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Foglight for SQL Server (Cartridge) 5.7.5.30 - User Guide

Managing SQL Server Database Systems Introduction to this Guide Using Foglight for SQL Server Monitoring Business Intelligence Services Administering Foglight for SQL Server Glossary Reference

VMware Extension

During the installation process you can choose to install and configure one or more of the monitoring extensions. The monitoring extensions provide a more in-depth analysis of the monitored instance and the environment it is running on, creating a whole and unified status.
Understanding the Foglight for SQL Server Architecture
The communication architecture of Foglight for SQL Server is presented below.
Figure 2. Communication Architecture overview.
SQL Performance Investigator Extension
SQL Performance Investigator allows you to rapidly identify bottlenecks, anomalies, and application trends by focusing on top resource consumers and providing multi-dimensional SQL domain drilldowns. SQL PI allows you to:
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Monitor real-time SQL Server database performance at a glance
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Gather and diagnose historical views
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Identify and anticipate performance issues
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Analyze and optimize execution plan changes
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Compare day-to-day values to identify anomalies and application changes
 
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NOTE: SQL Performance Investigator requires a license. If you are using a trial version and would like to request pricing, contact https://quest.com/register/57891.
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NOTE: SQL PI requires a repository database that is installed automatically on the Agent Manager.
Operating System Extension
Monitoring the operating system allows you to identify resource consumption and provides a full view of the server health. An Infrastructure agent, which is created automatically as part of the monitoring process, monitors the operating system.
 
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NOTE: The Operating System extension is enabled by default.
Monitoring the VMware system allows you to identify resource consumption and provides a full view of the data center and ESX health when the server is part of a VMware environment.

Installing and Monitoring a Single SQL Server Instance

Enabling the Foglight Management Server to monitor SQL Server instances requires the creation of the Foglight agents that monitor these instances and ensuring that these agents communicate properly with the Foglight Management Server.
Foglight for SQL Server provides a graphic, intuitive method for creating and configuring multiple agents, which can be used instead of Foglight’s default method for creating agents and editing their properties using the Agent Administration dashboard (see About the Foglight for SQL Server Agent in the Foglight for SQL Server Reference Guide). Foglight for SQL Server allows running a wizard that provides a common entry point for adding and discovering all database instances within a user-specified range, and then configuring these instances for monitoring.
 
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IMPORTANT: When running Foglight for SQL Server in a Federation architecture, neither the creation nor the administration of agents can be accomplished from the central Foglight Management Server (the Federation Master). These two tasks should be carried out from the stand-alone Management Servers (the Federated Children).
To run the instance installation wizard:
1
On the navigation panel, click Homes > Databases.
2
Click Monitor > SQL Server in the upper left corner of the Databases View.
The Monitor SQL Server Instance dialog box appears.
 
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NOTE: If a user-defined database group is selected, the databases table's title displays the name of this group instead of All; however, all newly discovered or created databases are added to the general (All) group of databases.
3
Choose the agent manager on which the agent is running. The default is the agent manager with the least agents installed.
a
Click the Monitoring agent will run from host <agent manager> link located in the bottom left corner of the dialog box.
A dialog box appears with a list of all agent managers connected to the Foglight management server.
b
Select the appropriate host name and click Set.
 
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IMPORTANT: You have the option set this host as the default for all future installations.
4
On the Monitor SQL Server Instance pane, provide connection details by typing:
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Server name — for the default instance, specify the host name. If you have more than one instance on the server, you must name the instances using the format: domain\user name.
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Port — Optional. This field can be left empty, unless the TCP/IP connection port is not the default port: 1443.
5
Specify the SQL Server credentials using one of the following authentication methods:
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Windows Authentication — log in using a Windows user account. The user name should be typed in the following format: domain\user name
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SQL Server Authentication — log in using a SQL Server account
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Use the Windows account running your agent
6
Select an Alarm Sensitivity Level to determine what level of alarms the system stores and displays for this instance. The default is Normal. Alarm levels include:
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Essential — Store and display only critical or fatal alarms.
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Normal — Store and display most alarms — essential and best practices; only critical and fatal statistical alarms.
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Tuning — Store and display all SQL Server alarms sent to Foglight.
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Performance — Store and display only availability and SQL PI related alarms.
7
Optional — In the Monitoring Extensions pane, click the SQL PI monitoring extension. You are prompted to choose the Agent Manager on which the SQL PI repository is installed.
8
Optional — In the Monitoring Extensions pane, click the Operating System link.
To configure the extension, choose the connection details of the host on which the SQL Server instance is running:
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Log in to the host using the same account used for monitoring SQL Server — This option is set by default when the SQL Server connection details are of types: Windows Authentication or Using the Windows account running your agent manager.
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Log in to the host using different log in credentials — logging in through a Windows user account. The user name should be entered in the domain\username format (for example, COLUMBIA\JSmith).
9
Optional — In the Monitoring Extensions pane, click Collect VM statistics.
To configure the extension, select the connection details of the vCenter or ESX on which the SQL Server instance is running:
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The name of IP address of the vCenter server that hosts the SQL Server instance virtual machine, or the name of its parent ESX server
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The port number used by the vCenter server system or by ESX server for listening to the connections from the vSphere Client (default: 43).
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The name and password of the user that has the privileges required for connecting to the vCenter server or ESX server and retrieving information.
10
Click Monitor.
 
