Azure SQL Deadlocks shows deadlock events for an Azure SQL database. Use it to review concurrency conflicts, involved sessions, victim selection, and recurring query patterns.
Workflow
- Open Deadlocks for the Azure SQL database.
- Review the most recent events.
- Identify the involved queries, objects, and sessions.
- Compare with Activity, Locks, and Query Store.
- Use Performance Tuning for query and indexing follow-up.
How To Reduce Azure SQL Deadlocks
Recurring deadlocks usually need a design or tuning change, not just a one-time retry. Look for repeated statements, tables, indexes, and application paths. Reducing transaction length, adding the right index, accessing objects in a consistent order, and adding safe retry behavior can all reduce deadlock impact.
Azure SQL deadlock investigation should include Query Store, because the deadlock victim may not be the root cause. Query Store can show whether one participant recently changed plans or became more expensive.
Azure SQL Deadlocks FAQ
Does Azure SQL support deadlock capture?
Yes, but Mini DBA needs the relevant database permissions and Extended Events permission for richer capture.
Is retry logic enough?
Retry logic is important, but recurring deadlocks should still be investigated. Retries hide symptoms but do not remove the cause.
What page should I open after a deadlock?
Open Locks, Activity, Query Store, and Indexes to understand the statement and object pattern.
Next Steps After A Deadlock
Deadlock evidence should be converted into a reproducible transaction story. Capture the time, statements, users, application name, database, and affected objects. Then check whether the same transaction order appears in application code, scheduled jobs, or retry logic. A deadlock that happens once may be transient; a repeating pattern usually deserves code or index review.