SQL Server — Execution Flows

Dataedo builds Execution Flow diagrams for SQL Server code objects by analyzing their definitions with the built-in Transact-SQL Parser.

Supported objects

Object type	Execution Flows
Stored procedures
User-defined functions

Flows are built only for objects whose definitions were imported into the repository.

Requirements

• Enable the Build execution flows option when importing the data source — see Enabling Execution Flows

• The account used for the import must be able to read object definitions (VIEW DEFINITION permission). Objects imported without a definition are skipped.

• Your Dataedo license must include the Execution Flows. All current licenses except for Dataedo Essentials have it

How flows are built

During import, Dataedo parses the Transact-SQL definition of each procedure and function and maps its statements into a diagram: calls to other routines, data-modifying statements (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, MERGE, SELECT INTO, …), IF branches, WHILE loops, TRY … CATCH blocks, and transactions. See Diagram notation for the full legend.

Data-modifying statements are linked to the Data Lineage processes generated from the same script, so you can jump from a step in the flow to the lineage of the data it produces.

Known limitations

• flows are generated only for SQL statements supported by the parser — check the Transact-SQL Parser documentation. Objects with unsupported syntax are reported as a warning in the import summary
• objects created WITH ENCRYPTION have no readable definition, so no flow can be built for them
• THROW statements are displayed as RAISEERROR nodes on the diagram

Troubleshooting

I don't see the Execution flow tab

• Make sure your license includes the Execution Flows module
• Make sure the object is a stored procedure or a user-defined function — other object types have no Execution Flows

No flows after import

• Make sure the Build execution flows option was enabled during the import and re-run it

• Make sure object definitions were imported — check the VIEW DEFINITION permission of the import account.

Flows are missing for some objects

1. Check the import summary — objects whose SQL could not be parsed are reported as a warning
2. Verify the object's definition against the supported Transact-SQL syntax