Script to kill all connections to a database (More than RESTRICTED_USER ROLLBACK)

Question

I have a development database that re-deploy frequently from a Visual Studio Database project (via a TFS Auto Build).

Sometimes when I run my build I get this error:

ALTER DATABASE failed because a lock could not be placed on database 'MyDB'. Try again later.  
ALTER DATABASE statement failed.  
Cannot drop database "MyDB" because it is currently in use.  

I tried this:

ALTER DATABASE MyDB SET RESTRICTED_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE

but I still cannot drop the database. (My guess is that most of the developers have dbo access.)

I can manually run SP_WHO and start killing connections, but I need an automatic way to do this in the auto build. (Though this time my connection is the only one on the db I am trying to drop.)

Is there a script that can drop my database regardless of who is connected?

Answer 1

Updated

For MS SQL Server 2012 and above

USE [master];

DECLARE @kill varchar(8000) = '';  
SELECT @kill = @kill + 'kill ' + CONVERT(varchar(5), session_id) + ';'  
FROM sys.dm_exec_sessions
WHERE database_id  = db_id('MyDB')

EXEC(@kill);

For MS SQL Server 2000, 2005, 2008

USE master;

DECLARE @kill varchar(8000); SET @kill = '';  
SELECT @kill = @kill + 'kill ' + CONVERT(varchar(5), spid) + ';'  
FROM master..sysprocesses  
WHERE dbid = db_id('MyDB')

EXEC(@kill); 

Answer 2

USE master
GO
ALTER DATABASE database_name
SET OFFLINE WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE
GO

Ref: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb522682%28v=sql.105%29.aspx

Answer 3

You can get the script that SSMS provides by doing the following:

1. Right-click on a database in SSMS and choose delete
2. In the dialog, check the checkbox for "Close existing connections."
3. Click the Script button at the top of the dialog.

The script will look something like this:

USE [master]
GO
ALTER DATABASE [YourDatabaseName] SET  SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE
GO
USE [master]
GO
DROP DATABASE [YourDatabaseName]
GO

Answer 4

Little known: the GO sql statement can take an integer for the number of times to repeat previous command.

So if you:

ALTER DATABASE [DATABASENAME] SET SINGLE_USER
GO

Then:

USE [DATABASENAME]
GO 2000

This will repeat the USE command 2000 times, force deadlock on all other connections, and take ownership of the single connection. (Giving your query window sole access to do as you wish.)

Answer 5

To my experience, using SINGLE_USER helps most of the times, however, one should be careful: I have experienced occasions in which between the time I start the SINGLE_USER command and the time it is finished... apparently another 'user' had gotten the SINGLE_USER access, not me. If that happens, you're in for a tough job trying to get the access to the database back (in my case, it was a specific service running for a software with SQL databases that got hold of the SINGLE_USER access before I did). What I think should be the most reliable way (can't vouch for it, but it is what I will test in the days to come), is actually:
- stop services that may interfere with your access (if there are any)
- use the 'kill' script above to close all connections
- set the database to single_user immediately after that
- then do the restore

Answer 6

Matthew's supremely efficient script updated to use the dm_exec_sessions DMV, replacing the deprecated sysprocesses system table:

USE [master];
GO

DECLARE @Kill VARCHAR(8000) = '';

SELECT
    @Kill = @Kill + 'kill ' + CONVERT(VARCHAR(5), session_id) + ';'
FROM
    sys.dm_exec_sessions
WHERE
    database_id = DB_ID('<YourDB>');

EXEC sys.sp_executesql @Kill;

Alternative using WHILE loop (if you want to process any other operations per execution):

USE [master];
GO

DECLARE @DatabaseID SMALLINT = DB_ID(N'<YourDB>');    
DECLARE @SQL NVARCHAR(10);

WHILE EXISTS ( SELECT
                1
               FROM
                sys.dm_exec_sessions
               WHERE
                database_id = @DatabaseID )    
    BEGIN;
        SET @SQL = (
                    SELECT TOP 1
                        N'kill ' + CAST(session_id AS NVARCHAR(5)) + ';'
                    FROM
                        sys.dm_exec_sessions
                    WHERE
                        database_id = @DatabaseID
                   );
        EXEC sys.sp_executesql @SQL;
    END;

Answer 7

The accepted answer has the drawback that it doesn't take into consideration that a database can be locked by a connection that is executing a query that involves tables in a database other than the one connected to.

This can be the case if the server instance has more than one database and the query directly or indirectly (for example through synonyms) use tables in more than one database etc.

I therefore find that it sometimes is better to use syslockinfo to find the connections to kill.

