SQL Server Extended Events for Live Monitoring

By Tom Nonmacher

In the dynamic world of database administration, SQL Server Extended Events (XEvents) has emerged as a powerful tool for live monitoring. Introduced in SQL Server 2008, Extended Events provide a method to collect data about SQL Server’s behavior, offering unparalleled insights into the server's performance. With the release of SQL Server 2022, Azure SQL, Microsoft Fabric, Delta Lake, Databricks, and the integration of OpenAI with SQL, XEvents have become even more instrumental in managing and optimizing SQL Server performance.

Extended Events are highly configurable, allowing you to monitor a broad range of events, from SQL statement execution to Windows OS activities. However, the focus of this post is to discuss the utilization of XEvents for live monitoring in SQL Server 2022 and Azure SQL, and their integration with Microsoft Fabric, Delta Lake, and OpenAI for enhanced data management and analytics.

SQL Server 2022 and Azure SQL have made it easier than ever to set up and manage Extended Events sessions. You can use the graphical user interface, or you can use T-SQL commands to create a new session. Here is an example of how to create a new session using T-SQL: 


-- Create a new session for live monitoring

CREATE EVENT SESSION [LiveMonitoring] ON SERVER 

ADD EVENT sqlserver.sql_statement_completed(SET collect_statement=(1))

ADD TARGET package0.event_file(SET filename=N'LiveMonitoring.xel')

GO

Once your session is created, it can be started immediately or scheduled to start at a specific time. The session can be viewed live, offering real-time insights into SQL Server's performance. You can filter events, search for specific events, group events, and even export the events to a file for further analysis.

In the era of big data and AI, Microsoft has integrated SQL Server with Azure Databricks and Delta Lake for big data analytics and machine learning. By using Extended Events with Databricks and Delta Lake, you can monitor the performance of your data pipelines and machine learning models in real-time, helping you to identify and resolve any performance issues quickly.

OpenAI's integration with SQL Server brings the power of artificial intelligence to SQL Server monitoring. OpenAI can analyze the data collected by Extended Events and provide insights into the server's performance. It can predict potential issues based on the current performance trends, allowing you to take proactive measures to prevent performance degradation.

In conclusion, SQL Server Extended Events, coupled with the capabilities of SQL Server 2022, Azure SQL, Microsoft Fabric, Delta Lake, Databricks, and OpenAI, provide a robust and comprehensive solution for live monitoring of SQL Server's performance. They allow database administrators to gain deep insights into SQL Server's behavior, optimize its performance, and ensure its smooth operation.

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