---
title: "Use Performance Objects"
ms.custom: seo-lt-2019
ms.date: 01/19/2017
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: sql-tools
ms.technology: ssms
ms.topic: conceptual
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "SQL Server Agent, monitoring"
  - "SQL Server Agent service, monitoring"
  - "SQL Server Agent service, performance objects"
  - "SQL Server Agent, performance objects"
  - "performance objects [SQL Server Agent]"
  - "monitoring [SQL Server], SQL Server Agent"
  - "monitoring [SQL Server Agent]"
  - "performance counters [SQL Server], SQL Server Agent"
  - "counters [SQL Server], SQL Server Agent"
ms.assetid: 830b843a-6b2a-4620-a51b-98358e9fc54b
author: markingmyname
ms.author: maghan
ms.manager: jroth
ms.reviewer: ""
monikerRange: "= azuresqldb-mi-current || >= sql-server-2016 || = sqlallproducts-allversions"
---
# Use Performance Objects
[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-asdbmi-xxxx-xxx-md](../../includes/appliesto-ss-asdbmi-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]

> [!IMPORTANT]  
> On [Azure SQL Database Managed Instance](https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/sql-database/sql-database-managed-instance), most, but not all SQL Server Agent features are currently supported. See [Azure SQL Database Managed Instance T-SQL differences from SQL Server](https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/sql-database/sql-database-managed-instance-transact-sql-information#sql-server-agent) for details.

[!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] Agent includes performance objects and counters to monitor how the service is performing. These performance objects allow you to use Performance Monitor, a Windows tool, to identify what the [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] Agent service is doing in the background. For example, you can identify how many active jobs the [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] Agent service is currently running to identify those jobs that are blocked.  
  
The [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] Agent service performance objects and counters exist for each instance of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] that is installed on a computer. Performance objects are named according to the instance of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] that each object represents.  
  
The following table shows how the [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] Agent service performance objects are named:  
  
|Instance type|Object name|  
|-----------------|---------------|  
|Default|**SQLAgent:**_object_:_counter_|  
|Named|**SQLAgent$**<br /> **&#42;instance_name&#42; :**_object_:_counter_|  
  
[!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] includes the following performance objects for [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] Agent.  
  
|Object name|Description|  
|---------------|---------------|  
|[SQLAgent:Jobs](../../relational-databases/performance-monitor/sql-server-agent-jobs-object.md)|Performance information about jobs that have been started, success rates, and current status|  
|[SQLAgent:JobSteps](../../relational-databases/performance-monitor/sql-server-agent-jobsteps-object.md)|Status information about job steps|  
|[SQLAgent:Alerts](../../relational-databases/performance-monitor/sql-server-agent-alerts-object.md)|Information about number of alerts and notifications|  
|[SQLAgent:Statistics](../../relational-databases/performance-monitor/sql-server-agent-statistics-object.md)|General performance information|  
  
## See Also  
[Monitor and Tune for Performance](../../relational-databases/performance/monitor-and-tune-for-performance.md)  
[How to: Start System Monitor (Windows)](https://msdn.microsoft.com/5e51bb79-5737-470b-9c47-fac330c001c5)