Overview

SQLBeat's core platform is composed of Databases, Tables, Stored Procedures, Functions and Jobs - to which modules are added to provide additional functionality. All modules run on the same server and are agent-less and source-available. SQL Monitoring is the base module, upon which other modules build.

The SQLBeat source-available Database Monitoring Framework is itself SQL Server based, and its monitoring modules are driven by SQL jobs. SQLBeat's source code is open and available to you to audit and customize for your environment. There are no agents or software of any kind to install on the servers being monitored - SQLBeat guarantees a minimal footprint. SQLBeat's monitoring generates comprehensive raw logging, which is stored in partitioned monthly databases. These raw logs are aggregated and presented in datamarts which are open directly to you for Management Studio access for custom query development, dashboarding and reports.

Each module adds new database, along with its own Tables, Stored Procedures, Functions and Jobs. Each module maintains a time-partitioned monthly datamart databases with day and week tables. SQLBeat's unified data warehouse maintains a comprehensive record of all measures recorded. This data warehouse is automatically time-partitioned, and managed as a part of SQLBeat's core functionality. This data warehouse is suitable for change auditing, performance tuning, event research, long term planning and to facilitate centralized management of Enterprise environments spread over many servers.



SQL Monitoring

SQLBeat's SQL Monitoring module provides DBAs with a clear, centralized view of key SQL Server metrics and health data in distributed multi-datacenter and multi-server environments.

SQL Monitoring is the Core of SQLBeat. All other modules bolt on to these core capabilities.

Monitoring Metrics Tuning Auditing Alerting

Windows Monitoring

SQLBeat's Windows Monitoring module uses WMI to collect key health metrics from Windows Servers in your environment.

As entries are detected that meet defined rules, email alerts are generated and sent in real-time. Hooks are in place to allow you to integrate business processes which need to react to changes these metrics.

Eventlog Windows Health (WMI)

Web Monitoring

SQLBeat's Web Monitoring module gives you near-real-time access to IIS and Apache weblogs, as well as critical management tools for distributed web farms.

Data is available for query combining weblog information from across the enterprise, providing you clear, timely visibility into your web traffic - to support managing the SQL servers which serve that traffic.

Log Reading Web Farm Monitoring Load Time (SLA)

SQL Monitoring

SQLBeat's Database Monitoring framework is focused on automating the regular checks and maintenance that keep high-transaction multi-server environments running smoothly. SQLBeat compiles and analyzes performance statistics in real-time, to provide instant access to tune and troubleshoot performance at the query, connection and server level. A complete performance history is maintained in local time-partitioned datamarts for reporting and query.

SQLBeat also performs regular database integrity checks and table fragmentation scans, reports the results by email – and can even repair many minor issues. Further, SQLBeat monitors network connectivity to all servers and records a complete history of any interruptions.

SQLBeat’s Database Monitoring framework is focused on automating the regular checks and maintenance that keep high-transaction multi-server environments running smoothly. By automating these checks, SQLBeat frees you up to take on the high value challenges – why spend your valuable time dealing with the routine?

Based on system activity and performance counters, SQLBeat is able to accurately monitor - and, importantly, substantiate - SQL Server uptime. The SQLBeat Framework continually monitors SQL performance and this continuous record is stored in a local datamart for post-incident research, growth planning and auditing.

Metrics


User activity record

SQLBeat takes a snapshot of all user activity at an interval you define. This snapshot includes buffer contents, locks held, connection details and “wait” resource information. This complete and comprehensive activity history is available for query through the UI, or by accessing the table directly.

Database backups

SQLBeat watches your servers and alerts when key databases have not been backed up – a record of backups is maintained and available for query through the UI.

Data and Log files: Capacity planning

Never be surprised by out of control log files – let SQLBeat alert you if log files grow beyond a reasonable size. Disk free space and the size of data and log files are recorded and archived; this data is used to generate real-time capacity plans that alert based on historical growth patterns and a configurable “time to zero” mark. Further, SQLBeat will let you know if there are any abrupt changes in database sizes – to give you advance notice of any changes in usage patterns.

