SQL Server’s lightweight, high-performance event monitoring framework used to capture diagnostic information about server activity, serving as the modern replacement for SQL Server Profiler.
- Extended Events (XEvents) captures data about SQL Server events: This includes query executions, waits, errors, login activity, and deadlocks, with minimal performance impact compared to Profiler.
- DBAs use Extended Events for: Performance troubleshooting (capturing slow queries and blocking chains), security auditing, and diagnosing intermittent issues.
- XEvents uses an event-session model: DBAs define which events to capture, what data to collect (actions), optional filters (predicates), and where to write results (targets such as a ring buffer or file).
- Extended Events is the foundation of SQL Server Audit: Compliance auditing for login events, object access, and schema changes is built on the XEvents infrastructure.
- The SSMS XEvent Profiler provides a live viewer: It streams XEvent data in a Profiler-like interface without the performance overhead associated with legacy tracing.
- Related terms: SQL Server Profiler (deprecated), SQL Server Audit, Wait Statistics, Deadlock, Performance Monitoring.
