The Server Configuration Properties view provides the current configuration settings for each of your monitored SQL Server instances and allows for some changes directly in this window rather than leaving this view to access the properties page. The grid layout allows you to quickly scroll down in the column for a specific setting, and verify that the setting is correct in all of your instances.
You can sort your results in ascending or descending order for each column by clicking the column header. Right-click a column header to select other column options, including grouping by the selected column, hiding a column, or opening the Group By box for additional options.
Access the Server Configuration Properties view
SQL Diagnostic Manager provides two paths to access the Server Configuration Properties view. The first access path is by clicking All Servers, and then clicking the Show Server Configuration Properties icon on the far right. The second access path is by right-clicking All Servers, and then clicking View All Server Properties. By default, the All Servers view displays your monitored SQL Server instances in the thumbnail view.
Performing general tasks in this view
The Server Configuration Properties view provides the following actions by right-clicking a row, and then selecting the task you want to perform:
Open
Opens the Dashboard view for the selected monitored SQL Server instance.
Refresh Alerts
Gathers the alert status and refreshes the tree view information for the selected monitored SQL Server instance.
Delete
Allows you to delete the SQL Server instance from your SQLDM installation. When you select Delete, SQL Diagnostic Manager displays a message asking whether you want to retain the collected data for the SQL Server instance, and it also allows you to cancel out of the deletion process.
You cannot retrieve collected data once it is deleted from the SQLdm Repository. Use the Delete option with care.
Collapse All Groups
Allows you to collapse the contents of a group of monitored SQL Server instances.
Expand All Groups
Allows you to expand the contents of a group of monitored SQL Server instances.
Allows you to print the grid of your monitored SQL Server instances and their configured properties.
Export To Excel
Allows you to export the grid of your monitored SQL Server instances and their configured properties to Microsoft Excel.
Properties
Opens the Monitored SQL Server Properties window for the selected instance.
Server Configuration Properties view contents
When you select the Server Configuration Properties view, SQL Diagnostic Manager displays a grid containing each of the settings for all of your monitored SQL Server instances. This information is updated each time the SQLdm Collection Service runs. Some cells allow you to make changes on this view while others are managed in other areas in SQL Diagnostic Manager, which are accessible by double-clicking the cell you want to change. SQL Diagnostic Manager displays the Change icon in the Changed? column for the row in which you made the change. Make sure you click Save Changes once you made the necessary change. Click Reset Changes to revert all unsaved changes you made on this view. The Change icon helps remind you to save your changes as shown in the following image.
The Server Configuration Properties view contains the following properties:
Active Cluster Node
Displays the name of the active cluster node on this monitored SQL Server instance. For more information about this setting, see Configure cluster settings.
Alert Refresh
Displays the interval (in hours, minutes, and seconds) between times when the service collects diagnostic data and raises the associated alerts. Use a value between 30 seconds and 30 minutes. Lower values result in a faster triggered alert, but also cause more frequent refreshes, which may increase monitoring overhead. You can modify this setting directly in this view. Click in the appropriate field, make your change, and then click Save Changes. For more information about this setting, see Set general server options.
Authentication Mode
Displays the authentication mode used by the SQLdm Collection Service to collect diagnostic data from the monitored SQL Server instance. For more information about this setting, see Set general server options.
Activity Monitor Enabled
Displays whether monitoring of non-query activities is enabled. The monitoring of non-query activities captures autogrow events, deadlocks, and blocks. For more information about this setting, see Set activity monitor options.
Baseline Date Range
Displays the period of time over which the server baseline is calculated. For more information about this setting, see Set server baseline options.
Baseline Time Period
Displays the date range over which the server baseline is calculated. For more information about this setting, see Set server baseline options.
Changed?
Displays an edit icon to indicate that this row includes a change from the last time the data was saved. Click Save Changes to retain any changes made in this view. Click Reset Changes to revert to the most-recently saved server configuration properties.
Check Server Accessibility
Displays the interval (in hours, minutes, and seconds) between times when the server availability is verified. Use a value between 30 seconds and 10 minutes. If a select 1 query cannot execute in this timeframe, then the server is considered unresponsive. Setting your server availability check to a very low value may result in false positive alerts. You can modify this setting directly in this view. Click in the appropriate field, make your change, and then click Save Changes. For more information about this setting, see Set general server options.
Database Statistics Refresh
Displays the interval (in hours, minutes, and seconds) between times when the database space-related data is collected and associated alerts are raised. Use a value between one minute and 24 hours. Setting your database statistics refresh to a low value may result in false positive alerts. A low setting also causes refreshes to occur more often, which increases the monitoring overhead. In environments with a large number of databases whose sizes do not change rapidly, setting this refresh to a long interval can greatly reduce your monitoring footprint. You can modify this setting directly in this view. Click in the appropriate field, make your change, and then click Save Changes. For more information about this setting, see Set general server options.
Deadlock Monitoring
Displays the current state of deadlock monitoring, which raises alerts for deadlocked sessions on your monitored SQL Server instance. Deadlock monitoring is supported on monitored servers running SQL Server 2005 or greater and is dependent on enabling the monitoring of non-query activities in the Activity Monitor window. For more information about this setting, see Set activity monitor options.
Disk Collection Settings
Displays whether the connected disk drives are discovered automatically. For more information about this setting, see Customize disk statistics.
