Upgrading from a previous version
Because of the addition of roles, all user accounts in a previous version of the product are added to the IDERA Dashboard but are not assigned a role and cannot access IDERA SQL Inventory Manager until the administrator changes the account permissions. Note that the administrator is the account specified during the IDERA Dashboard installation.
To change user account permissions, go to IDERA Dashboard > Administration > Manage Users. Edit a user account. Select the IDERA SQL Inventory Manager product, and then assign a role of Product Administrator, Product User, or Product Guest. Click Save, and then repeat these steps for each user account.
Now grant the user accounts access to the instances in your environment. Go to SQL Inventory Manager > Administration > Manage Users. Click the link for the name of the user account. In the Access to SQL Server Instances section of the Edit Users window, select whether you want to grant the user account access to all instances or a selection of instances. If you want to grant access to only selected instances, choose those instances using wither the tag or instance name. Click Save.
For more information about user accounts and roles, see Managing users in the IDERA Dashboard.
2.3 New features
Includes new patch list view
The new IDERA SQL Inventory Manager Patches view helps you manage SQL Server patches and keep your environment properly patched. The Patches view displays a list of your managed SQL Server instances including whether they are running a supported version of SQL Server. In addition, you can get information about the patches running on your SQL Server and whether additional hotfixes are available for your SQL Server level. For more information about the patches list view, see Reviewing SQL Server patches.
Supports the SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability Groups feature
IDERA SQL Inventory Manager 2.3 now allows DBAs to monitor their availability databases, nodes, and listeners through AlwaysOn Availability Clusters in SQL Server 2012 and newer. AlwaysOn automatically switches auditing from the primary to the secondary replica in the event of failure as well as failback to primary when it comes back online. This advantage prevents a loss of the audit data trail in the event of failure. IDERA SQL Inventory Manager allows you to view this information in the Explorer view.
For additional information about IDERA SQL Inventory Manager and the AlwaysOn Availability Groups feature, see Exploring your instances.
Introduces configurable health checks
New configurable health checks allow you to customize certain health checks to better suit your environment. These configurable checks include:
Enhanced Discovery
Enhancing the SQL Server instance discovery features is an important aspect of IDERA SQL Inventory Manager. These updates include:
- New BI and reporting service discovery shows users where BI services are running in their environment, helping you keep track of the infrastructure external to the database servers themselves that they may need to bring under management.
- Discovery at the organizational unit (OU) level allows you to specify narrower slices of your domain for discovery, which is valuable in large,complex, or highly secured environments where broader discovery may cause issues.
- Exclude filters on domains allow you to prevent IDERA SQL Inventory Manager from running discovery on domains which are known not to be relevant or appropriate for discovery scans.
Improved IDERA SQL Inventory Manager user interface
IDERA SQL Inventory Manager features a new look and feel. Some changes include:
- Colors. New colors reflect updated IDERA branding rolled out across all IDERA products
- Navigation. The primary navigation moves away from product-specific tabs to a dropdown selection in the header adjacent to the IDERA logo. If you have multiple IDERA products installed in your environment, be sure to select the appropriate product before using any features.
- Administration menu. Common tasks previously accessed only on the Administration tab now are available from a new Administration menu on the right side of the menu bar.
Increased functionality offered in IDERA Dashboard
IDERA Dashboard functionality and offerings are expanded. IDERA Dashboard now includes:
- Global tags. Using IDERA Dashboard 3.0.x or later, users can create global tags that are available across all IDERA products using IDERA Dashboard. Local or product-specific tags still are available but cannot be used outside of their parent product. For more information about tags within IDERA SQL Inventory Manager, see Managing tags.
- Increased instance management. The IDERA Dashboard tracks instances discovered and managed by individual IDERA product. For more information about instances within IDERA SQL Inventory Manager, see Managing instances.
2.3 Fixed issues
- IDERA SQL Inventory Manager 2.3 includes code improvements that resolve a Java heap space error experienced by some users upgrading from previous versions of IDERA SQL Inventory Manager.
- Users who upgrade from a previous version of IDERA SQL Inventory Manager (previously named SQL Elements) no longer see a ServiceUser account with MONITORING GROUP type in the database. This was a legacy account that now is deleted.
- IDERA SQL Inventory Manager now allows users to log in using integrated security through their Windows login credentials.
- Users now can successfully log in with user names containing special characters as well as use special characters when updating the name or location of their SQL Server instances.
- Resolves an issue that caused IDERA SQL Inventory Manager to run scans on domains other than those selected.