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Foglight for SQL Server (Cartridge) 6.3.0 - User Guide

Introduction to this Guide Using Foglight for SQL Server
Viewing the Databases Dashboard Overview Dashboard Advisories Dashboard Monitoring Data Replication Monitoring SQL Performance Reviewing Memory Usage Reviewing the Instance Activity Reviewing Database Usage Reviewing the Services Using the HADR Drilldown Using the Logs Drilldown Reviewing Configuration Settings Viewing User-defined Performance Counters and Collections
Monitoring Business Intelligence Services Administering Foglight for SQL Server
Configuration Settings Managing Foglight for SQL Server Agent Settings Reviewing Foglight for SQL Server Alarms Generating Reports Monitoring SQL Server instances on VMware servers
Glossary
A
Access methods Adhoc SQL Plans Alarm Alert Allow updates Anonymous subscription Authentication AutoClose AutoGrow Automatic Discovery AutoShrink B Batch BCP (Bulk Copy Program) Blocking Books Online Bound trees Buffer Buffer cache Buffer pool Bulk copy Bulkinsert Bulk load C Cache CAL Calibration Cardinality Cartridge Chart Checkpoint process Client network utility CLR Compile Connect Connection Connectivity software CPU Usage Cursors D Data access components Data file Data storage engine Database Database object DataFlow DBCC DBID DBO Deadlock Disk queue length Disk transfer time Disk utilization DiskPerf Distributing instance Distributor DMO Drilldown DTC DTS E Error log Event alert Execution contexts Extended stored procedures Extent External procedures F File Filegroup File cache Foglight Agent Manager Foglight Management Server Foreign key Forwarded records Free buffers Free list Free pages Free potential Free space Freespace scans Full text search G GAM Ghosted records Growth increment GUID H Hash buckets Hashing Heap Hit rate Hit ratio Host name Host process I I/O Index Indid Integrated security Intent Locks J Job K Kernel memory Kernel mode Kill L Latch Lazy writer Licensing Lightweight pooling Lock Lock area Lock escalation Lock mode Log Log cache Log writer Logical I/O LRU LSN M Master MaxSize MDAC Metric Misc.normalized trees Model Monitor page file N Named pipes Net library NIC Null O OBID Object plans OLAP OLAP service OLTP Optimizer Optimizer cache osql P Page life expectancy Paging Panel Parse Parser Per seat licensing Per server licensing Performance alert Physical I/O Physical read Physical write PID Pinned Plan Plan cache Potential growth Prepared SQL plans Primary key Privileged mode Procedure cache Procedure plans Process Profiler Publication database Publisher Publisher databases Publishing server Pull subscription Pulse Push subscription Q Query plan R RAID Random I/O Read ahead Recompile Referential integrity Relational data engine Replication procedure plans Role Rollback S sa Schema locks Sequential I/O Session Severity SGAM Shared locks Show advanced options SMP Sort, Hash, Index Area SPID Spike Spinner SQL Agent Mail SQL Mail SQL Plans SQL Server Agent SQL Server authentication SQL Server books online Standard deviation Stolen pages Stored procedure Support service SYSADMIN role T TDS TempDB Temporary tables and table variables Threshold Torn page detection Transaction Trigger Trigger plans Truncate Trusted U UMS Unused space User connection area User mode V Virtual log file VLF W Waitfor Windows authentication mode Working set
Reference
SQL Performance Investigator Metrics
Active Time All SQL Agents CPU Usage All SQL Agents Resident Memory Usage Availability Average Physical I/O Operations Average SQL Response Time Backup Recovery Wait Blocked Lock Requests Checkpoint Pages CLR Wait CPU Usage CPU Wait Cursor Synchronization Wait Database Replication Wait Deferred Task Worker Wait Degree of Parallelism Disk Utilization DTC CPU Usage DTC Resident Memory Usage Distributed Transaction Wait Executions Ended Executions Started External Procedures Wait Full Scans Full Text Search CPU Usage Full Text Search Resident Memory Usage Full Text Search Wait Free Buffer Wait Hosted Components Wait IO Bulk Load Wait IO Completion Wait IO Data Page Wait IO Wait Latch Buffer Wait Latch Wait Latch Savepoint Wait Lazy Writes Lock Wait Lock Bulk Update Wait Lock Exclusive Wait Lock Intent Wait Lock Requests Lock Schema Wait Lock Shared Wait Lock Update Wait Lock Wait Log Buffer Wait Log Flushes Log Other Wait Log Synchronization Wait Log Wait Log Write Wait Memory Wait Network IO Wait Network IPC Wait Network Mirror Wait Network Wait Non SQL Server CPU Usage Non SQL Resident Memory Usage OLAP CPU Usage OLAP Resident Memory Usage OLEDB Provider Full Text Wait Other CPU Usage Other Miscellaneous Wait Other Wait Overall CPU Page Life Expectancy Page Splits Parallel Coordination Wait Physical I/O Physical Memory Used Physical Page Reads Physical Page Writes Probe Scans Plan Cache Hit Rate Range Scans Rec Ended Duration Remote Provider Wait Run Queue Length Samples Service Broker Wait Session Logons Session Logoffs SQL Agent CPU Usage SQL Agent Resident Memory Usage SQL Executions SQL Mail CPU Usage SQL Mail Resident Memory Usage SQL Recompilations SQL Response Time SQL Server Background CPU Usage SQL Server Cache Memory SQL Server Connections Memory SQL Server Connections Summary SQL Server Foreground CPU Usage SQL Server Resident Memory Usage SQL Server Swap Memory Usage Synchronous Task Wait Table Lock Escalation Target Instance Memory Total CPU Usage Total Instance Memory Virtual Memory Used
Rules Collections and Metrics
SQL Server Agent's Default Collections Access Methods Agent Alert List Agent Job List Always On Availability Groups Backup Locations Blocking History Blocking List Buffer Cache List Buffer Manager CLR Assemblies Cluster Summary Configuration Database Index Density Vectors Database Index Details Database Index Fragmentation Info Database Index Histogram Database Index List Database Information Database Properties Database Sessions (Session List) Database Summary Database Tables List Databases Deadlock DTC Information Error Log Error Log List Error Log Scan File Groups File Data Flow Statistics File Groups Files Files Drive Total Files Instance Summary Full Text Catalog InMemory OLTP (XTP) Instance Wait Categories Instance Wait Events Job Messages Latches and Locks Lock Statistics Locks List Log Shipping Log Shipping Error Logical Disks Long Running Session Memory Manager Mirroring Mirroring Performance Counters Missing Indexes Plan Cache Distribution Plan Cache List Replication Agents Replication Agent Session Actions Replication Agent Session Merge Articles Replication Agent Sessions Replication Agent Sessions by Type Replication Available Replication Publications Replication Subscriptions Reporting Services Resource Pool Session Data Session Trace SQL PI Instance Statistics SQL Server Connections Summary SQL Server Global Variables SQL Server Host SQL Server Load SQL Server Services SQL Server Throughput SQL Server Version Info SSIS OS Statistics SSIS Summary Statistics Top SQLs Top SQL Batch Text Top SQL Long Text Top SQL Plan Top SQL Short Text Top SQL Summary Traced SQL PA Usability User-defined Performance Counters User-defined Queries Virtualization XTP Session Transactions Statistics

