Question

Stack Trace:    at System.Transactions.TransactionState.EnlistPromotableSinglePhase(InternalTransaction tx, IPromotableSinglePhaseNotification promotableSinglePhaseNotification, Transaction atomicTransaction)
  at System.Transactions.Transaction.EnlistPromotableSinglePhase(IPromotableSinglePhaseNotification promotableSinglePhaseNotification)
  at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnection.EnlistNonNull(Transaction tx)
  at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnection.Enlist(Transaction tx)
  at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.Activate(Transaction transaction)
  at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionInternal.ActivateConnection(Transaction transaction)
  at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.GetConnection(DbConnection owningObject)
  at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.GetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection)
  at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.OpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory)
  at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open()
  at System.Data.Linq.SqlClient.SqlConnectionManager.UseConnection(IConnectionUser user)
  at System.Data.Linq.SqlClient.SqlProvider.get_IsSqlCe()
  at System.Data.Linq.SqlClient.SqlProvider.InitializeProviderMode()
  at System.Data.Linq.SqlClient.SqlProvider.System.Data.Linq.Provider.IProvider.Execute(Expression query)
  at System.Data.Linq.DataQuery`1.System.Linq.IQueryProvider.Execute[S](Expression expression)
  at System.Linq.Queryable.All[TSource](IQueryable`1 source, Expression`1 predicate)

I’m not using a transaction or TransactionScope at this point. Does a transaction get created automatically by the framework if one doesn’t exist, or is a transaction sneaking in from somewhere?

This is C# .NET 4, querying against MS SQL 2008 using LINQ-to-SQL.

Answer 1

LINQ to SQL creates a transaction when you do SaveChanges so that the commit is atomic – i.e. either all changes save or none.