OpsMgr: Sample Customizable SQL Server 2008 Databases Summary Dashboard

The SQL Server 2012 Presentation Management Pack was released together with the September 2013 version of the SQL Server Monitoring Pack.
This new Monitoring Pack contains a new dashboard component: the SQL Server 2012 Databases Summary Dashboard. It is a combination of a state widget, a detail widget, an alert widget, a free space widget and a performance tile widget in a single dashboard layout. 

As this Monitoring Pack did not include a summary dashboard for SQL Server 2008 Databases, I have put together and shared a customizable sample of it called the Sample SQL Server 2008 Database Summary Dashboard, at the TechNet Gallery. It is customizable in the sense that:

1. It can be configured to only displays a list of pre-selected SQL Server 2008 Databases and their health states, provides detailed information and related alerts, and visualization on performance data collected.
2. The first widget as shown below could be replaced by whatever name or image that suits the user’s scenario.

The layout of this summary dashboard was designed with intention to allow the widgets to clearly display their messages without taking up much space, or wasting space, such that they all fit nicely into the limited real estate of a single screen.

Here is a walk through on configuring the Sample SQL Server 2008 Database Summary Dashboard:

Initialization:

Importing the management pack will allow the SQL Server 2008 Summary dashboard to appear under a Sample SQL Server 2008 Presentation folder under the root in the Monitoring workspace.

All the widgets will be blank initially except for the alert widget that will show all the unclosed alerts in the management group.

Configuration:

Importing the management pack will also add a custom group with the display name: Sample SQL Server 2008 Database Presentation Selector Group. SQL Server 2008 DB instances that are added to this group will show up in the Sample SQL Server 2008 Summary dashboard with their health states, detailed information, alerts and performance data displayed.
To populate the Sample SQL Server 2008 Database Presentation Selector Group with SQL Server 2008 DB instances, add the instances explicitly or dynamically into the group.

Presentation:

In order for the Performance Tiles in the top row to display their health states (Green, Yellow or Red), the corresponding monitors that target the SQL Server 2008 DB class that are disabled by default, must be enabled.

Happy dashboarding !

Some useful links:

SCOM SQL 2008 Dashboard by Matt Taylor:
https://blogs.technet.com/b/scom_atlas/archive/2014/03/06/scom-sql-2008-dashboard.aspx

Sample Logical Disk Summary Dashboard Management Pack:
https://blogs.msdn.com/b/wei_out_there_with_system_center/archive/2013/12/19/opsmgr-sample-logical-disk-summary-dashboard-management-pack.aspx

Operations Manager Management Pack Authoring - Dashboards
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/18657.operations-manager-management-pack-authoring-dashboards.aspx

Disclaimer:
All information on this blog is provided on an as-is basis with no warranties and for informational purposes only. Use at your own risk. The opinions and views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily state or reflect those of my employer.

Comments

• Anonymous
  March 16, 2014
  Cool layout!

• Anonymous
  April 07, 2014
  This is way cool, Wei!

• Anonymous
  May 13, 2014
  I have installed this MP and other SQL server dashboards but for my installation all exhibit the same symptoms which are as follows. The database state view are fine except they don’t display the “Display Name” field. “DB Alerts” doesn’t show anything, “Database Details” are fine but neither “Free Space” nor “Performance” view show any data, they always return “No data”? Any guidance on what’s going wrong would be helpful.

• Anonymous
  September 29, 2014
  what is the file location to customize the first widget image?