How to Get Database‑Wise Session Details in an Azure SQL Elastic Pool Using T‑SQL
When you run multiple databases inside an Azure SQL Database elastic pool, it’s common to hit questions like: Which database is using the most sessions right now? Are we getting close to the pool’s session limit? Which application(s) are opening connections? Is connection pooling configured correctly? The Azure portal can be helpful, but you don’t always have portal access—and even when you do, you may want a quick, scriptable approach you can run from SSMS / Azure Data Studio / sqlcmd. This post provides copy‑paste T‑SQL queries to: check pool‑level session pressure, list active sessions “by database”, summarize active session counts per database, and capture a connection inventory—and then ties it all back to one of the most common root causes of high session counts: connection pooling behavior in the application. What you should know up front (setting expectations) 1) Elastic pool DMVs give you pool context from inside any pooled database The DMV sys.dm_elastic_pool_resource_stats returns usage for the elastic pool that contains the current database, including concurrent session utilization, and it can be queried from any user database in the same elastic pool. 2) Connection/session DMVs can show pool‑wide connections (with sufficient permissions) Microsoft documentation notes you can use sys.dm_exec_connections to retrieve connection details—and if a database is in an elastic pool and you have sufficient permissions, the view returns the set of connections for all databases in the elastic pool. It also calls out sys.dm_exec_sessions as a companion DMV for session details. If you run the queries below and only see your own session, it typically indicates a permissions scope limitation (the documentation notes this behavior for DMV visibility). Quick “Which query should I run?” guide Are we close to pool session limits? → Query A Which database is busy right now (active work)? → Query B Give me a ranked list of active sessions per database → Query C Which apps/hosts/users are connecting? → Query D Query A — Check elastic pool session pressure (near real‑time) Run this in any user database in the elastic pool: SELECT TOP (60) end_time, avg_cpu_percent, avg_data_io_percent, avg_log_write_percent, max_worker_percent, max_session_percent, used_storage_percent FROM sys.dm_elastic_pool_resource_stats ORDER BY end_time DESC; How to interpret it max_session_percent tells you how close your pool is to its session limit (peak session utilization in the interval). This DMV is intended for real‑time monitoring and troubleshooting and retains data for ~40 minutes. Query B — Active sessions by database (best for “what’s happening right now?”) This query focuses on sessions that are currently executing requests, and attributes them to a database by using the request’s SQL context (DB_NAME(st.dbid)). The st.dbid approach is widely used in troubleshooting patterns to show the execution context database. SELECT DB_NAME(st.dbid) AS database_name, s.session_id, s.login_name, s.host_name, s.program_name, s.client_interface_name, c.net_transport, c.encrypt_option, c.auth_scheme, c.connect_time, s.login_time, r.status AS request_status, r.command, r.start_time, r.cpu_time, r.total_elapsed_time FROM sys.dm_exec_requests AS r JOIN sys.dm_exec_sessions AS s ON r.session_id = s.session_id JOIN sys.dm_exec_connections AS c ON c.session_id = s.session_id CROSS APPLY sys.dm_exec_sql_text(r.sql_handle) AS st WHERE s.is_user_process = 1 AND r.session_id <> @@SPID ORDER BY database_name, r.cpu_time DESC; What customers typically use this for Identify which database has the most active work right now See which client program and host are responsible Spot heavy or long‑running requests using cpu_time and total_elapsed_time Query C — Count active sessions per database (simple ranked view) If you want a quick summary like “DB1 has 18 active sessions; DB2 has 5…” WITH active_pool_sessions AS ( SELECT DB_NAME(st.dbid) AS database_name, r.session_id FROM sys.dm_exec_requests AS r JOIN sys.dm_exec_sessions AS s ON r.session_id = s.session_id CROSS APPLY sys.dm_exec_sql_text(r.sql_handle) AS st WHERE s.is_user_process = 1 ) SELECT database_name, COUNT(*) AS active_sessions FROM active_pool_sessions GROUP BY database_name ORDER BY active_sessions DESC; This is a great “top list” during incidents and uses the same execution context mapping pattern (st.dbid). Query D — Connection inventory (who is connected?) Use this when you suspect connection storms, too many open sessions, or connection pooling issues. SELECT c.session_id, c.net_transport, c.encrypt_option, c.auth_scheme, s.host_name, s.program_name, s.client_interface_name, s.login_name, s.original_login_name, c.connect_time, s.login_time FROM sys.dm_exec_connections AS c JOIN sys.dm_exec_sessions AS s ON c.session_id = s.session_id WHERE s.is_user_process = 1 ORDER BY c.connect_time DESC; Microsoft documentation provides this