SQL check

What is SQL check?

SQL check is a free performance monitoring tool for SQL Server databases. It provides basic performance information about one SQL Server and runs as a secure screensaver or on demand.

FAQs

General Issues

• What is SQL check?

  SQL check is a free performance monitoring tool for SQL Server databases. It provides basic performance information for a single SQL Server and runs as a secure screensaver or on demand.

  If you want the best in SQL Server performance monitoring, with alerting and diagnostics, which also allows you to manage your SQL Servers anytime, anywhere from a Windows Mobile or Blackberry device, try Idera’s award-winning SQL diagnostic manager with SQL mobile manager free for 14 days.

• What is Idera Freeware?

  Idera Freeware applications are tools developed by the engineering team at Idera to alleviate common, day-to-day DBA headaches. They are yours to use anywhere you like, completely free of charge.

  All the support materials that you need to install, configure and use Idera Freeware tools are provided via FAQs on the Idera website.

  We’d love to hear what you think about our freeware tools, so if you have comments, feedback or ideas for other cool tools then drop us an email at freeware@idera.com.

• Why is Idera offering SQL check?

  Because every DBA needs to monitor critical performance counters on their SQL Servers to ensure fast performance and high availability.

  And…we think that if you like SQL check, then you’ll love our award-winning monitoring and diagnostics solution, SQL diagnostic manager (you can get a free trial here).

• How are Idera Freeware tools supported?

  Idera Freeware products are supported differently than our licensed software products. Freeware support is available via online FAQs only.

  Licensed Idera software is supported via live assistance via phone, email, internet chat, and Knowledge Base Articles available through the Idera Customer Service portal.

• Where should I use SQL check?

  Anywhere you like. However, for your really, really critical production servers, it’s probably a good idea to spend a few dollars and upgrade to our award-winning SQL diagnostic manager so that you can benefit from additional functionality and Idera’s world-class 24x7 technical support.

Product Feature Questions

• How do I install SQL check?

  Installation of SQL check is very easy. Simply download the product and follow the installation wizard.

• How do I use SQL check to monitor a SQL server?

  After installing SQL check, simply launch the application and specify the SQL Server to be monitored.

  1. How do I run SQL check as a screensaver?
  2. Start the Control Panel from the Programs menu.
  3. Double click on Display.
  4. Click on the Screen Saver tab.
  5. On the pulldown menu, select Idera SQL check 2.6.
  6. Click on Settings - Selecting this button pops up a dialog named 'Idera SQL check Screen Saver Default Server'.
  7. Select the server you want to monitor by clicking the browse button next to the Server drop down list. This finds the servers in your network and pops up a list containing the servers. Select a server from the list, and then select the database.
  8. Enter the authentication information. Specify the authentication method SQL check will use to connect to the server and the database. You can select either Use Windows Authentication or Use SQL Server Authentication. If you choose to use SQL Server Authentication', you must enter a valid SQL Server login id and password. These credentials are encrypted before they are saved.
  9. After you enter the information, the SQL check screen saver will try to connect to the database. If it fails, it will pop up a dialog letting you know why it could not connect.
  10. Application errors that occur while in screen saver mode are written to the event log.
• What are the key differences between SQL check and SQL diagnostic manager?

  	SQL check	SQL diagnostic manager
  Real-time monitoring of key SQL Server performance metrics	~20 metrics	>230 metrics
  Number of servers monitored	1 server	Up to 300 servers
  No agent installation required	X	X
  Central management console		X
  Mobile Management from Windows Mobile or Blackberry device		X
  Multiple views of monitoring data		X
  Comprehensive real-time alerting		X
  Extensible monitoring by defining any WMI or SQL counter		X
  Identification of and alerting on locking and blocking processes		X
  Identification of worst-performing code (Stored Procedures, SQL statements, Queries, etc) for performance tuning		X
  Central repository of historical data		X
  Historical trend analysis		X
  Comprehensive reporting		X
  Support materials and documentation on Idera website	X	X
  24/7 support via comprehensive support site, email, live chat and live phone assistance		X
  Evaluation copies available	N/A	Yes, free for 14 days
  Price	Free	$2049 per monitored SQL Server instance

