BROKER_EVENTHANDLER Wait

Understanding the BROKER_EVENTHANDLER Wait Event in SQL Server

The BROKER_EVENTHANDLER wait event in SQL Server is generally not something that should raise immediate concerns. This wait type is specifically tied to the Service Broker, a feature within SQL Server that is used for messaging and queuing.

The Service Broker enables asynchronous processing by allowing different parts of an application to communicate without being dependent on one another. If you are actively using Service Broker for tasks like managing background processes, message routing, or internal notifications, this wait is more of an informational event rather than an indicator of performance issues.

In most environments, this wait can be safely ignored unless it starts to correlate with performance degradation tied directly to messaging workloads.

The BROKER_EVENTHANDLER wait simply indicates that the Service Broker event handler is idle because there is no work to process. It’s waiting for tasks, and the wait count will continue to rise over time until the database or SQL Server instance is restarted. This is a normal behavior and does not negatively impact performance.

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Key Takeaways:

• No Cause for Concern: The wait is not a problem and doesn’t indicate performance issues.
• Idle State: It shows that the Service Broker has no active tasks to process at the moment.
• Cumulative: The wait count increases over time and resets when the database is restarted.

If you notice the BROKER_EVENTHANDLER wait type in your monitoring or diagnostics, there’s usually no need for concern. Action is only necessary if you’re troubleshooting Service Broker operations or addressing messaging or queuing issues. This wait type indicates the system is functioning as expected. It reflects the normal idle state of the Service Broker when there are no tasks to process. If you’re not dealing with Service Broker-specific problems, this wait type can be ignored during routine operations.

For more details on SQL Server performance tuning, check out our SQL Server Managed Services or visit DatabaseHealth.com for real-time monitoring tools and resources.