SQL Server on Azure Performance Monitoring

Azure-Specific Metrics

Azure SQL Database and Managed Instances expose additional cloud-specific metrics.

These include DTU (Database Transaction Unit) consumption, storage space, and connection counts.

• DTU combines CPU, memory, and I/O into a single performance measure.
• Storage metrics track database size and growth trends.
• Connection metrics help monitor client load and concurrency.

Configuring Alerts

Alerts help proactively detect performance degradation or failures.

You can configure alerts on metrics like CPU percentage, DTU usage, or deadlocks.

• Define threshold values based on your workload patterns.
• Set up action groups to notify teams via email, SMS, or webhook.
• Regularly review and tune alert thresholds to reduce noise.

Example: Query Store Usage

Query Store tracks query performance and plan changes automatically.

You can query Query Store views to find top resource-consuming queries.

• Use sys.query_store_runtime_stats to analyze execution statistics.
• Identify regressions by comparing historical and current query plans.

Troubleshooting Steps

Start by identifying the resource under pressure using monitoring tools.

Analyze query plans and wait stats to pinpoint root causes.

Apply indexing, query tuning, or resource scaling as needed.

• Use Azure Monitor alerts to catch issues early.
• Review Query Store data for problematic queries.
• Consider scaling up or out in Azure if resource limits are reached.