# Analyzing DB load by wait events
Analyzing DB load

If the **Database load** chart shows a bottleneck, you can find out where the load is coming from. To do so, look at the top load items table below the **Database load** chart. Choose a particular item, like a SQL query or a user, to drill down into that item and see details about it.

DB load grouped by waits and top SQL queries is the default Performance Insights dashboard view. This combination typically provides the most insight into performance issues. DB load grouped by waits shows if there are any resource or concurrency bottlenecks in the database. In this case, the **SQL** tab of the top load items table shows which queries are driving that load.

Your typical workflow for diagnosing performance issues is as follows:

1. Review the **Database load** chart and see if there are any incidents of database load exceeding the **Max CPU** line.

1. If there is, look at the **Database load** chart and identify which wait state or states are primarily responsible.

1. Identify the digest queries causing the load by seeing which of the queries the **SQL** tab on the top load items table are contributing most to those wait states. You can identify these by the **DB Load by Wait** column.

1. Choose one of these digest queries in the **SQL** tab to expand it and see the child queries that it is composed of.

For example, in the dashboard following, **log file sync** waits account for most of the DB load. The **LGWR all worker groups** wait is also high. The **Top SQL** chart shows what is causing the **log file sync** waits: frequent `COMMIT` statements. In this case, committing less frequently will reduce DB load.

![\[log file sync errors\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/images/perf_insights_7.png)