Configuring User-defined Collections

The User-defined Collections view in the Databases Administration dashboard allows adding user-defined collections to all of the currently selected agents, to provide for queries not included in Foglight for SQL Server.

* 
IMPORTANT: Agents must be enabled for user-defined collections. If one or more of the selected agents is not enabled for such collections, this view allows enabling them. To disable or modify the credentials of a currently enabled agent, go to the Connection Details view and click the agent to edit it. For details, see Step 10 on page 146.

After collections are added, this view displays all of the user-defined collections for all of the agents; for example, if a collection was added to 12 agents during its addition, the view will display 12 rows, showing the collection for each agent.

This view can also be used for configuring the sampling frequency for each collection.

The available sampling frequencies are as follows:

•
Real-Time - When a user is currently focusing on a screen, the sampling frequency for all of the collections associated with this screen switches to Real-Time.
•
Online - When at least one user is connected, the sampling frequency for all of the collections that are not currently running at Real-Time frequency switches to Online.
•
Offline - when no user is currently connected to the application
To add user-defined collections:
1
Click Add.
The User-defined Collections screen appears.
* 
IMPORTANT: If one or more of the selected agents is not enabled for user-defined collections, a dialog box appears to notify this issue, displaying a table of the currently disabled collections. Use this dialog box to enable all agents for user-defined collections. To enable only part of these agents, exit the Databases Administration dashboard and select only these agents that are currently enabled or need to be enabled for user-defined collections before entering again the Databases Administration dashboard.
2
Type a name in the Collection Name field.
3
Enter a brief description of the collection in the Collection description field (optional).
4
Paste the query’s SQL text in the Query Text field.
5
Type a value, in seconds, in the Query Timeout field.
6
Click Verify.
The collection is verified by running the query on each of the currently selected agents.
After the verification process is complete, the Verification Results pop-up appears, indicating whether the collection was verified successfully. In case the collection verification failed, the error message is displayed.
 
