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Quest Spotlight
Aliso Viejo, California, United States
What it is
Quest Spotlight monitors, diagnoses, and helps optimize SQL Server performance in on-premises or cloud environments. Spotlight on SQL Server Enterprise offers agentless monitoring from a centralized diagnostic server, with alarms for performance deviations. It can monitor SQL Server, Windows, and virtualization infrastructure from one screen, and Quest lists SQL Azure among its supported platforms. Diagnostic tools include incident playback, health checks, workload analysis, deadlock detection, and root cause analysis. Integration with SQL Optimizer identifies long-running queries and suboptimal code for further tuning. Users can set thresholds, create counters, and configure rule-based actions to run once or repeatedly. The product also supports query profiling, wait and lock analysis, and execution plans. Its self-hosted deployment includes an on-premises trial, while pricing is available on request. The Diagnostic Server needs access to a SQL Server account with the sysadmin server role; monitoring Windows performance counters uses WMI queries. Spotlight Cloud reached end of life on December 31, 2024; Quest continues to offer Spotlight on-premises.
For and against
For
- Agentless monitoring through a centralized diagnostic server
- Includes workload analysis and deadlock detection
- SQL Optimizer identifies long-running queries
- Custom thresholds, counters, and rule-based actions
- On-premises trial offered
Against
- Pricing is available on request
- Diagnostic Server requires a SQL Server sysadmin account
- Windows performance counters use WMI queries
- Spotlight Cloud ended on December 31, 2024
The verdict
Spotlight combines monitoring and diagnostic tools with query tuning support for SQL Server environments. Consider its access requirements and self-hosted deployment, and note that the cloud offering has ended.
Who it suits
Spotlight is suited to database professionals managing SQL Server environments who want to diagnose performance issues and improve application service quality. It may also fit teams that need monitoring across database, Windows, and virtualization infrastructure.
Plans and prices
Spotlight on SQL Server Enterprise
Pricing by request · On-premises trial offered
Read 9 Oct 2026 · quest.com
On the record
- Access requirements
- The Diagnostic Server needs access to a SQL Server account with the sysadmin server role; monitoring Windows performance counters uses WMI queries.support.quest.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Azure support
- Quest lists SQL Azure among the platforms supported by Spotlight on SQL Server.quest.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Company scale
- Quest says more than 45,000 organizations, including over 90% of the Fortune 500, rely on its software.quest.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Customization
- Users can set custom thresholds, create counters, and configure rule-based actions to run once or on a recurring basis.quest.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Diagnostics
- Features include incident playback, health checks, workload analysis, deadlock detection, and root cause analysis.quest.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- Quest describes Spotlight as a tool for database professionals managing SQL Server environments and improving application service quality.quest.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Monitored environment
- The product can monitor SQL Server, Windows, and virtualization infrastructure from a single screen.quest.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Monitoring
- Spotlight on SQL Server Enterprise provides agentless monitoring from a centralized diagnostic server, with alarms for performance deviations.quest.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Spotlight monitors, diagnoses, and helps optimize SQL Server performance in on-premises or cloud environments.quest.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Spotlight Cloud status
- Spotlight Cloud reached end of life on December 31, 2024; Quest says it continues to offer Spotlight on-premises.quest.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Support
- Quest provides product support resources including knowledge articles, video tutorials, downloads, and technical documentation.support.quest.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Trial
- Quest offers an on-premises trial and lists Spotlight on SQL Server Enterprise as a free trial product; the pages opened do not state a trial duration.quest.com · read 9 Oct 2026
- Tuning
- SQL Optimizer integration identifies long-running queries and suboptimal code for further tuning.quest.com · read 9 Oct 2026
