What does it means when you have "sql_exit_invoked" in System Health? I'm having problems with one of my SQL Server 2016 Standard servers. I have 8 production servers and this one is the only one who crashes randomly without having any trace in the log.

I have system_health enabled on it. I noticed that I have a row in system health witch is "sql_exit_invoked".



I'm trying to find more informations on that row. What does it means?
The only info I found over the internet is that it happens when SQLExit() is called and that it's logged only since SQL 2012. (link available on msdn website )



So my question is : Should I worry to see this in my log? I find this only on my problematic server and not on any of the other 7 servers. (All of them are SQL Server 2016 Standard edition)

Can anybody give me more information on this?
Extended Events are pretty poorly documented.

Debug channel extended events are even more poorly documented.

Based on my testing, you'll need to use the "shutdown_option" value from those event entries as a clue for where to look next.  Here's what they mean in my limited testing:


ORDERLY_SHUTDOWN 


restart or stop the service cleanly (using Config Manager, Services snap in, etc)
restart Windows cleanly (start menu -> shutdown / restart)

NICE_SHUTDOWN - stop the service using the SHUTDOWN; T-SQL command
FAST_SHUTDOWN - stop the service using the SHUTDOWN WITH NOWAIT; T-SQL command


Note that I also tried the following, and they did not register anything in the Extended Events session:


shutdown Windows by holding down the power button
kill the sqlservr.exe process from the Task Manager


I was unable to get the SHUTDOWN_NOT_SET version of the event to fire, so that one remains a mystery.



In your screenshot, I can see that ORDERLY_SHUTDOWN is the option in your scenario. In that case, since this seems to imply a clean shutdown of the service or Windows PC, I would look into the Windows Event Viewer "System" log and see why the machine is being restarted, or what service / component is issuing a SHUTDOWN command to the SQL Server serevice.

Good luck!