exact join pattern (connections + sessions) as the baseline way to retrieve connection metadata and notes elastic pool behavior when permissions allow. Connection pooling: the #1 reason session counts spike (and how to fix it) Now that you can see sessions and connections, here’s the most common “why”: connection pooling configuration and behavior in the application. What connection pooling is? Creating a new database connection includes several time‑consuming steps: establishing a physical channel, handshake, parsing the connection string, authenticating, and other checks. To reduce that overhead, ADO.NET uses connection pooling: when your application calls Open(), the pooler tries to reuse an existing physical connection; when your application calls Close()/Dispose, the connection is returned to the pool instead of being physically closed—ready for reuse on the next Open(). Important (and often misunderstood): pooling is client‑side, but it has a very real effect on how many concurrent sessions you consume in an elastic pool. Common pooling pitfalls that cause “too many sessions” 1) Connections are not being returned to the pool (connection leaks) Pooling relies on the application calling Close()/Dispose so the pooler can return the connection to the pool for reuse. If connections aren’t closed properly, the pool can’t reuse them, and your app may keep creating new ones. What it looks like in SQL: Query D shows a growing number of sessions from the same program/host over time. Practical fix: Ensure every DB usage pattern disposes the connection (e.g., using blocks in .NET). (General best practice; the pooling mechanism’s reliance on Close/return is documented.) 2) Pool fragmentation (you accidentally create multiple pools) ADO.NET keeps separate pools for different configurations. Connections are separated into pools by connection string and (when integrated security is used) by Windows identity. Pools can also vary based on transaction enlistment and credential instances. What this means: Small differences in connection strings across services/environments can create multiple pools—each with its own connections—so total sessions can be much higher than expected. What it looks like in SQL: Query D shows many sessions from the same overall application family but with slightly different connection contexts (different apps/services). Practical fix: Keep connection strings consistent across instances where possible (same keywords, same security settings, same app identity strategy). (The “separate pools by configuration” concept is documented.) 3) “Max pool size reached” (client-side pool exhaustion) mistaken for Azure SQL limits A Microsoft Tech Community troubleshooting post shows that if you set a small Max Pool Size, you can hit client-side errors such as: “Timeout expired… prior to obtaining a connection from the pool… all pooled connections were in use and max pool size was reached.” That is not the same as hitting an Azure SQL tier limit—it’s the application waiting because it can’t obtain a connection from its own pool. How to differentiate quickly If you see “max pool size reached” / “timeout obtaining connection from the pool” → client pooling pressure. If max_session_percent in Query A is consistently high → pool-level session pressure. 4) Holding connections open longer than necessary Even with pooling enabled, if your application opens a connection and then holds it while doing non-database work, those connections remain “in use” and can’t return to the pool—causing waits and more concurrent sessions under load. (This follows directly from the documented “Open returns a pooled connection; Close returns it to the pool” behavior.) What it looks like in SQL: Query D shows many sessions from the same application. Query B/C shows many active sessions tied to one database during spikes. Practical fix: Open connections as late as possible; close as early as possible around each DB unit of work. (General best practice derived from pooling mechanics.) A simple customer checklist (quick wins) Confirm every DB call closes/disposes the connection so it can return to the pool. Avoid varying connection strings unnecessarily (prevents pool fragmentation). If you see pool wait errors (“max pool size reached”), treat it as an application pooling signal first. Use the T‑SQL queries above to validate: pool pressure (Query A) busiest databases / active sessions (Query B/C) connection sources (Query D) Wrap‑up With the queries in this post, you can troubleshoot elastic pool session behavior without relying on the Azure portal: Query A: real-time pool session/worker pressure Query B/C: database-wise view of active workload (most actionable during incidents) Query D: connection inventory (great for pooling issues and connection storms) And when session counts spike, don’t overlook the application side: connection pooling behavior (leaks, fragmentation, pool sizing, and holding connections open) is one of the most common drivers.
