Merge pull request #34851 from dimitri-furman/dfurman/database-watcher

Add data collection for serverless

Author: prmerger-automator[bot]

azure-sql/database-watcher-data.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: A detailed description of SQL monitoring data collected by database
 author: lcwright
 ms.author: lancewright
 ms.reviewer: dfurman
-ms.date: 07/08/2025
+ms.date: 07/30/2025
 ms.service: azure-sql
 ms.subservice: monitoring
 ms.topic: conceptual
@@ -130,6 +130,16 @@ Compute resources available to database watcher queries in a dense elastic pool
 >
 > It is not recommended to monitor more than a few individual databases in a dense elastic pool. You might see gaps in the collected data or larger than expected intervals between data samples due to insufficient compute resources available to database watcher queries.
 
+## Data collection in serverless databases
+
+If a [serverless](./database/serverless-tier-overview.md) database has auto-pause disabled, database watcher monitors it just like a provisioned database.
+
+If you enable auto-pause on a serverless database, database watcher data collection stops when the database pauses. Database watcher monitoring queries do not prevent a serverless database from pausing if it is [eligible to be paused](./database/serverless-tier-overview.md#auto-pause) otherwise.
+
+Shortly after a serverless database transitions to a **Paused** state, its status on the watcher summary dashboard changes to **Not collecting**. The previously collected data for the database remains in the watcher data store, and is accessible via dashboards and queries.
+
+Data collection resumes within minutes after the database transitions from the **Paused** to the **Online** state.
+
 ## Data residency
 
 Customers can choose to store collected SQL monitoring data in one of three data store types:

azure-sql/database-watcher-overview.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: An overview of database watcher for Azure SQL, a managed monitoring
 author: lcwright
 ms.author: lancewright
 ms.reviewer: wiassaf, dfurman
-ms.date: 06/04/2025
+ms.date: 07/30/2025
 ms.service: azure-sql
 ms.subservice: monitoring
 ms.topic: conceptual
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@ This section describes recent database watcher fixes, changes, and improvements.
 
 | Time period | Changes |
 |:--|:--|
+| July 2025 | - Fix an issue where database watcher monitoring queries prevented [serverless](./database/serverless-tier-overview.md) databases, including [free offer](./database/free-offer.md) databases, from pausing. For more information, see [Data collection in serverless databases](database-watcher-data.md#data-collection-in-serverless-databases). |
 | April 2025 | - Fix a bug where a database watcher deployment via Bicep, an ARM template, Terraform, or REST API would fail if the **subscription ID**, **resource group name**, or **watcher name** deployment parameters used inconsistent casing.<br /> - Fix a bug where collection of certain datasets for a **SQL database** target would stop if the database was restored from backup.<br /> - Change to limit data collection in the **Table metadata** datasets for databases with many tables and for SQL managed instances with many databases to avoid long-running collection queries.<br /> - Improve collection query performance for the **Session statistics** dataset for **SQL managed instance** targets. |
 | February 2025 | - Add support for alerting. For more information, see [Database watcher alerts](database-watcher-alerts.md). |
 | January 2025 | - Fix to make database watcher deployments via Bicep or ARM templates idempotent.<br /> - Fix a bug where SQL Agent job history details on the SQL Managed Instance detailed dashboard weren't displayed.<br /> - Fix a bug when filtering data on the **Sessions** charts on the detailed dashboards would cause KQL query errors.<br /> - Fix a bug where storage throughput values on the detailed dashboards were incorrect.<br /> - Improve storage utilization charts on the detailed dashboards to include the maximum storage size.<br /> - Improve to show the original and compressed size of collected data in the **Data store** section.<br /> - Improve the message shown when a dashboard cannot connect to the data store to include suggestions for common problems.<br /> - Add informational messages when there is no data shown on the **Top queries** dashboards for known reasons.<br /> - Add Hyperscale log rate limit information in the **Replicas** dataset for Azure SQL databases.<br /> - Add transaction start time and log bytes used to the **Active sessions** datasets. |
@@ -223,7 +224,6 @@ During preview, database watcher has the following known issues.
 | Issue | Mitigation or workaround |
 |:--|:--|
 | If data collection cannot start or continue because of an error (for example, insufficient access to a SQL target or to the data store), the error is not exposed. | To troubleshoot, see [Data is not collected](#data-is-not-collected). |
-| If a [serverless](./database/serverless-tier-overview.md) database has auto-pause enabled, and is added as a SQL target to a watcher, it might not auto-pause as expected. For a [free offer](./database/free-offer.md) database, this might exhaust the free monthly credit sooner than expected. | If retaining the auto-pause functionality is required, do not use database watcher to monitor serverless databases at this time. |
 | Because of a known issue in Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance, expected data might not be collected from a high availability (HA) readable secondary replica if database replicas change roles, for example after a maintenance event. | Commonly, the issue resolves without any action within one or two days. To resume data collection sooner, restart the watcher. |
 | For Azure SQL Managed Instance, data might not be collected from the readable high availability replica or from a geo-replica if you are using SQL authentication. | There are two workarounds: <br />1. Use the Microsoft Entra ID authentication (preferred). <br />2. Disable the password policy check. Execute `ALTER LOGIN [database-watcher-login-placeholder] WITH CHECK_POLICY = OFF;`, replacing `database-watcher-login-placeholder` with the name of the SQL authentication login of the watcher. Execute this command on the primary replica, and on the geo-replica, if any. |
 | In Azure SQL Managed Instance, data is not collected if the `EXECUTE` permission on the `sys.xp_msver` system stored procedure is revoked or denied to the `public` role. | Grant the `EXECUTE` permission on `sys.xp_msver` to the watcher login. <br /><br />On every SQL managed instance added as a SQL target, execute `USE master; CREATE USER [database-watcher-login-placeholder] FOR LOGIN [database-watcher-login-placeholder]; GRANT EXECUTE ON sys.xp_msver TO [database-watcher-login-placeholder];`, replacing `database-watcher-login-placeholder` with the name of the watcher login. |