Question

I have a very simple INSERT statement being executed from a PHP script running on a Linux Apache web server. I can run the query fine from within SQL Management Studio and it normally runs fine from PHP as well. However, every once in awhile I get an error message from my PHP script that the query failed and the mssql_get_last_message() function returns ‘The statement has been terminated’.

What sources can cause this message to be returned from SQL Server?

Answer 1

You have found one of the most annoying parts of SQL Server. There are situations where an error can be raised, and SQL will generated two error messages: the first to explain what the error was, and the second to say something useful like “The statement has been terminated” (which, technically, is error number 3621). The thing is that SQL, and most everything else that touches it–such as PHP–can only see/pick up/process/or otherwise utilize that last unlcear error message. The one that’s actually useful gets lost.

The quick way to figure out what’s going on is to run the sequence of commands leading up to the error from SSMS. This, apparently, will not work for you.

A fussier way to figure it out is to fire up SQL Profiler to track the Exception event, and then run your process. This should show all errors that occured. Tossing in relevant other events (SP:Starting, SP:StmtStarting, SQL:BatchStarting, whatever is applicable to the code your submitting to the database) will show which command is raising the error.