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Foglight for SQL Server (Cartridge) 7.1.0 - 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

Buffer Manager

This collection manages SQL Server's use of data within the logical data layer and monitors the server's physical I/O operations.

System.

 

Real-time

20

Online

60

Offline

300

 

Buffer Cache Free Size

The total number of free pages on all free lists.

This value is calculated as follows:

<free pages> * 8K / 1024.

When SQL Server needs a free memory page (for example, when reading a database page from disk into the buffer cache), and if no free pages are immediately available, the connection needing the free page will have to wait while SQL Server makes buffers available. This will result in slower performance. In the worst case, the connection will have to wait while SQL Server writes a modified page out to disk in order to make a free buffer.

Buffer Cache Hit Rate

The total number of cache hits.

Buffer Cache Hit Ratio

The ratio of physical reads to logical reads. It indicates the percentage of database page I/O requests that were satisfied from the Buffer Cache and therefore did not have to perform disk reads. This ratio measures how efficiently SQL Server is using the memory allocated to its buffer cache.

Buffer Cache Reads

The total number of cache lookups over the last few thousand page accesses.

Buffer Cache Size

The amount of memory currently allocated to the buffer cache, including database, free, and stolen pages.

This size is calculated as follows:

<free pages> * 8K / 1024.

The Buffer Cache is an in-memory copy of recently used database pages.

Checkpoint Pages

The number of pages flushed by checkpoint or other operations that require all dirty pages to be flushed.

Database Pages

The number of pages that constitute the SQL data cache. A large change in this value indicates the database is swapping cache values from the cache.

This database pages value is calculated as follows:

<pages> * 8KB / 1024.

SQL Server keeps a copy of its most recently used database pages in the buffer cache. When a connection needs to reference a database page, SQL Server performs a Logical I/O operation by checking the buffer cache to see if the requested page is already in memory. If the page is found in the buffer cache, a logical I/O read will be carried out; otherwise, the page is read from disk, using a Physical I/O operation.

Free Pages

The total number of free pages on all free lists.

This value is calculated as follows:

<free pages> * 8K / 1024.

The Lazy Writer Process periodically scans all SQL Server caches, and maintains a list of such “free” pages.

When SQL Server needs a free memory page (for example, when reading a database page from disk into the buffer cache), and no free pages are immediately available, the connection needing the free page must wait while SQL Server makes buffers available. This results in slower performance. In the worst case, the connection will have to wait while SQL Server writes a modified page out to disk in order to make a free buffer.

Lazy Writes

The number of buffer pages that have been modified in the buffer cache, which the Lazy Writer process is flushing to disk.

A high value of lazy writes may indicate that SQL Server is running out of available space in the buffer pool cache.

Logical Page Reads

The number of logical database page reads issued.

Under optimal work conditions, the SQL Server connections use logical page reads, that is: reference pages from the buffer cache. However, if the required page is not yet in the cache, it is read from disk using physical I/O operations.

A high value of the logical page reads indicates that SQL Server efficiently uses the memory allocated to its buffer cache. A high value of physical page reads, on the other hand, indicates that SQL Server is finding fewer pages already in memory, and therefore has to perform more disk reads.

Page Life Expectancy

The value of page life expectancy, that is: the length of time in seconds that a database page will stay in the buffer cache without being accessed, before it is flushed out. Microsoft recommends keeping this value greater than five minutes (300 seconds).

Values smaller than 300 indicate that pages are being flushed out of the cache within a small period of time. The resulting lack of pages in the buffer cache requires SQL Server to carry out more disk reads, thereby degrading its performance.

Physical Page Reads

The number of physical database page reads issued.

Physical page reads are used when a connection requests a page that is not already in the buffer cache.

Physical Page Writes

The number of physical database page writes issued.

Normally, SQL users do not have to wait for database write operations to complete. Most modifications to database pages are made in the buffer cache.

