that your filter is correct, then click Filter > Drop Filtered Events to avoid creating a too-large file
    
12. 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.
    
    
13. 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.
    
    
14. You can now open the saved .pml file and review it to identify the processes accessing the files you are monitoring.