How to Correlate Extended Events with ETW in Azure SQL VM?

DP-300 By islever Editorial Last updated Aug 23, 2026

Short answer

B Add a target.

Question

You have an instance of SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines named SQL1. SQL1 contains an Extended Events session named session1 that captures Microsoft SQL Server events. You need to correlate the session events with events captured by Event Tracing for Windows (ETW). What should you do for session1?

Modify the Set Session Event Filters settings.
Add a target. Correct Answer
Add an action.
Modify the Specify Session Data Storage settings.

Key Takeaways

The exam tests your knowledge of Extended Events targets; the common trap is confusing targets with actions or filters when the goal is output correlation with ETW.

To correlate Extended Events with Event Tracing for Windows (ETW) on an Azure SQL VM, you must add the ETW target to the session. Community consensus confirms this is achieved by adding the etw_classic_sync_target.

Common mistake: Option A (Modify the Set Session Event Filters settings) is commonly chosen by those who confuse filtering captured events with directing event output to an external consumer like ETW.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

The correct answer is B. Add a target. Extended Events targets define where the event data is sent and how it is processed. To correlate Extended Events with Event Tracing for Windows (ETW), you must add the etw_classic_sync_target to the session. This target synchronizes Extended Events with ETW, allowing both event streams to be correlated using tools like Windows Performance Recorder or Xperf. The community unanimously supports this, with comments citing the official Microsoft documentation on Extended Events targets.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option A is incorrect because modifying event filters determines which events are captured, not where they are sent or how they correlate with external systems. Option C is wrong because actions add data to an event payload (e.g., collecting a call stack), but do not route events to ETW. Option D is incorrect because specifying data storage settings controls file retention and rollover, not integration with ETW.

Community Comment Notes

Community members strongly agree on answer B, with one commenter providing the exact T-SQL syntax: ADD TARGET package0.etw_classic_sync_target. Multiple comments link to the official Microsoft documentation for the etw_classic_sync_target, reinforcing that this is the only way to bridge Extended Events with ETW. No dissenting opinions were found in the discussion.

Official Reference

These links open the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

When a question asks about correlating Extended Events with an external system like ETW, immediately look for the 'Add a target' option. Remember that targets define output destinations, while actions and filters modify the event data itself.

Community Votes

100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 3 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 3

JJJR 👍 4 Answered B

The answer is B https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/extended-events/targets-for-extended-events-in-sql-server?view=sql-server-ver16#etw_classic_sync_target-target https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/extended-events/event-tracing-for-windows-target?view=sql-server-ver16
voodoo_sh 👍 1

B. Add a target To correlate the events captured by your Extended Events session (session1) with events captured by Event Tracing for Windows (ETW), you should add a target to your session. Specifically, you need to add the ETW target to your Extended Events session. Add the ETW Target: ALTER EVENT SESSION session1 ON SERVER ADD TARGET package0.etw_classic_sync_target Make sure the SQL Server service startup account is a member of the Performance Log Users group
pjfunner 👍 1 Answered B

Answer B seems correct.

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