Monitoring dashboards let you select instances and metrics to customize database monitoring. You can compare performance between instances and correlate multiple metrics to get a comprehensive view of your database's health.
Background
Database Autonomy Service (DAS) began rolling out the monitoring dashboard feature for ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instances in phases starting May 20, 2022.
Create a monitoring dashboard
Log on to the ApsaraDB RDS console.
In the left-side navigation pane, click Maintenance & Monitoring > Performance Monitoring.
On the Performance Monitoring page, click the Monitoring Dashboard tab.
On the tab for your target database engine, click Add Monitoring Dashboard.
Enter the New Monitoring Dashboard name, and click OK.
Click Select Instances and Metrics, select the target instances and the metrics that you want to monitor, and then click the
icon.NoteYou can monitor up to 32 instances simultaneously.
For information about the metrics, see Metrics.
In the Select Instances and Metrics dialog box, use the top section to select instances. Select the target instances and use the arrow button to move them to the selected list. In the bottom section, select the metrics that you want to monitor from the available list, such as
sqlserver.cpu_usage,sqlserver.db_io, andsqlserver.data_size. After you move them to the selected list, you are ready to confirm your selection.Click Confirm Selection.
NoteTo modify the instances or metrics in the dashboard, click Add Instances and Monitoring Metrics.
View metric trends
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Log on to the ApsaraDB RDS console.
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In the left-side navigation pane, choose Maintenance & Monitoring > Performance Monitoring.
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Click the Monitoring Dashboard tab.
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Click the tab for the database engine, select the monitoring dashboard you want to view, then set a time range to display metric trend charts for that period.
The end time must be later than the start time, and the time range cannot exceed seven days.
The following options are available on the dashboard:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Instance filtering | Filter by one or more RDS instances to compare their metrics side by side. |
| Auto Refresh (Every 5 Seconds) | Automatically refresh all trend charts every 5 seconds — useful for monitoring active workloads in real time. |
| Linkage Chart | Synchronize chart cursors so you can see the values of different metrics at the same point in time, making it easier to correlate anomalies across metrics. |
| Chart Layout | Set the number of trend charts displayed per row. |
| Add Instances and Metrics | Add or change the instances and metrics shown in the dashboard. |
| Details (in a trend chart) | Expand the chart and adjust the time range for a closer look at a specific metric. |
| Delete (in a trend chart) | Remove the chart from the dashboard. |
Metrics
Parameter type | Parameter | Description |
SQL Server service process | cpu_usage | The CPU utilization of the instance relative to the total resources of the operating system. |
db_io | The number of I/O requests per second. | |
db_io_read | The number of read I/O requests per second. | |
db_io_write | The number of write I/O requests per second. | |
other_size | The amount of space used by the system. | |
log_size | The amount of log space used. | |
tmp_size | The amount of temporary space used. | |
ins_size | The total space used by the instance. | |
data_size | The amount of data space used. | |
Database metrics | qps | The average number of SQL statements executed per second. |
connection_reset | The number of logins per second from the connection pool. | |
active_temp_tables | The number of active temporary tables. | |
active_session | The number of active threads. | |
active_cursors | The number of active cursors. | |
sessions | The number of current connections. | |
active_transactions | The number of active transactions. | |
transactions | The average number of transactions per second. | |
write_transactions | The average number of write transactions per second. | |
read_kb | The average outbound traffic from the instance per second. | |
write_kb | The average inbound traffic to the instance per second. | |
Basic monitoring | cache_hit_ratio | The ratio of cache hits to all lookups. |
bufferpool | The percentage of data pages found in the buffer cache, which avoids the need for disk reads. | |
fullscans | The average number of full table scans per second. | |
autoparam_attempts_per_sec | The number of auto-parameterization attempts per second. | |
forced_parameterizations_per_sec | The number of successful forced parameterizations per second. | |
sql_compilations | The number of SQL compilations per second. | |
unsafe_autoparams_per_sec | The number of unsafe auto-parameterization attempts per second. | |
failed_autoparams_per_sec | The number of failed auto-parameterization attempts per second. | |
safe_autoparams_per_sec | The number of safe auto-parameterization attempts per second. | |
resqlcompilations | The number of statement recompilations per second. | |
lazy_writes | The number of writes to disk per second. | |
checkpoint | The number of pages written by checkpoints per second. | |
logout | The number of logouts per second. | |
logins | The number of logins per second. | |
locktimeout | The number of lock requests that time out per second, including requests for NOWAIT locks. | |
deadlock | The number of deadlocks per second. | |
lock_requests_per_sec | The number of new lock requests and lock conversions per second. | |
lockwaits | The number of lock requests per second that require the caller to wait. | |
lock_waits | The number of processes waiting for a lock. | |
latchwaits | The number of latch requests per second that cannot be granted immediately. | |
lock_wait_time_ms | The average lock wait time, in milliseconds. | |
average_latch_wait_time | The average wait time for a latch request. | |
table_lock_escalations_per_sec | The number of table lock escalations to the TABLE or HoBT granularity per second. | |
average_lock_wait_time | The average time a request waits for a lock. | |
total_latch_wait_time | The total latch wait time in the last second. |
You can also view a metric's description by clicking the 
icon next to the metric name on the monitoring dashboard.