What is lock escalation?

Lock escalation is SQL Server's process of converting many fine-grained locks on a partition or table into a larger-grained lock, typically to reduce lock-manager memory and overhead.

Escalation can increase blocking because a table-level lock covers more data than individual row or key locks. Large transactions, scans, and poor indexing can contribute to escalation pressure.

The preferred response is usually to reduce transaction size or improve access patterns rather than disabling lock escalation globally.