Lock wait tracing

A non-transitory computer readable memory device having program instructions stored thereon that are executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

• maintaining a lock wait queue that stores an indication of processes waiting to acquire a lock on a lockable object included in a database;
• storing a set of trace records that includes trace records for those processes that, upon releasing a respective lock on the lockable object when another process is waiting in the lock wait queue, have been in contention for the respective lock for over a threshold amount of time;
• and
• presenting ones of the set of trace records, wherein the presented trace records identify a timeline that is usable to determine a set of processes that contributed to a delay in a victim process acquiring a lock on the lockable object.

A method, comprising:

• operating, by a computer system, a database that includes a lockable object;
• maintaining, by the computer system, a lock wait queue for the lockable object, wherein a given process that is attempting to acquire a given lock on the lockable object is operable to wait in the lock wait queue in response to a lock being held on the lockable object by another given process;
• and
• executing, by the computer system, a first process and a second process, wherein the first process is operable to:
• acquire a particular lock on the lockable object;
• release the particular lock;
• make a determination that the second process is waiting in the lock wait queue;
• and
• based on the determination, output a trace record having information indicative of an active timeframe of the first process with respect to the particular lock.