Get-DbaDbccMemoryStatus

Synopsis

Executes DBCC MEMORYSTATUS and returns memory usage details in a structured format

Description

Runs DBCC MEMORYSTATUS against SQL Server instances and parses the output into a structured PowerShell object for analysis. This replaces the need to manually execute DBCC MEMORYSTATUS and interpret its raw text output, making memory troubleshooting and monitoring much easier. The function organizes memory statistics by type (like Memory Manager, Buffer Manager, Resource Pool, etc.) and provides both the metric names and values in a consistent format across multiple instances. Useful for diagnosing memory pressure, understanding memory allocation patterns, and comparing memory usage across environments.

Reference:
- https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/timchapman/2012/08/16/how-to-parse-dbcc-memorystatus-via-powershell/
- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/907877/how-to-use-the-dbcc-memorystatus-command-to-monitor-memory-usage-on-sq

Syntax

Get-DbaDbccMemoryStatus
    [-SqlInstance] <DbaInstanceParameter[]>
    [[-SqlCredential] <PSCredential>]
    [-EnableException]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Examples

Example: 1

PS C:\> Get-DbaDbccMemoryStatus -SqlInstance sqlcluster, sqlserver2012

Get output of DBCC MEMORYSTATUS for instances “sqlcluster” and “sqlserver2012”. Returns results in a single recordset.

Example: 2

PS C:\> Get-DbaRegServer -SqlInstance sqlcluster | Get-DbaDbccMemoryStatus

Get output of DBCC MEMORYSTATUS for all servers in Server Central Management Server

Required Parameters

-SqlInstance

The target SQL Server instance or instances.

Optional Parameters

-SqlCredential

Login to the target instance using alternative credentials. Accepts PowerShell credentials (Get-Credential).
Windows Authentication, SQL Server Authentication, Active Directory - Password, and Active Directory - Integrated are all supported.
For MFA support, please use Connect-DbaInstance.

-EnableException

By default, when something goes wrong we try to catch it, interpret it and give you a friendly warning message.
This avoids overwhelming you with “sea of red” exceptions, but is inconvenient because it basically disables advanced scripting.
Using this switch turns this “nice by default” feature off and enables you to catch exceptions with your own try/catch.

Outputs

PSCustomObject

Returns one object per memory metric returned by DBCC MEMORYSTATUS. Each metric is parsed into a structured object containing the metric name, value, and classification.

Properties:

• ComputerName: The name of the computer hosting the SQL Server instance
• InstanceName: The name of the SQL Server instance
• SqlInstance: The full SQL Server instance name (ComputerName\InstanceName)
• RecordSet: The recordset number from the DBCC MEMORYSTATUS output (identifies which section the metric belongs to)
• RowId: The sequential row ID across all recordsets
• RecordSetId: The row ID within the current recordset
• Type: The memory category/type from DBCC MEMORYSTATUS (e.g., Memory Manager, Buffer Manager, Resource Pool, etc.)
• Name: The name of the memory metric
• Value: The value of the memory metric (typically in KB)
• ValueType: The column name from DBCC MEMORYSTATUS output indicating the metric classification