Monitor Jobs

SQLBeat continuously monitors your SQL jobs, and alerts you by email – with full detail – whenever it observes a failure. Use the message rules engine to define severities and tune which alerts you receive based on time of day!

Replication

When Replication or Log Shipping is detected on a monitored server, alert emails are generated whenever errors are detected – this applies to Transactional and Merge replication Distribution and Merge/Conflict errors.

SQL Error Log

SQLBeat watches the SQL Error log and is configured to automatically generate alerts in real-time when critical issues are detected.

Server Connectivity

SQLBeat monitors connectivity to each monitored server, including PING response time. Using this data SQLBeat can provide an accurate uptime report, as well as alerts when PING times to your servers change.

Blocking and “Runaway” Processes

Whenever a process is observed to be blocking, an email alert is generated that includes details on both Blocker and Blockee. Any process which consumes Disk or CPU resources past defined thresholds also generates an email alert, so that you can react quickly to conditions that may result in an impact to performance.

SQL Statistics

SQL Server’s full set of internal performance registers is recorded by SQLBeat and archived for query – this includes statistics from Page Life Expectancy to time-specific transaction rates for each database. This information is particularly valuable in post-event research, to track SQL resource consumption and identify points of weakness.

Services Running

SQLBeat will watch SQL’s services and alert you if they go on/offline.

Database integrity and fragmentation

Regular database integrity and fragmentation checks can be scheduled through SQLBeat’s UI; if errors are encountered, SQLBeat dispatches an email alert.

Page Life Expectancy

Among several key statistics, SQLBeat monitors Page Life Expectancy and generates email alerts whenever it drops below thresholds you define.

CPU and Disk queues

SQLBeat watches CPU and Disk utilization and maintains a record of any interruption to processing caused by queuing in either. Any observed queue in excess of thresholds you define generates an email alert.

Waiting

Waiting – on disk, cpu, network or a remote OLEDB resource – can have a huge impact on perceived performance; let SQLBeat alert you when these issues begin, rather than your users!

Performance Tuning

SQLBeat's comprehensive archive of server performance and activity information is available through intuitive dashboards to help guide performance tuning – from index activity to CPU and Disk queues, SQLBeat has it covered. SQLBeat's real-time alerts also help you proactively intercept performance problems and avoid end-user impact.

SQLBeat is focused on making management of your SQL Servers as easy as possible. Any DBA can query SQL Server's hundreds of DMVs, but it takes SQLBeat to cut through the noise and get down to the facts. Regular scans performed by SQLBeat highlight problems in real-time with:

Indexing

SQLBeat monitors index utilization and presents detailed summary information showing which indexes are being scanned, updated, seek’d or are subject to bookmark lookups. This information is available through the UI for easy analysis and performance tuning.

Buffer Cache Memory

SQLBeat watches SQL’s buffer cache memory, and through the UI presents a detailed view of what is present in SQL’s working memory at any given time. Further, SQLBeat provides a clear record of what moves in and out of buffer cache memory over time, to help identify frequently used tables and indexes – as well as those seeing unexpected use.

Database Growth

Data and Log file growth events are captured by SQLBeat, and can be viewed historically through the UI to help analyze performance issues, as well as develop capacity plans.

CPU and Disk Queues

SQLBeat watches CPU and Disk utilization and maintains a record of any interruption to processing caused by queuing in either. Through the UI, SQLBeat presents a view of queuing over time to help identify periods of increased CPU or Disk activity which may be impacting performance.

Waiting

Waiting imposed by local and remote resource contention – CPU, Disk, Network, OLEDB, Parallelism, etc – are captured by SQLBeat and available for query through the UI.

Recompilation

Inconsistent code execution and ad-hoc queries can cause unexpected recompilations, and a significant performance impact to your servers. SQLBeat maintains a record of buffers causing recompilation, as well as recompiled stored procedures and functions to make it easy to track down and resolve offending code.

Parallelism

Intra-SPID blocking caused by parallelism (CXPACKET waits within threads of a SPID) can cause long-term blocking and even deadlocks. SQLBeat tracks this blocking and presents a comprehensive report through the UI to allow you to track and analyze affected processes.