Read Ahead Pages

The number of pages being read from disk before they are requested, using the Read Ahead process.

Read ahead is the process by which SQL Server anticipates which pages a session will require, and reads them into the Buffer Cache before they are requested by the user connection. This process is used when SQL Server determines that a session is accessing table or index pages in a sequential manner. If the sequential processing does continue, these pages will be in the cache memory when required, thereby avoiding the need to wait for an I/O operation.

Read Ahead can improve queries’ performance when accessing a new table or an existing table with a new filter.

However, a high level of Read Ahead activity may indicate poorly coded SQL statements or inadequate indexes.

Read Ahead Pages Rate

The rate per second at which pages were read from disk before being requested, using the Read Ahead process.

Reserved Pages

The number of buffer pool reserved pages.

The reserved pages value is calculated as follows:

<pages> * 8KB / 1024.

SQL Server Physical I/O Operations

Total number of pages read or written to disk. Even though some of these operations may be satisfied by the file system cache, they usually require physical disk access.

Stolen Pages

Pages “stolen” from the buffer pool to be used for miscellaneous server purposes, when Windows requires memory for another application.

A large number of stolen pages may be normal for a short period (for example: if the system backup begins after a large database batch run completes). However, a constantly high value of this metric may indicate overall system memory shortage.

Target Pages

The ideal number of pages in the buffer pool.

The target pages value is calculated by <pages> * 8KB / 1024.

CLR Assemblies

This collection provides information on the security state of CLR (Common Language Runtime) assemblies.

SQL Server.

 

Real-time

20

Online

60

Offline

300

 

Database

The database name

Is Hidden

Indicates whether there is a hidden CLR assemble within the selected database.

Is External

Indicates whether there is an external CLR assemble within the selected database.

Is Unsafe

Indicates whether there is an unsafe CLR assemble within the selected database.

Cluster Summary

This collection provides information on the state of the currently monitored cluster environment, as shown in the Cluster Administration application.

SQL Server.

 

Real-time

900

Online

900

Offline

14400

 

ID

The unique identifier for the specified resource in the cluster.

Parent ID

The parent ID of the node’s vertical level.

Type

The type of resource (Resource group).

Name

The resource name.

Status

The status of the cluster resource.

Comment

A brief description of the specified cluster resource (if available).

Other Data

The group to which the resource belongs.

Icon Flag

A flag indicating whether there is an error.

Take Offline Cmd

A flag indicating the existence of a command that runs when the resource goes offline.

Bring Online Cmd

A flag indicating the existence of a command that runs when the resource goes online.

Move Group Cmd

A flag indicating the existence of a command that runs when the resource is moved to another group.

Stop MSCS Cmd

A flag indicating the existence of a command that runs when the resource is stopped.

Start MSCS Cmd

A flag indicating the existence of a command that runs when the resource is started.

Running On Preferred Server

A flag indicating whether the node is running on a server that appears on the preferences list.

Controls The Current SQL Server

A flag indicating whether the node is currently controlling the SQL Server.

Running On Server

Indicates the host (server) on which the selected node is running.

Non Active Node Available

Indicates which non-active SQL Server nodes are currently not running.

Can Accept Move

A flag indicating whether the resource can accept being moved to another group.

Configuration

This collection provides a list of the values that are configured and running in the SQL Server instance.

SQL Server.

Real-time

3600

Online

3600

Offline

86400

Config Value

The value to which the configuration option is set. This value may not be implemented immediately upon creation. Usually, restarting SQL Server is necessary before any change takes effect.

Description

A description of the specified configuration option.

Last Change

The date when the value was last changed.

Last Run Value

The most recent value, set during the last modification.

Max

The maximum permitted value for the configuration option.

Min

The minimum permitted value for the configuration option.

Modifiable

Indicates when changes to the option take effect.

The following options are possible:

Name

The name of the specified configuration option.

Run Value

The value currently used by the configuration option.

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