Investigating errors from strange query

Question

In my database error logs (produced as in this answer), I see many instances (hundreds per day) of the following query:

declare @HkeyLocal nvarchar(18)
declare @ServicesRegPath nvarchar(34)
declare @SqlServiceRegPath sysname
declare @BrowserServiceRegPath sysname
declare @MSSqlServerRegPath nvarchar(31)
declare @InstanceNamesRegPath nvarchar(59)
declare @InstanceRegPath sysname
declare @SetupRegPath sysname
declare @NpRegPath sysname
declare @TcpRegPath sysname
declare @RegPathParams sysname
declare @FilestreamRegPath sysname
select @HkeyLocal=N'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE'
-- Instance-based paths
select @MSSqlServerRegPath=N'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer'
select @InstanceRegPath=@MSSqlServerRegPath + N'\MSSQLServer'
select @FilestreamRegPath=@InstanceRegPath + N'\Filestream'
select @SetupRegPath=@MSSqlServerRegPath + N'\Setup'
select @RegPathParams=@InstanceRegPath+'\Parameters'
-- Services
select @ServicesRegPath=N'SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services'
select @SqlServiceRegPath=@ServicesRegPath + N'\MSSQLSERVER'
select @BrowserServiceRegPath=@ServicesRegPath + N'\SQLBrowser'
-- InstanceId setting
select @InstanceNamesRegPath=N'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\SQL'
-- Network settings
select @NpRegPath=@InstanceRegPath + N'\SuperSocketNetLib\Np'
select @TcpRegPath=@InstanceRegPath + N'\SuperSocketNetLib\Tcp'
declare @SmoAuditLevel int
exec master.dbo.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @InstanceRegPath, N'AuditLevel', @SmoAuditLevel OUTPUT
declare @NumErrorLogs int
exec master.dbo.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @InstanceRegPath, N'NumErrorLogs', @NumErrorLogs OUTPUT
declare @SmoLoginMode int
exec master.dbo.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @InstanceRegPath, N'LoginMode', @SmoLoginMode OUTPUT
declare @SmoMailProfile nvarchar(512)
exec master.dbo.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @InstanceRegPath, N'MailAccountName', @SmoMailProfile OUTPUT
declare @BackupDirectory nvarchar(512)
if 1=isnull(cast(SERVERPROPERTY('IsLocalDB') as bit), 0)
select @BackupDirectory=cast(SERVERPROPERTY('instancedefaultdatapath') as nvarchar(512))
else
exec master.dbo.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @InstanceRegPath, N'BackupDirectory', @BackupDirectory OUTPUT
declare @SmoPerfMonMode int
exec master.dbo.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @InstanceRegPath, N'Performance', @SmoPerfMonMode OUTPUT
if @SmoPerfMonMode is null
begin
set @SmoPerfMonMode = 1000
end
declare @InstallSqlDataDir nvarchar(512)
exec master.dbo.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @SetupRegPath, N'SQLDataRoot', @InstallSqlDataDir OUTPUT
declare @MasterPath nvarchar(512)
declare @LogPath nvarchar(512)
declare @ErrorLog nvarchar(512)
declare @ErrorLogPath nvarchar(512)
select @MasterPath=substring(physical_name, 1, len(physical_name) - charindex('\', reverse(physical_name))) from master.sys.database_files where name=N'master'
select @LogPath=substring(physical_name, 1, len(physical_name) - charindex('\', reverse(physical_name))) from master.sys.database_files where name=N'mastlog'
select @ErrorLog=cast(SERVERPROPERTY(N'errorlogfilename') as nvarchar(512))
select @ErrorLogPath=substring(@ErrorLog, 1, len(@ErrorLog) - charindex('\', reverse(@ErrorLog)))
declare @SmoRoot nvarchar(512)
exec master.dbo.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @SetupRegPath, N'SQLPath', @SmoRoot OUTPUT
declare @ServiceStartMode int
EXEC master.sys.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @SqlServiceRegPath, N'Start', @ServiceStartMode OUTPUT
declare @ServiceAccount nvarchar(512)
EXEC master.sys.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @SqlServiceRegPath, N'ObjectName', @ServiceAccount OUTPUT
declare @NamedPipesEnabled int
exec master.dbo.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @NpRegPath, N'Enabled', @NamedPipesEnabled OUTPUT
declare @TcpEnabled int
EXEC master.sys.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @TcpRegPath, N'Enabled', @TcpEnabled OUTPUT
declare @InstallSharedDirectory nvarchar(512)
EXEC master.sys.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @SetupRegPath, N'SQLPath', @InstallSharedDirectory OUTPUT
declare @SqlGroup nvarchar(512)
exec master.dbo.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @SetupRegPath, N'SQLGroup', @SqlGroup OUTPUT
declare @FilestreamLevel int
exec master.dbo.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @FilestreamRegPath, N'EnableLevel', @FilestreamLevel OUTPUT
declare @FilestreamShareName nvarchar(512)
exec master.dbo.xp_instance_regread @HkeyLocal, @FilestreamRegPath, N'ShareName', @FilestreamShareName OUTPUT
declare @cluster_name nvarchar(128)
declare @quorum_type tinyint
declare @quorum_state tinyint
BEGIN TRY
SELECT @cluster_name = cluster_name,
@quorum_type = quorum_type,
@quorum_state = quorum_state
FROM sys.dm_hadr_cluster
END TRY
BEGIN CATCH
--Querying this DMV using a contained auth connection throws error 15562 (Module is untrusted)
--because of lack of trustworthiness by the server. This is expected so we just leave the
--values as default
IF(ERROR_NUMBER() NOT IN (297,300, 15562))
BEGIN
THROW
END
END CATCH
SELECT @SmoAuditLevel AS [AuditLevel], ISNULL(@NumErrorLogs, -1) AS [NumberOfLogFiles], (case when @SmoLoginMode  'A' then 1 else 0 end AS bit) AS [IsCaseSensitive], @@MAX_PRECISION AS [MaxPrecision], CAST(FULLTEXTSERVICEPROPERTY('IsFullTextInstalled') AS bit) AS [IsFullTextInstalled], SERVERPROPERTY(N'ProductVersion') AS [VersionString], CAST(SERVERPROPERTY(N'Edition') AS sysname) AS [Edition], CAST(SERVERPROPERTY(N'ProductLevel') AS sysname) AS [ProductLevel], CAST(SERVERPROPERTY('IsSingleUser') AS bit) AS [IsSingleUser], CAST(SERVERPROPERTY('EngineEdition') AS int) AS [EngineEdition], convert(sysname, serverproperty(N'collation')) AS [Collation], CAST(SERVERPROPERTY('IsClustered') AS bit) AS [IsClustered], CAST(SERVERPROPERTY(N'MachineName') AS sysname) AS [NetName], @LogPath AS [MasterDBLogPath], @MasterPath AS [MasterDBPath], SERVERPROPERTY('instancedefaultdatapath') AS [DefaultFile], SERVERPROPERTY('instancedefaultlogpath') AS [DefaultLog], SERVERPROPERTY(N'ResourceVersion') AS [ResourceVersionString], SERVERPROPERTY(N'ResourceLastUpdateDateTime') AS [ResourceLastUpdateDateTime], SERVERPROPERTY(N'CollationID') AS [CollationID], SERVERPROPERTY(N'ComparisonStyle') AS [ComparisonStyle], SERVERPROPERTY(N'SqlCharSet') AS [SqlCharSet], SERVERPROPERTY(N'SqlCharSetName') AS [SqlCharSetName], SERVERPROPERTY(N'SqlSortOrder') AS [SqlSortOrder], SERVERPROPERTY(N'SqlSortOrderName') AS [SqlSortOrderName], SERVERPROPERTY(N'ComputerNamePhysicalNetBIOS') AS [ComputerNamePhysicalNetBIOS], SERVERPROPERTY(N'BuildClrVersion') AS [BuildClrVersionString], @ServiceStartMode AS [ServiceStartMode], ISNULL(@ServiceAccount,N'') AS [ServiceAccount], CAST(@NamedPipesEnabled AS bit) AS [NamedPipesEnabled], CAST(@TcpEnabled AS bit) AS [TcpEnabled], ISNULL(@InstallSharedDirectory,N'') AS [InstallSharedDirectory], ISNULL(suser_sname(sid_binary(ISNULL(@SqlGroup,N''))),N'') AS [SqlDomainGroup], case when 1=msdb.dbo.fn_syspolicy_is_automation_enabled() and exists (select * from msdb.dbo.syspolicy_system_health_state  where target_query_expression_with_id like 'Server%' ) then 1 else 0 end AS [PolicyHealthState], @FilestreamLevel AS [FilestreamLevel], ISNULL(@FilestreamShareName,N'') AS [FilestreamShareName], -1 AS [TapeLoadWaitTime], CAST(SERVERPROPERTY(N'IsHadrEnabled') AS bit) AS [IsHadrEnabled], SERVERPROPERTY(N'HADRManagerStatus') AS [HadrManagerStatus], ISNULL(@cluster_name, '') AS [ClusterName], ISNULL(@quorum_type, 4) AS [ClusterQuorumType], ISNULL(@quorum_state, 3) AS [ClusterQuorumState], SUSER_SID(@ServiceAccount, 0) AS [ServiceAccountSid], CAST(SERVERPROPERTY('IsPolyBaseInstalled') AS bit) AS [IsPolyBaseInstalled], N'Windows' AS [HostPlatform], CAST(
serverproperty(N'Servername')
AS sysname) AS [Name], CAST(
ISNULL(serverproperty(N'instancename'),N'')
AS sysname) AS [InstanceName], CAST(0x0001 AS int) AS [Status], N'\' AS [PathSeparator], 0 AS [IsContainedAuthentication], CAST(null AS int) AS [ServerType]
drop table #SVer

