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Foglight for SQL Server (Cartridge) 6.1.0.10 - 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

Overview Dashboard

Identifying the Instance

The Instance identification indicators allow you to identify the currently monitored instance, its type and its operation period.

 

These indicators are as follows:

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Instance name — identifies the currently monitored instance.
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Specified time range — indicates the period for which data is being displayed (by default: last 60 minutes).
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Instance pane — contains the following indicators:
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DB Type — identifies whether the monitored database’s type is SQL Server, Sybase, DB2, or Oracle.
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DB Version — identifies the SQL Server version number, along with the most recently installed service packs.
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Up Since — identifies the date and time when the instance was last started.
* 
NOTE: The pane’s initial view only shows the date; to display the time as well, hover the mouse on the instance status icon ().
•
OS Version — identifies the operating system’s version number, along with the most recently installed builds and service packs.
* 
NOTE: The pane’s initial view only shows the OS name; to display the build and service packs as well, hover the mouse or click the OS name’s text.
•
Response Time — the time (in milliseconds) that elapses from the moment a query, which is supposed to represent the general workload, is submitted, until the application indicates that the query was run.
Because the response time is usually the starting point for investigation, the Response parameter leads to the SQL Instance Summary panel in the SQL Activity drilldown.
•
CPU (%) and Memory (%) — the average CPU load and memory consumption (percentage), during the specified time range, of all CPU units that host the SQL Server instance. This indicator displays the share of SQL Server-incurred CPU load and memory consumption within the total figure.
Clicking the number on both icons displays a pop-up that shows the total CPU usage or memory consumption on the currently monitored host, plotted over time.
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No. of CPUs — the number of CPU units on the instance’s host.
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Total RAM — the total amount (in megabytes) of the host’s physical memory.
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V. Overhead — the percentage of CPU that is unavailable to this virtual machine because it is utilized either by other virtual machines or by VMware itself.
* 
NOTE: The virtualization overhead metric holds value only for virtual hosts running on VMware ESX servers.
Clicking the virtualization overhead indicator displays the Virtualization Resource Utilization pop-up.
•
Free RAM — the total amount (in megabytes) of physical memory available to the applications.

Tracking the Instance Data Flow

 
 
 

The following components represent the data flow in the SQL Server operation, from the session to the physical disk storage:

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The Sessions pane allows examining all sessions running on the instance, distributed between the following session types:
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Active vs. inactive sessions
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System (background) vs. User (foreground) sessions
This pane displays the activity on the client side, including the flow of data (packets and batches of SQL Statements) from the client to the Server and (in the case of packets) back. For details, see Monitoring General Session Statistics .
•
The Process Activity pane — displays several indicators about the instance’s sessions, such as the total number of processes and the number of blocked processes. In addition, this pane allows you to track the rate of the data flow used by SQL connections — compiles and logical page reads, that is, referencing pages in the buffer cache. For details, see Data flows.Monitoring total activity .
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The Background Processes pane — used for tracking the Replication and Services background processes. For details, see Monitoring Background Processes .
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Memory Activity pane — displays the size of the total SQL memory (both physical RAM and buffer pool), and allows ensuring that the SQL Server appropriately uses its dynamic memory management. The SQL Memory pane’s indicators may point out inefficient memory management, which leads to unnecessary use of physical I/O operations. For details, see Monitoring the SQL memory management .
•
Physical I/O operations — displays representations of physical I/O activity. While such activity is necessary to carry out certain operations (for example, accessing a new table), a high level of physical I/O activity may indicate poorly coded SQL or inadequate indexes, which prevent logical reads. For details, see Tracking physical I/O activity .
•
Disk Storage pane — displays the state of the physical disk storage, that is, databases and their backup, data files, and log files. This pane features indicators that refer either to lack of disk space (when a data file is close to reaching its predefined storage ceiling), or performance issues such as high disk queue length.
In addition, the Disk Storage pane displays the Log Flush wait time alarm, which may indicate an issue with the logical disk activity. For details, see Monitoring the disk storage .

Monitoring General Session Statistics

The Sessions pane monitors all session types, that is, system, user and SQL Server Agent sessions. Using this pane allows viewing the response time compared with the number of sessions and the instance’s level of activity. A high response time value may result from a long queue, that is, an overly high percentage of active users.

Long queues can indicate one of the following issues:

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A massive workload — the system handles more users than it was initially designed to do.
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A bottleneck — lack of system resources prevents users from carrying out their transactions, resulting in wait events and an increasing number of sessions that remain active for prolonged periods.

The Sessions pane displays the total number of sessions, distributed according to the following distinctions:

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Active vs. inactive sessions
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System (background) vs. User (foreground) sessions

The parameters in this pane lead to the SQL Activity > Sessions panel. For details, see Reviewing the SQL Server Instance Activity and Reviewing Session Details , respectively, in Reviewing the Instance Activity .

The client applications represented graphically in the Sessions pane communicate with the SQL Server by sending and receiving network packets and by submitting SQL statements for execution by SQL Server. The flows, detailed in the following table, help indicate performance issues if their values are too low.

Table 15. Data flows.Monitoring total activity
 
Flow
Description
Batches

The rate at which batches of SQL statements are being submitted to SQL Server for execution.

Received packets

The rate at which the SQL Server receives network packets from client applications.

When this icon is yellow, clicking it displays text that describes theBlocking Alarm deviations that triggered this display, along with a representation of the rate at which SQL Server is encountering network packet errors.

Sent packets

The rate at which network packets are being sent from SQL Server to client applications.

When this icon’s color is yellow, clicking it displays text that describes the deviations that triggered this display, along with a graphic representation of the rate at which SQL Server is encountering network packet errors.

The Process Activity pane allows monitoring the processes, both system and user sessions, run by the SQL Server. This pane also features other performance indicators, such as total number of lock requests per second and CPU usage, and allows accessing the error log.

 
Table 16. The Process Activity pane displays the following parameters:
Parameter
Description
Total Processes

The total number of SQL Server processes, including both user and system processes.

Blocked Processes

Number of processes that are waiting for another process to release a resource that the process is currently locking. Blocked processes can sometimes lead to bottlenecks.

The Blocked Process indicator changes its color when one or more processes become blocked.

For details, see Blocking Alarm and Deadlocks Alarm .

Active transactions (No.)

The average number of active transactions for each database of the monitored instance.

Error Log

The SQL Server and SQL Agent error logs.

When scanning is enabled, Foglight for SQL Server scans the SQL Server logs and raises alarms upon finding error messages that contain any of the error log alert rules. These rules can be specified for all connections, or for the current connection, using the Log Scanning view in the Databases Administration dashboard. For details, see Defining Error Log Filtering .

Hovering over this icon displays the number of errors that were recorded in the SQL Server error log during the selected time range (by default, last 60 minutes).

For details about the error log alarms, see Error Log Alarm .

For further details, see Reviewing the SQL Server Instance Activity .

To communicate with the SQL memory, the SQL processes use logical reads and compiles, graphically represented as flows in the homepage.

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