Data Collection
SQL Server 2008 introduced a simple data warehouse capability for gathering statistics about you SQL Server and/or SQL Service. The tool comes with a wizard to create a database for storing information, a wizard to create trace definitions, integration with the Management features in the Server Object Explorer, and reporting to review the history of data captured.
This is a real nice capability for gathering information about you SQL Server. Key features would be tracking CPU Utilization, Disk Utilization and Memory Utilization. These three are the primary areas establishing a good baseline for your server workload, and establishing areas of stress or failure when your server appears to be slow.
There is an API for some custom integration you can make on your own. Out of the box, it provides great statistics for things most SQL Server administrators would require.
The data warehouse database does not have to reside on the same server as the server being monitored. This is a nice when you need to monitor a machine that is already under stress. By placing the repository on a different machine than the one being monitored, you can offload the data warehousing work elsewhere.
Remember that when monitoring, you are adding load to your server. In this case, the load is pretty light.
Pinal Dave posted his slides from a SQL Tuesday presentation he made at http://blog.sqlauthority.com/2010/04/13/sql-server-configure-management-data-collection-in-quick-steps-t-sql-tuesday-005/ demonstrating how to install and configure a data collection warehouse.
NuGet and TFS
I’ll have more updates on this tomorrow. Things are sorting themselves out; at least there is hope.
Add your two cents by making comments below, or drop an email to btaylor@sswug.org.
Cheers,
Ben
$$SWYNK$$
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