14 DAY TRIAL // Customers running the most recent released of Microsoft’s data platform in concert with Operations Manager 2007, can now download a new resource from the Redmond company which will simplify the manner in which they manage to keep a close eye at their environments. The Microsoft SQL Server Management Pack for Operations Manager 2007 is now available for download free of charge, allowing customers to streamline discovery and monitoring of SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, and SQL Server 2008 R2. According to the software giant, various components of SQL Server can easily be monitored, including database engine instances, databases, and SQL Server agents.
The latest update to the SQL Server Monitoring Management Pack brings the resource to version 6.1.314.36. Microsoft noted that with this refresh it “removed DMO dependency, improved health model, improved free space monitoring to support file groups and autogrow, added knowledge and added detailed low-privilege configuration information in the MP guide.”
When it comes down to clustered instances of SQL Server, Microsoft advices customers to ensure that they are leveraging OpsMgr 2007 R2 or OpsMgr 2007 SP1 (up to date including any cumulative updates released. OpsMgr agents on the physical nodes of the cluster are responsible for monitoring SQL Server.
“With this release we have introduced the following enhancements: simplified and streamlined customer configuration and deployment; lower cost of operation due to improved health model and reduced false alarms; meets low-privilege constraints needed for financial and medical industries; new rules, monitors, and knowledge improvements; DMO-less deployment and SxS install with the old SQL 2000 management pack for customers with SQL 2K,” revealed a member of the SQL Server Release Services team.
At the same time, Microsoft supplied a more complete feature summary of the latest update to the SQL Server Monitoring Management Pack, included below:
“- Support for Enterprise, Standard and Express editions of SQL Server 2005, 2008, and 2008 R2 and 32bit, 64bit and ia64 architectures. - Support for both simple and complex SQL configurations such as clustered installations, multiple instances and 32bit roles running on a 64bit OS. For full details on supported configurations refer to the guide included with the management pack. - Discovery and monitoring of SQL Server roles such as DB Engine, Reporting Services, Analysis Services, Integrations Services. - Discovery of SQL components such as databases, the SQL Agent and SQL jobs. - Views covering areas such as database free space, SQL related performance, SQL related alerts, and lists of the various SQL roles and components which are discovered and their related state. - Discovery and basic monitoring for SQL Server Reporting Services and Integration Services. - Reports for longer-term analysis of common problem areas related to SQL Server such as SQL Server lock analysis and top deadlocked databases, SQL Server service pack levels across discovered roles, user connection activity. Likewise the generic reports from the Microsoft Generic Report Library can be used against the roles and components discovered by the SQL MPs to review availability and performance across many systems and over longer periods of time. - Role and component specific tasks which provide access to common tools, triage information, or corrective actions without needing to leave the Operations Console in most cases. - Monitoring of databases covers database status, database free space, log shipping monitoring for both the source and destination, and transaction log free space. - Monitoring of key SQL related services. - Monitoring for persistent SPID blocking. - Monitoring of numerous SQL events and performance data points. Alerts bring the issue to your attention and provide knowledge on the impact and possible resolutions. - A low-privilege configuration for discovery and monitoring that eliminates the need for SQL sysadmin, dbo, db_owner, and box admin privileges.”
SQL Server Monitoring Management Pack is available for download here. Follow me on Twitter @MariusOiaga.