Why is SQL Server Agent required for MSSQL monitoring with Prometheus?

SQL Server Agent is required because certain MSSQL performance metrics, such as job execution status and internal database operations, depend on SQL Server Agent being active. Without it, the Windows Exporter cannot fully expose MSSQL-related metrics to Prometheus, resulting in incomplete monitoring data.

Which MSSQL metrics can be monitored using Windows Exporter?

Using the mssql collector in Windows Exporter, you can monitor SQL Server uptime, active connections, batch requests per second, buffer cache hit ratio, page life expectancy, disk I/O latency, and SQL Server–related CPU and memory usage, helping you quickly identify performance bottlenecks and capacity issues.

Do I need to install Prometheus and Grafana on the same Windows Server as MSSQL?

No, Prometheus and Grafana are typically installed on a separate Linux machine, such as Ubuntu. In this setup, the Windows Server runs MSSQL and Windows Exporter, while Prometheus scrapes metrics remotely and Grafana visualizes them. This separation improves scalability and security.

What port does Windows Exporter use, and does it need to be publicly accessible?

Windows Exporter uses port 9182 by default. The port does not need to be publicly accessible; it only needs to be reachable from the Prometheus server. For production environments, it is recommended to restrict access using firewall rules or private networking.

What should I check if MSSQL metrics are not visible in Grafana?

If MSSQL metrics are missing in Grafana, verify that Windows Exporter is running and accessible at http://:9182/metrics, the mssql collector is enabled in the exporter command, SQL Server Agent is running and set to automatic, Prometheus scrape configuration includes the Windows Exporter target, and Grafana is properly connected to Prometheus as a data source.

Windows Exporter Setup for Monitoring MSSQL on Windows Server

Modern enterprises rely heavily on Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to power mission-critical applications. However, without proper monitoring, SQL Server performance issues can go unnoticed, leading to downtime, slow queries, and business impact.

Objective
Requirements
Installation and Setup of MSSQL
Install SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
Enabling Automatic Start for SQL Server Agent
Install Prometheus Windows Exporter
Open Registry Editor
Conclusion

Objective

The objective of this document is to monitor MSSQL performance metrics on a Windows Server using Prometheus and Grafana.

The goal is to help you set up a reliable monitoring pipeline that includes:

Installing MSSQL Server and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
Enabling SQL Server Agent
Installing and configuring the Windows Exporter
Setting up Prometheus and Grafana on Ubuntu
Visualizing MSSQL metrics in Grafana dashboards

Requirements

Before starting, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

Component	Description
Windows Server	Host machine where MSSQL Server is installed
MSSQL Server 2022 Developer Edition	Database engine to monitor
SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)	Tool for database administration and queries
Prometheus	Metrics collection tool (installed on Ubuntu)
Grafana	Visualization and dashboarding tool (installed on Ubuntu)
Windows Exporter	Exposes Windows system and MSSQL performance metrics
Open Ports	9182 (Windows Exporter), 9090 (Prometheus), 3000 (Grafana)

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Installation and Setup of MSSQL

Download and Install MSSQL

Visit the official SQL Server download page.
Under SQL Server 2022 Developer Edition, click Download now.
During installation:
Select Basic installation
Accept the license terms
Click Install
The setup takes around 10–20 minutes
Keep the default instance name unless you want to customize it.
Click Connect when installation is completed.

Install SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

Download SSMS from the official Microsoft website
Run the installer and complete the setup.

Enable SQL Server Agent in SSMS

Prometheus relies on SQL Server Agent to expose certain SQL-related metrics.

Open SSMS.
In Object Explorer, locate SQL Server Agent.
Right-click → Start

Enabling Automatic Start for SQL Server Agent

Follow the steps below to configure the SQL Server Agent service to start automatically when Windows boots:

Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
Type services.msc and press Enter to open the Services window.
Locate the service named SQL Server Agent (), where <InstanceName> is the name of your SQL Server instance.
Double-click the SQL Server Agent service to open its Properties window.
In the Startup type dropdown menu, select Automatic. – You can also choose Automatic (Delayed Start) if you want other services to start first.
Click Apply, and then OK to save the changes. To verify it check startup type changes automatically.

Install Prometheus Windows Exporter

Prometheus Windows Exporter helps expose system and MSSQL metrics for monitoring.

Steps:

Download Windows Exporter

Visit the official releases page to download the latest version of Windows Exporter.

Download the Binary File

Select and download the binary file:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator
Press Start → Search “cmd” → Right-click → Run as Administrator.
Run the Exporter Manually

Execute the following command to start the Windows Exporter and fetch SQL Server statistics:

 "C:\Program Files\windows_exporter\windows_exporter-0.31.3-amd64.exe" --collectors.enabled="cpu,logical_disk,net,os,service,system,textfile,mssql"

5.Verify the Metrics Endpoint

Press Open your browser and navigate to: http://PublicIp:9182/metrics

Run Windows Exporter Automatically After System Restart

To ensure the Windows Exporter service starts automatically after a system reboot, follow these steps

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Open Registry Editor

Press Start → Search “regedit” → Open Registry Editor
Navigate to the Following Path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\windows_exporter Modify the ImagePath Value,Double-click on ImagePath.

Replace the existing value with the following (adjust if your installation path differs):

"C:\Program Files\windows_exporter\windows_exporter-0.31.3-amd64.exe" --collectors.enabled="cpu,logical_disk,net,os,service,system,textfile,mssql"

Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
Type services.msc and press Enter to open the Services window.
Double-click the window exporter service to open its Properties window.
In the Startup type dropdown menu, select Automatic, You can also choose Automatic (Delayed Start) if you want other services to start first.

Conclusion

Monitoring MSSQL on Windows Server using Windows Exporter, Prometheus, and Grafana provides deep visibility into database health and system performance.