--- title: "Reduce Noise in CPU Utilization Policies (SQL Server Utility) | Microsoft Docs" ms.custom: "" ms.date: "03/14/2017" ms.prod: sql ms.prod_service: "database-engine" ms.reviewer: "" ms.technology: configuration ms.topic: conceptual f1_keywords: - "sql13.SWB.UE.ReduceNoise.F1" ms.assetid: 94bf4d93-c0ff-4869-bde7-80c24866092e author: MikeRayMSFT ms.author: mikeray --- # Reduce Noise in CPU Utilization Policies (SQL Server Utility) [!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md](../../includes/appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md.md)] Use the following strategies to reduce reporting noise and unwanted violations in [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] Utility resource utilization policies. ## How frequently should processor utilization be in violation before it is reported as overutilized? The evaluation time period and tolerance for percent violations are both configurable using the **Policy** tab settings in the **Utility Administration** node of Utility Explorer. To change policies, use the slider controls to the right of policy descriptions, then click **Apply**. You can also restore default values or discard changes using buttons at the bottom of the display. - The data collection interval is 15 minutes. This value is not configurable. - The default upper threshold processor utilization policy is 70%. Options range from 0% to 100%. - The default evaluation period for processor overutilization is 1 hour. Options range from 1 hour to 1 week. - The default percentage of data points in violation before CPU is reported as overutilized is 20%. Options range from 0% to 100%. For example, based on default values, 4 data points will be collected every hour, and the policy threshold is 20%. So by default, any violation in a 1-hour collection period will be 25% of 4 data points. The default values report any violation of the CPU overutilization policy threshold. To reduce noise generated by a single violation, consider the following options: - Increase the evaluation period by 1 increment to 6 hours. A single violation in 6 hours would be 1 data point in a sample size of 24. In this case, the policy would tolerate 4 violations of the policy threshold (16.7% of data points) in 6 hours, but would report overutilization for 5 or more violations (>20% of data points) in a 6-hour collection period. - Increase the tolerance for percentage of violations by 1 increment to 30%. A single violation in 1 hour would be 1 data point in a sample size of 4. In this case, the policy would tolerate 1 violation per hour, but would report overutilization for 2 or more violations (>30% of data points) in a 1-hour collection period. - Increase policy thresholds for [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] managed instance and data-tier application processor utilization. For more information about how to change the global CPU utilization policies for managed instances of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] or data-tier applications, see [Utility Administration (SQL Server Utility)](https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/3e5a00c3-8905-40f0-9ddc-d924df9c2f0d). For more information about how to change CPU utilization policies for individual instances of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)], see [Managed Instance Details (SQL Server Utility)](https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/6e51b7bb-a733-4852-8c33-7f4dbdf931c2). For more information about how to change CPU utilization policies for individual data-tier applications, see [Deployed Data-tier Application Details (SQL Server Utility)](https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/79c41dd9-abcb-434e-9326-00a341d5c867). ## How frequently should processor utilization be in violation before it is reported as underutilized? The evaluation time period and tolerance for percent violations are both configurable using the **Policy** tab settings in the **Utility Administration** node of Utility Explorer. To change policies, use the slider controls to the right of policy descriptions, then click **Apply**. You can also restore default values or discard changes using buttons at the bottom of the display. - The data collection interval is 15 minutes. This value is not configurable. - The default lower threshold for processor utilization policy is 0%. Options range from 0% to 100%. - The default evaluation period for processor underutilization is 1 week. Options range from 1 day to 1 month. - The default percentage of data points in violation before CPU is reported as underutilized is 90%. Options range from 0% to 100%. Based on default values, 672 data points are collected every week, but the policy threshold is 0%. So by default, this policy does not generate processor underutilization violations. For more information about how to change the global CPU utilization policies for managed instances of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] or data-tier applications, see [Utility Administration (SQL Server Utility)](https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/3e5a00c3-8905-40f0-9ddc-d924df9c2f0d). For more information about how to change CPU utilization policies for individual instances of SQL Server, see [Managed Instance Details (SQL Server Utility)](https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/6e51b7bb-a733-4852-8c33-7f4dbdf931c2). For more information about how to change CPU utilization policies for individual data-tier applications, see [Deployed Data-tier Application Details (SQL Server Utility)](https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/79c41dd9-abcb-434e-9326-00a341d5c867). ## See Also [Utility Administration (SQL Server Utility)](https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/3e5a00c3-8905-40f0-9ddc-d924df9c2f0d) [Monitor Instances of SQL Server in the SQL Server Utility](../../relational-databases/manage/monitor-instances-of-sql-server-in-the-sql-server-utility.md) [Modify a Resource Health Policy Definition (SQL Server Utility)](../../relational-databases/manage/modify-a-resource-health-policy-definition-sql-server-utility.md) [SQL Server Utility Features and Tasks](../../relational-databases/manage/sql-server-utility-features-and-tasks.md)