sql-server add tag
roberto (imported from SE)
SQL Server 2012 SP2 Enterprise Edition. Users complaining of slowness. Monitoring tool shows highest wait event is `CXPACKET`. 

Instance settings 

* MAXDOP: 8
* Cost Threshold for Parallelism: 175

Ran `sp_BlitzCache` (from the Brent Ozar toolset, those guys rock) for further diagnosis and results show queries with cost under 175 going parallel.  

Anyone ever see Cost Threshold for Parallelism being ignored?
Top Answer
Paul White
> *Anyone ever see Cost Threshold for Parallelism being ignored?*

It is not being ignored. During the compilation process, the optimizer first considers a serial plan. If the estimated cost of that plan exceeds the Threshold, the optimizer goes on to look for a parallel plan. If the resulting parallel plan is costed below the best serial one, it will be chosen.

So, the parallel plan will have a lower cost that the serial one (which you cannot see). It is perfectly possible for the final parallel plan to have an estimated cost below the Threshold - the point is *the best serial plan candidate exceeded the Threshold*.

An example can be seen in my [blog post][1] on parallel plan bitmaps.

  [1]: https://sqlkiwi.blogspot.com/2011/07/bitmap-magic.html

This room is for discussion about this question.

Once logged in you can direct comments to any contributor here.

Enter question or answer id or url (and optionally further answer ids/urls from the same question) from

Separate each id/url with a space. No need to list your own answers; they will be imported automatically.