Use the Long Running Queries alert in Mini DBA to monitor Azure SQL Database instances and make this condition visible before it becomes a wider database incident.
Mini DBA describes this alert as: Active processes that have been running the same sql batch for a long period of time Huge queries may be consuming way too much of the servers resources The MaxThreshold represents number of minutes the batch must run to trigger the alert The default evaluation frequency is Minute, so the alert is intended to be close enough to operational reality for live triage. Because duration is used, Mini DBA can avoid treating a single short spike as a full incident when the condition clears quickly.
This alert highlights concurrency pressure. Blocking, long sessions, and lock waits can turn a healthy server into a slow user experience, so the alert gives administrators an early route to the sessions, statements, and applications involved.
Enable it on any monitored Azure SQL Database instance where this condition would require an administrator to investigate or communicate with the application team. Tune noisy development systems after you have a short baseline.
Threshold meaning: Queries. Major threshold: 1 minutes. Minor threshold: 0 minutes. Comparison direction: "over". Duration is used, so prefer requiring the condition to persist before paging people for transient spikes. Use higher thresholds on batch-heavy, development, or intentionally bursty systems where brief pressure is expected. Use lower thresholds on latency-sensitive production systems, small instances with little headroom, and services with strict recovery or availability commitments.
Open the activity, blocking, and query views to identify the lead blocker, SQL text, wait type, login, host, and application. Prefer fixing the query or transaction pattern, but kill or cancel the blocking session when the business impact is higher than the rollback risk.
If the alert creates repeated noise, review whether it is enabled on the correct instances, whether maintenance windows are configured, and whether the minor and major routes match the real business impact. Keep enough history to prove the new setting before changing it broadly.