The choice of a monitoring tool depends on the type of events and activity to be monitored.
Event or activity |
SQL Server Profiler |
Windows NT Performance Monitor |
Current activity window |
Transact-SQL |
Error logs |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trend analysis | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Replaying captured events | Yes | |||||
| Ad hoc monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Generating alerts | Yes | |||||
| Graphical interface | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Using within custom application | Yes (1) | Yes | ||||
| (1) Using SQL Server Profiler extended stored procedures. | ||||||
When deciding between SQL Server Profiler and Windows NT Performance Monitor (the two main monitoring tools), the key difference is that SQL Server Profiler monitors engine events while Windows NT Performance Monitor monitors resource usage associated with server processes. For example, SQL Server Profiler could be used to monitor deadlocks events, including the users and objects involved in the deadlock. Windows NT Performance Monitor could be used to monitor the total number of deadlocks occurring in a database or on a specific object.
Microsoft® Windows NT® also provides tools that generate an accurate understanding of what is happening in the system:
Shows a synopsis of the processes and applications that are running on the system.
Assists in monitoring network traffic.
For more information about Windows NT tools, see the Windows NT documentation.