These commands come from my computer (DBA) and from a developer's. For the developer, it gives several permissions errors:

VIEW SERVER STATE permission was denied on object 'server', database 'master'.The server principal "MYDOMAIN\john.doe" is not able to access the database "model" under the current security context.
Login failed for user 'MYDOMAIN\john.doe'. Reason: Failed to open the explicitly specified database 'MODEL'. [CLIENT: 10.90.90.10]
Login failed for user 'MYDOMAIN\john.doe'.

For me, it gives this error:

Cannot drop the table '#SVer', because it does not exist or you do not have permission.

I have no idea what application is causing these queries, and therefore these annoying errors. By looking at the query, do you have any idea? What could I do to investigate?

Answer 1

That's the query SSMS runs when you click on the instance name -> properties. To confirm fire up a quick SQL Profiler Trace using the TSQL template, filter to your login, then right-click on the server name and select properties, and you should see the same query roll past in the trace. The specifics of it differ between versions of SSMS, but they all pretty much stick to the same basic query.

The #Sver error is interesting but not a critical thing to be concerned about. Do you have any 3rd party tools installed that integrate with SSMS? Perhaps these are part of the cause as well.

Answer 2

That message "Cannot drop the table '#SVer'," is coming when you use SMO library to script your schema of your database.

also you can capture the same error message by extended event(errorlog_reported)

so what my suggestion is that your application may using smo to script something, like table or any schemas.

Answer 3

this is a buggy message that sql server generates every time users using smo library. I personally created azure feedback post to issue this bug. but it is known that bug has been fixed and no message will be show in latest sql server. But i could not find any official release notes for this.