High memory usage due to RING_BUFFER I have a server that is churning up the CPU using 60% to 80% constantly. Using a tool from Brent Ozar's First Responder Kit, it shows RING_BUFFER_SCHEDULER_MONITOR is the culprit. What is this, and how can I track down what is doing this?

60%. Ring buffer details: &lt;Record id="3592" type="RING_BUFFER_SCHEDULER_MONITOR" time="215993000"&gt;&lt;SchedulerMonitorEvent&gt;&lt;SystemHealth&gt;&lt;ProcessUtilization&gt;57&lt;/ProcessUtilization&gt;&lt;SystemIdle&gt;40&lt;/SystemIdle&gt;&lt;UserModeTime&gt;2748425618&lt;/UserModeTime&gt;&lt;KernelModeTime&gt;27144174&lt;/KernelModeTime&gt;&lt;PageFaults&gt;986&lt;/PageFaults&gt;&lt;WorkingSetDelta&gt;94208&lt;/WorkingSetDelta&gt;&lt;MemoryUtilization&gt;100&lt;/MemoryUtilization&gt;&lt;/SystemHealth&gt;&lt;/SchedulerMonitorEvent&gt;&lt;/Record&gt;
Well, no, not exactly. My fault for not making the wording on that a little better.

You're using sp_BlitzFirst, and here's something similar to what you're seeing:



It's reporting CPU usage and where I found it in the DMVs - the ring buffer. The ring buffer isn't CAUSING the high CPU use.

To find queries doing high CPU use, use sp_BlitzCache @SortOrder = 'cpu'.

For more details, check out this post from Microsoft's Premier Field Engineering team on using ring buffers to track CPU usage inside SQL Server.