Azure SQL Engine Test

The SQL Engine test reports statistics related to the Azure SQL database engine.

Target of the test : A Microsoft Azure SQL database

Agent deploying the test : A remote agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for the Azure SQL database that is configured for monitoring

Configurable parameters for the test
Parameters Description

Test Period

How often should the test be executed.

Host

The host for which the test is to be configured.

Port

The port at which the specified Host listens.

Database Name

Specify the name of the Azure SQL database that is to be monitored.

User Name and Password

Against the User Name and Password parameters, specify the credentials of the user who is vested with DBOWNER rights to the configured Database Name.

Confirm Password

Confirm the specified Password by retyping it here.

SSL

If the Azure SQL database service being monitored is SSL-enabled, then set the SSL flag to Yes. If not, then set the SSL flag to No.

Domain

By default, none is displayed in this text box. If the ‘SQL server and Windows’ authentication has been enabled for the Azure SQL database being monitored, then the Domain parameter can continue to be none. On the other hand, if ‘Windows only’ authentication has been enabled, then, in the Domain text box, specify the Windows domain in which the monitored database exists. Also, in such a case, the User Name and Password that you provide should be that of a 'domain user' with DBOWNER rights to the configured Database Name.

IS NTLMv2

In some Windows networks, NTLM (NT LAN Manager) may be enabled. NTLM is a suite of Microsoft security protocols that provides authentication, integrity, and confidentiality to users. NTLM version 2 (“NTLMv2”) was concocted to address the security issues present in NTLM. By default, this flag is set to No, indicating that NTLMv2 is not enabled by default for the target Microsoft Azure SQL database. Set this flag to Yes if NTLMv2 is enabled for the target database.
Measurements made by the test
Measurement Description Measurement Unit Interpretation

Cpu usage

The percentage of time for which the target database's CPU was engaged in processing requests.

Percent

A high value of this measure indicates a heavy load on the database. If this value comes close to 100%, it could indicate a probable delay in the processing of subsequent requests to the database. .

I/O usage

The percentage of time for which the target database was engaged in performing input/output operations.

Percent

 

CPU idle time

The percentage of time for which the target database was idle.

Percent

A low value of this measure is indicative of high CPU utilization.

Packets received

The rate at which input packets were read by the target database.

Pkts/Sec

This measure is an indicator of the traffic to the target database.

Packets sent

The rate at which output packets were read by the target database.

Pkts/Sec

This measure is an indicator of traffic from the server.

Packet errors

The rate at which packet errors occurred.

Errors/Sec

Ideally, this value should be 0.

Disk reads

The rate of disk reads performed by the target database.

Reads/Sec

The value of this measure should be kept at a minimum, as disk reads are expensive operations. Ideally, data reads should be performed from the server cache and not directly from the disk. To ensure effective cache usage, allocate adequate memory to the Azure SQL database.

Disk writes

The rate of disk writes performed by the target database.

Writes/Sec

The value of this measure should be kept at a minimum, as disk writes are expensive operations. Ideally, data should be written to the data cache and not directly to the disk. To ensure effective cache usage, allocate adequate memory to the database.

Disk I/O errors

The rate of errors encountered by the target database while reading and writing.

Errors/Sec

Disk read/write errors are normally caused by the following reasons:

  • Semaphore contention

  • Excessive disk space consumption

 

Note:

Sometimes, this test may suddenly stop reporting values for the CPU usage, I/O usage, and CPU idle time measures. In such a scenario, search the agent error log for the "msg 8115 Arithmetic overflow error". This is a Microsoft error, which occurs if the Azure SQL database being monitored is not restarted for 49 consecutive days or more. For more details about this error, refer to the following links:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/functions/cpu-busy-transact-sql?redirectedfrom=MSDN&view=sql-server-ver15

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/functions/io-busy-transact-sql?redirectedfrom=MSDN&view=sql-server-ver15

If you find the "msg 8115 Arithmetic overflow error"in the agent error log, then you may want to consider restarting the target database during maintenance.