The Schedule tab allows you to select when and how often the policy runs. Select the Type to change the Schedule options displayed by SQL Defrag Manager. Use Restrictions to create a maintenance window for the time frame in which the policy runs. You can also set the policy to stop execution once this window passes.
Automation types
Based on your specified policy settings, SQL Defrag Manager analyzes registered instances and can also defragment the hot spots it finds. The schedule you specify in this window defines how often the policy analyzes the selected instances and databases. You can use SQL Defrag Manager in several ways:
- You can schedule SQL Defrag Manager to analyze your registered instances on a regular basis and automatically defragment database objects as needed. SQL Defrag Manager uses your defined responses and threshold levels to determine what type of defragmentation tasks to perform.
- You can schedule SQL Defrag Manager to analyze your registered instances on a regular basis. You can define the policies so SQL Defrag Manager creates To Do items when it finds Caution or Critical levels of fragmentation. Then, you can review the To Do items on a regular basis and run the defragmentation tasks when appropriate.
- You can analyze the database objects when you want updated analysis information. Then, you decide what to do based on the data collected and displayed. You can review the results and manually defragment objects that have high levels of fragmentation.
Considerations when defining a schedule
SQL Defrag Manager allows you to define a custom schedule for database fragmentation analysis. You can define the exact schedule you want to use when analyzing the associated database objects. Scheduling is ideal when you have specific time constraints for analysis and defragmentation tasks, or when there are only certain hot spot areas you want to analyze and defragment on a regular basis. For example, since a thorough analysis can use system resources needed for other database activity, you may want to schedule this analysis during periods of low database activity or demand. You can schedule a custom analysis on a single date and time, or at specified intervals, such as daily or weekly.
The Interval option defines the period of time to wait from the end of a rebuild before running the next analysis. For example, if you select the Interval option and specify 60 minutes as the repeat interval, SQL Defrag Manager waits 60 minutes from the end of a rebuild before running the next policy.
If you select the Interval or Daily option, you can specify the time period during which the policy can start. SQL Defrag Manager runs the policy and the associated defragmentation activities based on the defined automated responses. You can set SQL Defrag Manager to stop these automated analysis and defragmentation activities when the end time specified in the Restrictions for the Execute only between option is reached.
If the policy you are creating/editing includes server objects that change very frequently, you may consider enabling the Rediscover server objects option. By enabling this option, SQL Defrag Manager will refresh the list of server objects prior to running the policy to ensure it has an updated list of server objects. Enabling this options, however, will impact the performance of the managed instance(s).
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