PVS servers may stop responding or PVS target devices may freeze during startup because there is not enough disk space left MS SQL server due to large Transaction log file size. Increasing the disk space on SQL servers resolves the issue of Target Device startup.



 

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Backup the XenApp/XenDesktop Site and PVS database and the Transaction log file to trigger the Transaction log auto truncation.
The transaction log should be backed up on the regular basis to avoid the auto growth operation and filling up a transaction log file. 

Reference: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/backup-restore/back-up-a-transaction-log-sql-server?view=sql-server-2017​

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Ideally Transaction log will be truncated automatically after the following events:

• Under the simple recovery model, unless some factor is delaying log truncation, an automatic checkpoint truncates the unused section of the transaction log.In the Simple recovery there is little chance for the transaction log growing – just in specific situations when there is a long running transaction or transaction that creates many changes

 

• By contrast, under the full and bulk-logged recovery models, once a log backup chain has been established, automatic checkpoints do not cause log truncation. Under the full recovery model or bulk-logged recovery model, if a checkpoint has occurred since the previous backup, truncation occurs after a log backup (unless it is a copy-only log backup). There is no automated process of transaction log truncation, the transaction log backups must be made regularly to mark unused space available for overwriting. Bulk-logged recovery model reduces transaction log space usage by using minimal logging for most bulk operations

Transaction log file size may not decrease even if transaction log has been truncated automatically.

Log truncation frees space in the log file for reuse by the transaction log. Log truncation is essential to keep the log from filling. Log truncation deletes inactive virtual log files from the logical transaction log of a SQL Server database, freeing space in the logical log for reuse by the Physical transaction log. If a transaction log were never truncated, it would eventually fill all the disk space that is allocated to its physical log files.

It is recommended also to keep the transaction log file in a separate drive from the database data files, as placing both data and log files on the same drive can result poor database performance.
 

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Problem Cause

Transaction log became excessive because of which Transaction log auto truncation was not executed and hence MS SQL Database server was not able to deal with new transactions from new target device requests like I/O request.

Provisioning Services: PVS Servers May Stop Responding Or Target Devices May Freeze During Startup Due To Large Size Of MS SQL Transaction Logs

​https://www.citrix.com/blogs/2014/05/16/xendesktop-sql

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/backup-restore/transaction-log-backups-sql-server?view=sql-server-2017

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/sql-server-transaction-log-architecture-and-management-guide?view=sql-server-2017

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/logs/the-transaction-log-sql-server?view=sql-server-2017

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/backup-restore/back-up-a-transaction-log-sql-server?view=sql-server-2014