Activity Monitor in SQL Server 2008

  • I recently started evaluating the CTP for SQL Server 2008, and I noticed that the Activity Monitor Gui under Management is not listed. It is clearly not needed since all of its functionality can be achieved from T-SQL, but I was curious about if it was deliberately removed and why? Or is this something with my particular installation?

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    Timothy A Wiseman
    SQL Blog: http://timothyawiseman.wordpress.com/

  • I believe you'll find that in RC0 but not the CTP's. And if you have RC0, Activity Monitor can be found as an icon on the toolbar in SSMS or a right click on the server name in object explorer.

  • And the functionality has improved a ton. I love being able to pull execution plans right off the screen.

    ----------------------------------------------------The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood... Theodore RooseveltThe Scary DBAAuthor of: SQL Server 2017 Query Performance Tuning, 5th Edition and SQL Server Execution Plans, 3rd EditionProduct Evangelist for Red Gate Software

  • Thank you both, I found it immediately by right clicking, and the functionality is definitely greatly improved.

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    Timothy A Wiseman
    SQL Blog: http://timothyawiseman.wordpress.com/

  • I totally disagree. The added functionality is far outweighed by what was stripped out.

    - The task manager like graphs at the top of summary values for the whole instance. This isn't very useful for me.

    - Expanding out one column causes the other columns to be 'resized' so they all fit within the screen, whereas before I had a scroll bar. Trying to expand out several columns makes others unreadable.

    - The Processes list does not give me details on the cpu and physical io that each SPID is consuming.

    - You can't filter on multiple column values, you can only select single values from the column drop-down lists.

    - The Recent Expensive Queries section looked promising, but is nearly useless because it there isn't an easy way to tie it back to the SPID (now called Session ID).

    - The Data File I/O, and Resource Waits sections only provide you with summary information on a per instance, or per database.

    I have to manage a multi-database environment, and previously used the SQL 2005 activity monitor for an at-a-glance view of what was going on. The lack of flexibility and granularity in the new SQL 2008 Activity manager is going to make my job a lot more difficult.

    Does anyone know if there is another dashboard type tool that Microsoft provides to get this information?

  • pcarroll-626929 (6/24/2011)


    I totally disagree. The added functionality is far outweighed by what was stripped out.

    - The task manager like graphs at the top of summary values for the whole instance. This isn't very useful for me.

    - Expanding out one column causes the other columns to be 'resized' so they all fit within the screen, whereas before I had a scroll bar. Trying to expand out several columns makes others unreadable.

    - The Processes list does not give me details on the cpu and physical io that each SPID is consuming.

    - You can't filter on multiple column values, you can only select single values from the column drop-down lists.

    - The Recent Expensive Queries section looked promising, but is nearly useless because it there isn't an easy way to tie it back to the SPID (now called Session ID).

    - The Data File I/O, and Resource Waits sections only provide you with summary information on a per instance, or per database.

    I have to manage a multi-database environment, and previously used the SQL 2005 activity monitor for an at-a-glance view of what was going on. The lack of flexibility and granularity in the new SQL 2008 Activity manager is going to make my job a lot more difficult.

    Does anyone know if there is another dashboard type tool that Microsoft provides to get this information?

    Note, this is a three year old thread:

    None that are provided from Microsoft, no.

    ----------------------------------------------------The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood... Theodore RooseveltThe Scary DBAAuthor of: SQL Server 2017 Query Performance Tuning, 5th Edition and SQL Server Execution Plans, 3rd EditionProduct Evangelist for Red Gate Software

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