ApexSQL Audit performance usage - Testing case using SQL Audit auditing technology (4369128)

DISCLAIMER: The following sample represents an insight of resource utilization during overload cases, insinuated with a huge auditing data processing using ApexSQL Audit. Testing that was performed below provides metrics obtained by the usage of ApexSQL Audit and SQL Server within a specific testing environment with no extra processes running except for SQL engine and auditing. The obtained results can be considered as a reference guide in building the expectations on how ApexSQL Audit can impact the given environment. 
 
Testing environment specification
 
Audited instance machine specification:

• OS: Windows Server 2019 Datacenter 10.0 <X64> (Build 17763: ) (Hypervisor)
• SQL Server version: Microsoft SQL Server 2017 (RTM-GDR) (KB4505224) - 14.0.2027.2 (X64) Jun 15 2019 00:26:19 Developer Edition (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) Platinum 8171M CPU @ 2.60GHz, 4 Core(s),  8 Logical Processors
• Memory: 32 GB
• Storage: Standard SSD of 100 GB
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet Network Card

 
Central Repository instance machine specification:

• OS: Windows Server 2019 Datacenter 10.0 <X64> (Build 17763: ) (Hypervisor)
• SQL Server version: Microsoft SQL Server 2017 (RTM-GDR) (KB4505224) - 14.0.2027.2 (X64) Jun 15 2019 00:26:19 Developer Edition (64-bit)
• Processor: Processor Intel(R) Xeon(R) Platinum 8272CL CPU @ 2.60GHz, 1 Core(s),  2 Logical Processors
• Memory: 16 GB
• Storage: Standard SSD of 100 GB
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet Network Card

Performance testing on the audited instance machine
 
The following data provides an insight of the testing result in a specific environment and displays overall hardware consumption in specific scenarios, showing the graph results in which a dedicated auditing agent is referred to as ApexSQL Audit processor Distributed, which is a core component for data processing and collecting on the audited instance machines.
 

Graph below showing memory utilization during test run with SQL Audit auditing technology:

Conducted testing shows low impact on CPU and memory utilization regarding ApexSQL Audit Distributed processor when test SQL query was executed simultaneously from 1 application within 10 minutes. 
Workload during test run per total SQL Server resources (test SQL query vs ApexSQL Audit SQL query):

Comparison of applications that executed SQL queries during test run per total SQL Server resources:

Testing case using the SQL Audit auditing technology - high impact on resource utilization

Input parameters for testing:

• Testing duration: 6 minutes
• Auditing technology: SQL Audit
• Auditing configuration: GDPR
• SQL query average length: 80 chars long
• Number of executed SQL events: nearly 799.000 events which stand for 2.219 transactions per second (TPS)

 
Test results:
Graph below showing CPU utilization during test run with SQL Audit auditing technology:

 
Graph below showing memory utilization during test run with SQL Audit auditing technology:

    
 Conducted testing shows low impact on CPU and memory utilization regarding ApexSQL Audit Distributed processor when test SQL query was executed simultaneously from 6 applications within 6 minutes. 
 
Workload during test run per total SQL Server resources (test SQL query vs ApexSQL Audit SQL query):

 
Comparison of applications that executed SQL queries during test run per total SQL Server resources:

Network utilization
 
During the execution of these tests, due to a large amount of processed audited data, it was expected to find increased network bandwidth utilization. This utilization is the result of transferring audited data packages from the audited instance to the central repository. Our tests have shown  2.5 – 3.5 Gbps bandwidth utilization: