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Activity Monitor in SQL

Activity Monitor is new tool in SQL Server which displays activity in five sections.
1) Overview,
2) Processes,
3) Resources Waits,
4) Data File I/O,
5) Recent Expensive Queries.

It is one of the new and very useful tool introduced by SQL Server.

Activity Monitor captures all the information at server level.

To start Activity Monitor:
From Standard Toolbar (Standard Toolbar can be made visible from here : Menu >> View >> Toolbar >> Standard) and from “Right Click” on SQL Server Node and select Activity Monitor

If on starting activity server you do not see any info , then give the “View Server State” permission to user name to view data of Activity Monitor. We can give permission either using T-SQL or using SSMS.

T-SQL to give permission to user to view Activity Monitor:
GRANT VIEW SERVER STATE TO <username>

SSMS to give permission to user to view Activity Monitor:
Right click on server name -> Properties - > Permissions -> username-> View Server State(in Explicit tab)

Note : You cannot give permission to yourself using the T-SQL method , but can do so using SSMS

Activity monitor itself is very expensive process. The tool, which helped to debug the performance issues, also helped (negatively) to bring down the server. Make sure you close the activity monitor after use.

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