I can't log in to my Microsoft account
This is incredibly frustrating, to put it mildly. Over 48 hours ago, I changed the passwords for my three email accounts. Once I made the change, I could log into Hotmail and see my emails and everything. Now, when I try to access them through my mobile phone, it says the password I'm entering is incorrect (obviously, I'm entering it correctly for each account). I also had access on my PC. Just in case, I thought, "Okay, I'll change it again," and when I try to change it through my mobile phone, it says "Not available at the moment, please try again later." I thought it was just a one-off... A while passes, I try again, and it still says the same thing. On one of the accounts, after trying several times with the code they sent me, it locked the account. They told me to wait 24 hours and it wasn't fixed. Then they told me to wait a week because after so many attempts to remove the "block" (you can check if it's blocked by entering it in the help section)... Are we crazy or what? This afternoon I spoke with Spanish support, and the woman who helped me really tried. We tried to log in and change the password through a VPN, but this time I didn't receive the code, so she opened a ticket and escalated it to a higher level, telling me to wait 3 to 5 business days. I know what that smells like: wait and then the same thing again. The real surprise was that I couldn't access my other two accounts for 48 hours, so I thought, "Okay, I'll check." I entered the password correctly, but it still said it was incorrect (even though it was correct), and I tried mobile verification, but it wasn't available... even using a VPN. I checked the status of both accounts in the help section, and they said there were no problems with them. Why am I never going to be able to access my three Hotmail accounts again? What's the solution? It doesn't matter if I use a VPN, if the account is blocked, or if it's unblocked. It's always the same. It doesn't accept the correct password -> you try to reset it -> you don't receive a code -> if you try again, it blocks you. Can someone tell me WHAT I NEED TO DO TO FIX THIS ATROCITY? Because waiting is clearly pointless, since the other accounts aren't blocked and I can't log in or reset my password. Furthermore, the account I blocked for trying to access it was unblocked after 24 hours, but it was still the same until it was blocked again. The other two accounts have gone 48 hours without me trying to log in, and I'm still stuck. MICROSOFT, do you plan to offer any solution other than "waiting"? I'm sorry if my English isn't very clear, I'm Spanish and I use a translatorA Recap of the Build AI Agents with Custom Tools Live Session
Artificial Intelligence is evolving, and so are the ways we build intelligent agents. On a recent Microsoft YouTube Live session, developers and AI enthusiasts gathered to explore the power of custom tools in AI agents using Azure AI Studio. The session walked through concepts, use cases, and a live demo that showed how integrating custom tools can bring a new level of intelligence and adaptability to your applications. 🎥 Watch the full session here: https://www.youtube.com/live/MRpExvcdxGs?si=X03wsQxQkkshEkOT What Are AI Agents with Custom Tools? AI agents are essentially smart workflows that can reason, plan, and act — powered by large language models (LLMs). While built-in tools like search, calculator, or web APIs are helpful, custom tools allow developers to tailor agents for business-specific needs. For example: Calling internal APIs Accessing private databases Triggering backend operations like ticket creation or document generation Learn Module Overview: Build Agents with Custom Tools To complement the session, Microsoft offers a self-paced Microsoft Learn module that gives step-by-step guidance: Explore the module Key Learning Objectives: Understand why and when to use custom tools in agents Learn how to define, integrate, and test tools using Azure AI Studio Build an end-to-end agent scenario using custom capabilities Hands-On Exercise: The module includes a guided lab where you: Define a tool schema Register the tool within Azure AI Studio Build an AI agent that uses your custom logic Test and validate the agent’s response Highlights from the Live Session Here are some gems from the session: Real-World Use Cases – Automating customer support, connecting to CRMs, and more Tool Manifest Creation – Learn how to describe a tool in a machine-understandable way Live Azure Demo – See exactly how to register tools and invoke them from an AI agent Tips & Troubleshooting – Best practices and common pitfalls when designing agents Want to Get Started? If you're a developer, AI enthusiast, or product builder looking to elevate your agent’s capabilities — custom tools are the next step. Start building your own AI agents by combining the power of: Microsoft Learn Module YouTube Live Session Final Thoughts The future of AI isn't just about smart responses — it's about intelligent actions. Custom tools enable your AI agent to do things, not just say things. With Azure AI Studio, building a practical, action-oriented AI assistant is more accessible than ever. Learn More and Join the Community Learn more about AI Agents with https://aka.ms/ai-agents-beginnersOpen Source Course and Building Agents. Join the Azure AI Foundry Discord Channel. Continue the discussion and learning: https://aka.ms/AI/discord Have questions or want to share what you're building? Let’s connect on LinkedIn or drop a comment under the YouTube video!
SfBPowerShellSessionViaTeamsModule session availability is Busy
Hi everyone, When using multithreading for Teams PowerShell sessions, there is an error saying that "The session SfBPowerShellSessionViaTeamsModule_xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx, api.interfaces.records.teams.microsoft.com is not available to run commands. The session availability is Busy" When trying the exact same commands using 2 PowerShell windows it's working perfectly. Does anyone know how the Teams Powershell module is managing the sessions (where the context is stored and how to parallelize sessions)? The same kind of issues seems to appear with AzureAD Powershell module. Thanks! Regards, StephenAccess session (UniversalBot.loadSession) and it's userData from tab
Hello! Is there any possibility to access the current session (UniversalBot.loadSession with an address object) and the associated userData when handling a request for a tab? There is microsoftTeams.getContent on the tab client side, but that information is insecure and cannot be used for authentication as stated in the docs. When handling a bot request, e.g. handling a messaging extension request for a search which needs authentication to an external IDP, this information can be accessed through the address object from the event object in an onQuery-handler, but so far I could not figure out how to do this when handling a request for a tab. Especially I don't know how to access the address object with which the session can be loaded. I would need this to use one single authentication flow with the bot but not an additional tab based authentication flow. I want to avoid using microsoftTeams.authentication.authenticate as a second parallel authentication flow to the bot authentication initiated with responding with composeExtension/type "auth"/"openUrl". Using two parallel authentication flows may confuse the user as e.g. when the user first uses the tab flow the bot/messaging extension needs an additional authentication, and when using the bot flow first the tab can be authenticated through localStorage (writing the access token into the localStore in the authentication callback site) on the machine where the authentication took place, but when signed in to Teams simultaneously on another machine, the bot can use the access token there too, as the Teams sessions is the same, but the tab is not authenticated as it cannot access the session. Regards, Dominik
