Wait Type LCK_M_X

The wait type LCK_M_X is ranked #20 by Stedman Solutions and Database Health Monitor.

Wait statistics, in the context of SQL Server, refer to the amount of time that a query spends waiting to access data in the database. When a client application requests data from the database, the request is placed in a queue and the client application must wait for its turn to access the data. The time that the query spends waiting is called a "wait" and is tracked by SQL Server. This information can be used to identify potential performance bottlenecks and optimize the performance of the database. Wait statistics are commonly used by database administrators to diagnose and troubleshoot performance issues in SQL Server.


SQL Server LCK_M_X wait types occur when a transaction is waiting to acquire an exclusive (write) lock on a page or table in order to update it. This type of lock is used to ensure that only one transaction can modify the data at a time.

When a transaction needs to update a page or table, it first checks to see if there are any existing locks on that data. If there are no locks, the transaction acquires an exclusive lock and proceeds with the update. If there are existing locks, however, the transaction must wait for those locks to be released before it can acquire its own lock and update the data.

This waiting period can cause performance issues if it lasts for too long. To avoid these issues, its important to monitor your SQL Server for LCK_M_X wait types and take steps to reduce the amount of time that transactions spend waiting for locks.

One way to do this is to make sure that your transactions acquire locks and release them as quickly as possible. This can be accomplished by using the right isolation level for your transactions and by ensuring that your transactions are short and to the point.

Another way to reduce the amount of time that transactions spend waiting for locks is to use the right indexing strategy. By creating the right indexes on your tables, you can improve the performance of your queries and reduce the amount of time that transactions spend waiting for locks.

Overall, SQL Server LCK_M_X wait types can be a sign of potential performance issues in your database. By monitoring for these wait types and taking steps to reduce the amount of time that transactions spend waiting for locks, you can improve the performance of your SQL Server and ensure that your database runs smoothly.

Applies to

Related Waits

LCK_M_BU
LCK_M_BU_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_BU_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_IS
LCK_M_IS_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_IS_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_IU
LCK_M_IU_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_IU_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_IX
LCK_M_IX_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_IX_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_RIn_NL
LCK_M_RIn_NL_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_RIn_NL_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_RIn_S
LCK_M_RIn_S_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_RIn_S_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_RIn_U
LCK_M_RIn_U_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_RIn_U_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_RIn_X
LCK_M_RIn_X_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_RIn_X_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_RS_S
LCK_M_RS_S_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_RS_S_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_RS_U
LCK_M_RS_U_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_RS_U_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_RX_S
LCK_M_RX_S_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_RX_S_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_RX_U
LCK_M_RX_U_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_RX_U_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_RX_X
LCK_M_RX_X_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_RX_X_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_S
LCK_M_S_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_S_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_SCH_M
LCK_M_SCH_M_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_SCH_M_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_SCH_S
LCK_M_SCH_S_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_SCH_S_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_SIU
LCK_M_SIU_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_SIU_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_SIX
LCK_M_SIX_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_SIX_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_U
LCK_M_U_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_U_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_UIX
LCK_M_UIX_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_UIX_LOW_PRIORITY
LCK_M_X_ABORT_BLOCKERS
LCK_M_X_LOW_PRIORITY

See Also


All Wait Types