Running System Monitor
System Monitor uses remote procedure calls (RPCs) to collect information from Microsoft SQL Server. Any user who has Microsoft Windows permissions to run System Monitor can use System Monitor to monitor SQL Server.
Note
When using System Monitor or Performance Monitor, you cannot connect to an instance of SQL Server that is running on Windows 98.
As with all performance monitoring tools, expect some performance overhead when you use System Monitor to monitor SQL Server. The actual overhead in any specific instance depends on the hardware platform, the number of counters, and the selected update interval. However, the integration of System Monitor with SQL Server is designed to minimize any reduction in performance.
Note
If you have selected SQL Server performance counters to monitor in the System Monitor snap-in, you will see the counters even if SQL Server is not running.
For information about starting System Monitor, see How to: Start System Monitor (Windows).