Troubleshooting SQL Server query performance on Amazon RDS

This article demonstrates a complete DBA workflow for troubleshooting SQL Server query performance issues on Amazon RDS using CloudWatch Database Insights, Query Store, and Resource Governor.

• Use CloudWatch Database Insights to detect performance anomalies and identify problematic queries from fleet and instance-level views
• Enable Query Store to track execution plan changes and identify query regressions over time
• Query Store reveals when execution plans change and why, enabling targeted remediation through plan forcing, statistics updates, or index optimization
• Configure Resource Governor to isolate analytical and transactional workloads, preventing reporting queries from consuming all available CPU
• Monitor effectiveness using Database Insights and Query Store together to confirm resolution and prevent future regressions
• Best practices include enabling Query Store on production databases, configuring Resource Governor proactively, and setting up alerts for anomalies

This integrated approach enables DBAs to move from detecting performance issues to implementing targeted, workload-aware solutions on Amazon RDS for SQL Server.