# Running a client-side trace on a SQL Server DB instance
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 **To run a client-side trace on a SQL Server DB instance** 

1. Start SQL Server Profiler. It is installed in the Performance Tools folder of your SQL Server instance folder. You must load or define a trace definition template to start a client-side trace.

1. In the SQL Server Profiler File menu, choose **New Trace**. In the **Connect to Server** dialog box, enter the DB instance endpoint, port, master user name, and password of the database you would like to run a trace on.

1. In the **Trace Properties** dialog box, enter a trace name and choose a trace definition template. A default template, TSQL\_Replay, ships with the application. You can edit this template to define your trace. Edit events and event information under the **Events Selection** tab of the **Trace Properties** dialog box.

   For more information about trace definition templates and using the SQL Server Profiler to specify a client-side trace, see [Database Engine Tuning Advisor](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/performance/database-engine-tuning-advisor) in the Microsoft documentation.

1. Start the client-side trace and watch SQL queries in real-time as they run against your DB instance.

1. Select **Stop Trace** from the **File** menu when you have completed the trace. Save the results as a file or as a trace table on you DB instance.