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IMPORTANT: If the monitoring verification fails click the message that is displayed on the Status column and resolve the issue according to the instructions that appear in the dialog box. For example, (for example: insufficient privileges, incorrect credentials or an Agent Manager that reached its full monitoring capacity.
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When the installation completes successfully, the Monitoring Initialized Successfully dialog box appears. Click Add another Database or Finish to exit.

Discovering Multiple Instances to Monitor

You can use the instance installation wizard to discover existing instances. This option allows you to discover instances and monitoring them by entering several methods:
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By host name
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By IP range
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By entering a file with a predefined instance.
To discover additional instances to monitor:
1
In the upper left corner of the Databases View, click Monitor > SQL Server.
The Monitor SQL Server Instance dialog box appears.
2
Click the Use this option to discover your SQL-Server instances link. The Select an Agent Manager dialog box appears.
3
Choose an Agent Manager host and click Next.
 
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IMPORTANT: At the bottom of the pane you can select a default agent manager for all future installations.
4
Click Add instances and select one of the following methods for adding instances:
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Adding instances manually — see Adding instances manually
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Discovering instances by hosts — see Discovering instances by host name
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Discovering instances by IP range — see Discovering instances by IP range.
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Importing instances names from a file — see Importing Instances from a File
5
After the discovery process is successfully completed, the newly discovered instances appear on the table, with the status Set credentials.
6
Click the check boxes beside the instances whose credentials are to be configured.
7
Click Set credentials to provide the instances' log in credentials and monitoring configuration.
8
Follow the steps described in Installing and Monitoring a Single SQL Server Instance, starting with Step 4 to enter the monitoring credentials and enable the monitoring extensions for this instance.
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IMPORTANT: There is an additional option for the SQL Server connection details to use an SSL connection. The default is set to Optional, or you can choose Off or Mandatory.
 
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NOTE: To use stored credentials when enabling the Operating System monitoring extension, click the Operating System > Select from stored credentials link to open the Stored Credentials dialog box. Here you can review the log in credentials and authentication methods used for logging in to Foglight. Foglight stores encrypted credentials in lockboxes, which may be password-protected for added security. Database agents store all user log in credentials in a default lockbox called DB-Agent Lockbox. If credentials have already been entered in another lockbox, use the Lockbox list to select from that lockbox.
 
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Click Monitor
The Monitoring progress bar appears.
At the end of this process, the Status column of the instance table displays either the status
Monitored for the instances that connected successfully to the database, or a status that indicates failure of the connectivity verification process and the reason for the failure. Click this text to view a dialog box that allows changing the credentials or to grant privileges, depending on the message that appears on the Status column:
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If the message is Insufficient database privileges, this issue can be resolved using the Insufficient Database Privileges dialog box that appears. For details, go to Step 10.
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For all other messages, the Database Connection Failed dialog box appears. For details, go to Step 11.
10
Click the text Insufficient Database Privileges.
The Insufficient Database Privileges dialog box appears.
This dialog box allows you to specify a SYSAdmin (System Administrator) user with sufficient privileges.
Enter a SYSAdmin user and password, and then click Grant Privileges. Alternatively, click the View script link, to the right of the Grant privileges button, to grant privileges manually with a script.
11
Click the message’s text.
A dialog box that shows the message details appears.
a
Click Show details to view the error’s description.
b
Click Set credentials to display the dialog box used for entering the credentials, and enter the required changes.

Adding instances manually

To add instances manually:
1
Click Add instances.
2
Click Add manually.
The Add New SQL Server Instance dialog box appears.
3
Use this dialog box to enter the following details:
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Server name — the SQL Server instance name. For default instance, specify the host name; for named instance, use the format: host name\instance name.
•
Port — Required for a SQL Server instance whose TCP/IP connection port is other than the default port (1433).
 
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IMPORTANT: If no port is specified, the wizard uses the port provided by the SQL Browser service (dynamic port), in which case this service must be started. After the instance monitoring configuration is complete, instances whose port was provided by the SQL Browser service have the number 0 displayed in their Port row.
4
Click Finish.
The newly added instance now appears on the table, with the status Set credentials.
5
Proceed with the wizard, starting from Step 5.
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