---
title: "Save Trace Results to a File | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "06/13/2017"
ms.prod: "sql-server-2014"
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ms.topic: conceptual
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author: MashaMSFT
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---
# Save Trace Results to a File
  You can save trace results to a file. A trace file is a file where the trace results are written. A trace file can be located either in a local directory (such as C:\\*foldername*\\*filename.trc*) or a network directory (such as \\\computername\sharename\filename.trc).  
  
 You can use the trace files to do the following:  
  
-   Replay traces  
  
-   Audit [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)]  
  
-   Conduct performance analysis  
  
-   Correlate trace events with performance counters to enhance problem detection  
  
-   Perform Database Engine Tuning Advisor analysis  
  
-   Carry out query optimization  
  
 [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] saves trace results to a file when a path and file name are specified for the **@tracefile** argument of the stored procedure **sp_trace_create**.  
  
> [!NOTE]  
>  If a path is specified to the **sp_trace_create** stored procedure for saving the trace file, the directory must be accessible to the server. Also be aware that if a local directory is specified to **sp_trace_create**, it is a local directory on the server computer.  
  
 If [!INCLUDE[ssSqlProfiler](../../includes/sssqlprofiler-md.md)] is used, it allows you to save trace results to a file or to a table. Saving trace results to a table allows the same access as saving the trace to a file plus you can query the table to search for specific events.  
  
 For more information about saving trace results, see [Save Trace Results to a Table (SQL Server Profiler)](../../tools/sql-server-profiler/save-trace-results-to-a-table-sql-server-profiler.md) and [Save Trace Results to a File (SQL Server Profiler)](../../tools/sql-server-profiler/save-trace-results-to-a-file-sql-server-profiler.md).  
  
## See Also  
 [sp_trace_create (Transact-SQL)](/sql/relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-trace-create-transact-sql)   
 [Create a Trace (Transact-SQL)](../sql-trace/create-a-trace-transact-sql.md)   
 [Create a Trace (SQL Server Profiler)](../../tools/sql-server-profiler/create-a-trace-sql-server-profiler.md)