Connection pool exhausted: no available database connections

Long-running database queries or inefficient scripts that hold connections open for extended periods, preventing connection reuse. (high likelihood)

Sudden spike in concurrent users or automated processes overwhelming the connection pool capacity during peak usage periods. (high likelihood)

Business rules, scheduled jobs, or background scripts with database operations that fail to release connections properly due to coding errors. (medium likelihood)

Connection pool configuration set too low for the instance's actual usage patterns and user load requirements. (medium likelihood)

Database deadlocks or locking issues causing connections to remain tied up while waiting for locks to be released. (low likelihood)

Step 1: Navigate to System Diagnostics > Stats > Database and check current connection pool usage to confirm the pool is at or near maximum capacity.

Step 2: Go to System Diagnostics > Slow Queries to identify any long-running queries that may be consuming connections and note their duration and frequency.

Step 3: Check System Log > Application Log for any database-related errors or warnings that occurred around the same time as the connection pool exhaustion.

Step 4: Review active sessions at System Diagnostics > Sessions > Active to identify any hung or long-running user sessions that might be holding connections.

Step 5: Examine recent scheduled jobs and background scripts at System Definition > Scheduled Jobs to identify any that might be creating connection leaks or running longer than expected.

Step 6: If immediate relief is needed, restart the ServiceNow instance to reset all database connections, but plan for a maintenance window as this will disrupt active users.

Step 7: Review and optimize identified slow queries by adding proper indexes, rewriting inefficient GlideRecord operations, or breaking large operations into smaller batches.

Step 8: Consider requesting a connection pool size increase through ServiceNow support if usage patterns consistently exceed current pool capacity during normal operations.