To monitor CPU utilization in SQL Server, you can use the OS process list feature in the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). This feature allows you to view and analyze the CPU usage of various processes running on the server.
To access the OS process list, follow these steps:
1. Open SSMS and connect to the SQL Server instance you want to monitor.
2. Expand the server node in the Object Explorer.
3. Go to the “Management” folder and expand it.
4. Click on the “Activity Monitor” option.
Once the Activity Monitor is opened, you will see various tabs, including “Overview,” “Processes,” “Resource Waits,” “Data File I/O,” and “Recent Expensive Queries.” Click on the “Processes” tab to view the OS process list.
In the OS process list, you can see all the processes running on the server, including the CPU usage percentage for each process. The processes are categorized into different groups such as “SQL Server,” “SQL Agent,” and “System.” You can click on the column headers to sort the processes based on various criteria such as CPU usage, memory usage, or database name.
To identify the process driving high CPU usage, look for the process with the highest CPU usage percentage. This will help you determine whether the high CPU utilization is driven by the operating system, an RDS process, a SQL Server process, or a SQL Agent process.
In addition to CPU usage, you can also monitor the percentage of memory being used by these processes. This can help you identify if there is any memory pressure on the server, which can also impact CPU utilization.
It is important to note that high CPU utilization can be caused by various factors, including inefficient queries, long-running transactions, resource contention, or external processes running on the server. By monitoring the CPU utilization and identifying the processes causing high usage, you can take appropriate actions to optimize performance and troubleshoot any issues.
In my personal experience, I have used the OS process list feature multiple times to monitor and troubleshoot high CPU utilization in SQL Server. It has been an invaluable tool in identifying the processes causing high CPU usage and taking necessary actions to optimize performance. By regularly monitoring CPU utilization, you can proactively address any performance issues and ensure smooth operation of your SQL Server instance.