Error Log Alerting Enabled
Displays whether error log alerting is enabled, causing a specific error log collector to run. Error log alerting is considered enabled if either the SQL Server Agent Log or SQL Server Error Log alert is enabled. Note that these collectors may negatively affect performance. You can reduce the impact of error log reading by regularly cycling the server error logs. For more information about error log alerting, see Configure alerts.
Fragmentation Min. Table Size (KB)
Displays the minimum size, in kilobytes, a table must meet before fragmentation statistics are collected. Use a value between 0 KB and 999999 KB. Fragmentation statistics are only gathered on tables with clustered indexes. You can modify this setting directly in this view. Click in the appropriate field, make your change, and then click Save Changes. For more information about this setting, see Edit table statistics options.
InputBuffer Limiter
Displays the limit of the executions performed by the DBCC Inputbuffer. This command retrieves the actual input command for the Session Details view, among others. Note that on busy servers, limiting this value can reduce monitoring impact. For more information about this setting, see Set general server options.
Job Alerting Enabled
Displays whether job alerting is enabled, causing a specific job alerts collector to run. Job alerting is considered enabled if one of the following alerts is enabled:
For more information about job alerting, see Configure alerts.
Last Fragmentation Collection
Displays the date and time of the most recent, successful table fragmentation collection. This timestamp is local to the monitored SQL Server instance. For more information about this setting, see Edit table statistics options.
Last Table Growth Collection
Displays the date and time of the most recent, successful table statistics collection. This timestamp is local to the monitored SQL Server instance. For more information about this setting, see Edit table statistics options.
Linked Custom Counters (Count)
Displays the total number of custom counters monitored on this SQL Server instance. For more information about this setting, see Link or tag custom counters.
Linked Custom Counters (List)
Displays the name for each custom counter monitored on this SQL Server instance. For more information about this setting, see Link or tag custom counters.
Maintenance Mode
Displays the occasions when this server is in maintenance mode. Options include Never, Until further notice, Recurring every week at the specified time, and Occurring once at the specified time. For more information about this setting, see Schedule maintenance mode.
OS Metrics Collection
Displays whether SQL Diagnostic Manager uses OLE automation or a direct connection to Windows Management Interface (WMI) to collect operating system and disk statistics. Disabling this setting prevents the collection of certain metrics in SQL Diagnostic Manager, but may lessen the monitoring overhead. For more information about this setting, see Configure OS metrics.
Preferred Cluster Node
Displays the name of the preferred cluster node on this monitored SQL Server instance. You can modify this setting directly in this view. Click in the appropriate field, make your change, and then click Save Changes. For more information about this setting, see Configure cluster settings.
Query Monitor Enabled
Displays whether query monitoring is enabled. The Query Monitor collects poorly-performing queries such as SQL batches, statements, stored procedures, and triggers. Low thresholds for query monitoring may impact performance. For more information about this setting, see Set Query Monitor options.
Query Monitor Thresholds
Displays the various threshold types for query monitoring. Note that low thresholds for the query monitoring impacts performance. For more information about these settings, see Set Query Monitor options.
Query Waits
Displays the date and time when the query-level wait statistics are collected or whether they are collected indefinitely. By default, these statistics are available only when the Query Waits view is open. Collection of query waits is a performance-intensive operation. For more information about this setting, see Configure wait monitoring.
Query Waits Filters
Displays the filter configuration of the query-level wait statistics for this monitored SQL Server instance, including which applications, databases, and SQL text you want to exclude from the query wait statistics collection. Collection of query waits is a performance-intensive operation and excluding unnecessary data can reduce the monitoring footprint. For more information about this setting, see Configure advanced query wait options.
Replication Monitoring Disabled
Displays whether replication statistics collection is disabled. Replication monitoring can cause excess monitoring overhead in some environments and is not necessary for all servers. You can modify this setting directly in this view. Click in the appropriate field to make your change, and then click Save Changes. For more information about this setting, see Disable replication statistics collection.
Server Name
Displays the name of the monitored SQL Server instance.
Session History Browser Collection Disabled
Displays whether extended session data collection is disabled, including a collection of session details, locks, and blocks. Collection of this data allows you to view past session detail, lock, and block information but incurs extra monitoring overhead to provide this data. This data also requires extra space in the SQLdm Repository. You can modify this setting directly in this view. Click in the appropriate field to make your change, and then click Save Changes. For more information about this setting, see Set general server options.
SQL Edition
Displays the edition of SQL Server software used in this instance.
SQL Server ID
Displays the identification number of the monitored SQL Server as used internally by SQL Diagnostic Manager. You cannot modify this value.
SQL Version
Displays the version of SQL Server software used in this instance.
Table Fragmentation Collection
Displays the days of the week and time of day when an attempt at table statistics collection occurs. For more information about this setting, see Edit table statistics options.
Table Growth Collection
Displays the days of the week and time of day when an attempt at table statistics collection occurs. For more information about this setting, see Edit table statistics options.
Table Statistics Excluded Databases (Count)
Displays the total number of databases excluded from table statistic collection. For more information about this setting, see Edit table statistics options.
Table Statistics Excluded Databases (List)
Displays the name of each database excluded from table statistic collection. For more information about this setting, see Edit table statistics options.
Virtualization Host Name
Displays the name of the host server on which this monitored SQL Server instance is running. This field applies only to SQL Server instances running on a virtual machine. For more information about virtualization configuration, see Configure virtualization.
VM Name
Displays the name of the virtual machine on which this monitored SQL Server instance is running. This field applies only to SQL Server instances running on a virtual machine. For more information about virtualization configuration, see Configure virtualization.