Server Memory Utilization

Internal memory pressures within SQL Server can often cause performance problems that are challenging to identify and resolve. With SQLBeat’s continuous monitoring, these statistics are always available and stored for analysis and query; SQL Server’s suite of thousands of performance metrics are archived by SQLBeat and stored within datamarts for query.

Execution Statistics

Execution statistics are captured and stored by SQLBeat, allowing you visibility into which stored procedures (or ad hoc queries) are being run, and the amount of CPU and Disk resources they consume.

Security, Auditing and Change Management

SQLBeat simplifies database security management, tracking object changes and rights at the Network, Server, and SQL level. SQLBeat monitors all SQL objects and generates email alerts when changes are detected; archives of user activity provide a clear, documented audit trail for all actions.

SQLBeat simplifies object change management and user activity auditing by keeping detailed records, and alerting you as changes are observed.


Change Management

SQLBeat maintains a record of all SQL objects, and watches for changes. As objects change, SQLBeat generates alerts which include before and after text to make it easy to review and respond to changes. This archive is available for query, and can also be used to automatically view differences between databases.

User Activity Auditing

SQLBeat’s comprehensive record of user activity is available for query and includes buffer contents, locks, host machine name, MAC address and login information. Using this record, a picture of user activity is always available.

Rights Management

SQLBeat maintains a local record of object permissions as well as server and database level logins. Machine and network level security settings (NT Group Membership, local Groups membership, Shared Folder permissions) are also recorded. As these change, intentionally or otherwise, an email alert is generated.

Realtime Email Alerts

The SQLBeat Framework includes built in alerts, triggered at user-defined thresholds that are delivered in real time and archived for reporting in local datamarts. These alerts cover all aspects of Database and Server level performance, connectivity, security and configuration. SQLBeat's integrated time-partitioned datamarts provide the back-end for web-based dashboards (included with SQLBeat), as well as your custom queries.

SQLBeat's built-in alerting system is rule based and table driven. Rules are business-hours aware and can be directed to any number of users, and for each any number of email addresses. Category, as well as regular expression matching is available to select messages.

All automated monitoring output passes through a single rules engine, allowing customized delivery based on server, application, message text or type.

Windows Event Log Monitoring

SQLBeat's Event Log Monitor module watches the Windows Application and System event logs on an interval that you define. As entries in the logs are detected that meet defined rules, email alerts are generated and sent in real-time. All event log entries are recorded to the SQLBeat server, and are available for query.

All log entries are recorded to the SQLBeat server, and are available for query. Collected information is automatically aggregated and rolled into monthly datamarts, for easy query. Verbose errors from hardware devices are typically generated from the Event Log monitor, as are Reboot notifications, overheats, SQL messaging and Application errors.

Customizable WMI Monitoring

SQLBeat's WMI Monitoring module allows for any accessible WMI counter to be monitored. Collected information is automatically aggregated and rolled into monthly datamarts, for easy query. Hooks are in place to allow you to integrate business processes which need to react to changes in WMI counter values.

WMI-acessible counters can include information about CPU and Disk performance, as well as a host of OS and hardware-level measures. Many hardware and software vendors also expose WMI-accessible counters to allow outside performance monitoring, all of which SQLBeat can read.

Weblog Monitoring

SQLBeat's Web Monitoring module is configured to read LOG files from UNC paths that you define, on an interval that you define. The SQLBeat server reads (tails) each LOG file and imports the contents into a normalized, time partitioned tableset. These tables provide you near-real-time query access to raw IIS/Apache LOG data.

From the LOG level, aggregations are performed programmatically to provide reporting tables at the Site and Page level. Alerts can also be configured, as well as business-driven automations based on log or aggregated data.

Web Farm Monitoring

In a web farm setting, ensuring that each node serves the same Content and runs the same Configuration and SSL certs is critical. SQLBeat makes it possible to hit a defined set of URLs across all web farm nodes, logging content, load time, configuration and SSL delivery.

This feature is powered by command-line CURL from the SQLBeat server, and logged to the SQLBeat datamart.

Load Time (SLA) Monitoring

Leveraging SQLBeat's Web Farm Monitoring logging, SQLBeat is capable of providing a measure of page load time for key pages across all web farm nodes.