My suggestion would therefore be to use the below variation of the accepted answer from AlexK:

USE [master];

DECLARE @kill varchar(8000) = '';  
SELECT @kill = @kill + 'kill ' + CONVERT(varchar(5), req_spid) + ';'  
FROM master.dbo.syslockinfo
WHERE rsc_type = 2
AND rsc_dbid  = db_id('MyDB')

EXEC(@kill);

Answer 8

You should be careful about exceptions during killing processes. So you may use this script:

USE master;
GO
 DECLARE @kill varchar(max) = '';
 SELECT @kill = @kill + 'BEGIN TRY KILL ' + CONVERT(varchar(5), spid) + ';' + ' END TRY BEGIN CATCH END CATCH ;' FROM master..sysprocesses 
EXEC (@kill)

Answer 9

@AlexK wrote a great answer. I just want to add my two cents. The code below is entirely based on @AlexK's answer, the difference is that you can specify the user and a time since the last batch was executed (note that the code uses sys.dm_exec_sessions instead of master..sysprocess):

DECLARE @kill varchar(8000);
set @kill =''
select @kill = @kill + 'kill ' +  CONVERT(varchar(5), session_id) + ';' from sys.dm_exec_sessions 
where login_name = 'usrDBTest'
and datediff(hh,login_time,getdate()) > 1
--and session_id in (311,266)    
exec(@kill)

In this example only the process of the user usrDBTest which the last batch was executed more than 1 hour ago will be killed.

Answer 10

You can use Cursor like that:

USE master
GO

DECLARE @SQL AS VARCHAR(255)
DECLARE @SPID AS SMALLINT
DECLARE @Database AS VARCHAR(500)
SET @Database = 'AdventureWorks2016CTP3'

DECLARE Murderer CURSOR FOR
SELECT spid FROM sys.sysprocesses WHERE DB_NAME(dbid) = @Database

OPEN Murderer

FETCH NEXT FROM Murderer INTO @SPID
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0

    BEGIN
    SET @SQL = 'Kill ' + CAST(@SPID AS VARCHAR(10)) + ';'
    EXEC (@SQL)
    PRINT  ' Process ' + CAST(@SPID AS VARCHAR(10)) +' has been killed'
    FETCH NEXT FROM Murderer INTO @SPID
    END 

CLOSE Murderer
DEALLOCATE Murderer

I wrote about that in my blog here: http://www.pigeonsql.com/single-post/2016/12/13/Kill-all-connections-on-DB-by-Cursor

Answer 11

SELECT
    spid,
    sp.[status],
    loginame [Login],
    hostname, 
    blocked BlkBy,
    sd.name DBName, 
    cmd Command,
    cpu CPUTime,
    memusage Memory,
    physical_io DiskIO,
    lastwaittype LastWaitType,
    [program_name] ProgramName,
    last_batch LastBatch,
    login_time LoginTime,
    'kill ' + CAST(spid as varchar(10)) as 'Kill Command'
FROM master.dbo.sysprocesses sp 
JOIN master.dbo.sysdatabases sd ON sp.dbid = sd.dbid
WHERE sd.name NOT IN ('master', 'model', 'msdb') 
--AND sd.name = 'db_name' 
--AND hostname like 'hostname1%' 
--AND loginame like 'username1%'
ORDER BY spid

/* If a service connects continously. You can automatically execute kill process then run your script:
DECLARE @sqlcommand nvarchar (500)
SELECT @sqlcommand = 'kill ' + CAST(spid as varchar(10))
FROM master.dbo.sysprocesses sp 
JOIN master.dbo.sysdatabases sd ON sp.dbid = sd.dbid
WHERE sd.name NOT IN ('master', 'model', 'msdb') 
--AND sd.name = 'db_name' 
--AND hostname like 'hostname1%' 
--AND loginame like 'username1%'
--SELECT @sqlcommand
EXEC sp_executesql @sqlcommand
*/

Answer 12

USE MASTER
GO
 
DECLARE @Spid INT
DECLARE @ExecSQL VARCHAR(255)
 
DECLARE KillCursor CURSOR LOCAL STATIC READ_ONLY FORWARD_ONLY
FOR
SELECT  DISTINCT SPID
FROM    MASTER..SysProcesses
WHERE   DBID = DB_ID('dbname')
 
OPEN    KillCursor
 
-- Grab the first SPID
FETCH   NEXT
FROM    KillCursor
INTO    @Spid
 
WHILE   @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
    BEGIN
        SET     @ExecSQL = 'KILL ' + CAST(@Spid AS VARCHAR(50))
 
        EXEC    (@ExecSQL)
 
        -- Pull the next SPID
        FETCH   NEXT 
        FROM    KillCursor 
        INTO    @Spid  
    END
 
CLOSE   KillCursor
 
DEALLOCATE  KillCursor

Answer 13

If you want to only drop/delete a database you can select the option "Close existing connections" which is by default unset.

1. Right-click on Database catalog -> options.
2. Delete -> check option.
3. Ok

Answer 14

I have tested successfully with simple code below

USE [master]
GO
ALTER DATABASE [YourDatabaseName] SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE
GO