Table 71. If the verification succeeded on at least one agent, the collection details are displayed as below.
Section
Field
Description
Database
ID

The collections’ ID

Column Name

The name of the column

Column Type

The field type, as retrieved by the query (String, Integer and so on)

Data Storage
Display Name

The column’s display name

 
Type

The topology type for storage purposes. This type can be one of the following:

•
String
•
Integer
•
Double
•
Boolean
•
Date
NOTE: When the Frequently modified check box is selected (the default state), the field’s change history is kept, including use of optional functionality such as use of the IntelliProfile mechanism and aggregation type selection. Clearing this check box is recommended only for fields whose values change infrequently, such as IP address of a specific host, as storing the change history of such fields is highly CPU-intensive and may degrade the FMS performance.
 
Unit of Measurement/Indicator

The metric’s Unit of Measurement/Indicator.

The possible measurement unit values are: Percent, Count, Millisecond, Second, Minute, Hour, Day, Byte, Kilobyte, Megabyte and Gigabyte.

 
Aggregation

Allows defining the value that is displayed in this metric, out of several values that were returned in the relevant time range.

The available aggregation values are:

•
As is — value of the last sample taken during the selected time range
•
Sum — summarized value of all samples taken during the selected time range
•
Average — average value of all samples taken during the selected time range
 
Is Key

Indicates whether the field is the query’s key for retrieval.

NOTE: Fields that are indicated as keys should correspond with the database result set unique values. Selecting a field which has frequently changing and repeating results as key is allowed, but may result in unexpected behavior from the defined collection.
Except for the Column Name and Column Type fields, whose values are retrieved by the query and cannot be changed, all other fields can be edited by clicking any of them.
The Edit Collection Properties dialog box appears, allowing you to edit the values of the following parameters:
•
Display name
•
Type
•
Unit of Measurement/Indicator
•
Aggregation
In addition, the collection’s sampling frequencies are displayed on the table at the bottom of the view, and can be edited by clicking any of them.
7
Ensure that all settings are appropriate, and click OK to finish the collection creation process.
The newly created collection now appears on the table.
* 
IMPORTANT: After adding the requested user-defined collections, they can only be deleted or cloned to other agents. If one or more queries need to be modified, delete them and create new ones.

Administering SQL Performance Investigator

The SQL Performance Investigator view in the Administration dashboard allows you to enable and disable SQL PI monitoring for selected agents. In addition, you can start and stop the collection of change tracking data.

In the SQL PI view, select one or more agents to enable or disable or for which to modify the change tracking status.

Configuring the On-demand Data Settings

The On-demand Data Settings view in the Databases Administration dashboard allows you to define a port for each Foglight Agent Manager (FglAM) to be used for retrieving data and integrating with SQL Performance Investigator.

To configure a port for the collection of on-demand data:
1
Select the check box near the names of the requested Foglight Agent Managers.
2
Click Set port.
The Set On-demand Data Port dialog box appears.
3
Type the name of the requested port.
4
Click Set.
5
Click Validate connectivity.
The Validate connectivity progress bar appears. At the end of the validation process, the connection status appears on the Status column.
If the connection failed, take the requested correction measures and try again.
* 
IMPORTANT: Changes to the On-demand Data Settings view take effect immediately and do not need to be saved.

Configuring the Database to be Excluded

Monitoring all of the databases within all of the agents can unnecessarily load the system, as not all databases require such monitoring, due to being either non-mission critical or less significant. The Exclude Databases from Monitoring view allows excluding such databases from monitoring. Use this view to select the agents from which databases are to be excluded from monitoring, and then specify, either manually or by selecting from a list, which databases to exclude.

The On-demand Data Settings view in the Databases Administration dashboard allows defining a port for each Foglight Agent Manager (FglAM) to be used for retrieving data and integrating with Foglight SQL PI.

To exclude databases from monitoring:
1
Click Exclude databases.
* 
NOTE: Selecting a specific agent from which databases are to be excluded is done using the dialog box that opens upon clicking this button.
The dialog box Specify Databases for Exclusion appears.
2
Use the list Select specific agent or all agents to select an agent from which databases are to be excluded. Alternatively, select the option All selected agents.
3
Specify which databases to exclude from monitoring, either by adding their names manually or by selecting them from the list and clicking to move them to the list of excluded agents.
4
Click OK.
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