Time out in SQL

Question

Hi
Im encountering intermittent connection issues with our Azure SQL Database that seem to be related to performance under heavy load. Our application has been running fine for months, but recently we have noticed slow connection times and timeouts particularly when the system is handling high concurrent user requests.

Error : The connection to the SQL Server <server-name> timed out. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 0)

Given the symptoms of high CPU usage and connection pool exhaustion, should we consider tuning the connection pool settings, or would increasing the database tier address the root cause of these issues?

Answer 1

@Rubens Max
Thank you for the question and for using Microsoft Q&A platform.

As per my understanding, you're experiencing performance issues with your Azure SQL Database under heavy load.

Based on the symptoms you have described, it is possible that the connection issues you are experiencing are related to performance under heavy load. In this case, there are a few things you can consider addressing the root cause of the issue.

Firstly, you mentioned that you are experiencing high CPU usage and connection pool exhaustion. This suggests that tuning the connection pool settings may be a good place to start. You can try adjusting the connection pool settings to increase the maximum number of connections, or to reduce the connection timeout value. This may help to alleviate some of the connection issues you are experiencing.

However, if tuning the connection pool settings does not resolve the issue, you may want to consider increasing the database tier. This can help to improve the performance of your database and reduce the likelihood of connection issues under heavy load.

Tuning the connection pool settings can help manage the number of active connections to your database more efficiently. This can be particularly useful if you're experiencing connection pool exhaustion.

Increasing the database tier can provide more resources (CPU, memory, I/O) to handle higher loads. This can be particularly effective if you're seeing high CPU usage, and your current tier is not sufficient to handle the workload.

You can refer to the below links:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/sql/database-engine/connect/timeout-expired-error
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/resource-limits-logical-server?view=azuresql

Hope this helps. Do let us know if you have any further queries.

---

If this answers your query, do click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful. And, if you have any further query do let us know.