• What aspects of the SQL Server database does SQL check monitor?
  • Transaction rate
  • Buffer cache hit ratio
  • Memory grants pending
  • Average latch wait time
  • Average lock wait time
  • Lock timeouts rate
  • Database allocation size
  • Database allocation percent
  • Largest tables
  • SQL process list
  • SQL error log
  • SQL agent jobs
  • SQL server configuration
• What aspects of the operating system does SQL check monitor?
  • Operating system version
  • Service pack level
  • Memory paging rate
  • Processor use rate
• What aspects of the database server hardware does SQL check monitor?
  • Processor model
  • Disk transfer rate
  • Network transfer rate
• What type of user interface is provided for SQL check?

  SQL check provides an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) which can also be run as your system screensaver.

• Does SQL check install any code on the monitored database server?

  No. SQL check uses only network APIs.

• How many machines can SQL check monitor?

  SQL check will monitor one machine. For more thorough and detailed performance monitoring, alerting, and diagnostics across multiple servers, try Idera’s award-winning SQL diagnostic manager free for 14 days.

Technical Questions

• What are the system requirements and prerequisites for SQL check?

  SQL check requires one of the following 32-bit operating systems:

  • Windows 2000 Professional
  • Windows XP SP2 or later
  • Windows Vista Business or Enterprise
  • Windows 2000 Server SP4 or later
  • Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later
  • Windows Server 2008

  SQL check is best used on 24-bit color displays with a minimum resolution of 1024 x 768. The essential elements of the dashboard will fit on an 800 x 600 display, and the product will function in a 256-color environment; however, appearance will be affected in both cases.

• What Windows security permissions are required?

  The account you use to run SQL check should have administrator privileges on the database server computer. If your Windows account does not have these permissions, SQL check may be unable to display all available data.

• What SQL Server security permissions are required?

  Idera recommends using the Windows Integrated Security feature of SQL Server. However, SQL check supports both Windows Integrated Security and SQL Server native security. The account you use to run SQL check should have "sa" privileges in SQL Server.

• What versions of Microsoft SQL Server can be monitored with SQL check?

  SQL check supports monitoring the following 32-bit and 64-bit (x64 and Itanium 2) versions of Microsoft SQL Server Standard or Enterprise editions:

  • SQL Server 2000 SP4 or later
  • SQL Server 2005 SP1 or later
  • SQL Server 2008
• What steps should I take if SQL check is unable to connect to a particular server?

  STEP 1:
  Please check the following items:

  • Ensure that the name of the database server is correctly entered.
  • The account that which SQL check uses to access the database server computer must have Windows administrator permissions on the database server.
  • The account that which SQL check uses to access the SQL server must have System Administrator (sa) privileges on the SQL Server instance.
  • The database server must have the Remote Registry service enabled and started.
  • Ensure that the port that SQL Server is running on (default of 1433) is not blocked via a firewall, router, etc.

  STEP 2:
  Once the criteria above have been satisfied, please verify the database server can be "seen" from the SQL check machine.

  1. Go to Start>Run>CMD (Enter).
  2. Type "ping SERVERNAME" (Enter).

  If the ping is successful, the database server can be "seen" from the SQL check machine. If is it not, consult with your Network Administrator in order to make the server available over the network.

  STEP 3:
  Please use Performance Monitor to verify that the database server is returning data.

  1. Go to Start>Run>Perfmon (Enter).
  2. Right-click the graph area.
  3. Click "Add Counters..."
  4. Click the "Select counters from computer:" radio button and enter the name of the server you are trying to connect to (i.e. \\SERVERNAME).
  5. Click the "Performance object:" drop-down list and select "SQLServer:General Statistics".
  6. Click the "All counters" radio button.
  7. Click "Add" & then "Close".

  If data is returned in the Performance Monitor application, then the database server's counters are accessible, and you should be able to connect via SQL check. If there is no return information, then there is an issue with the permission level of the account attempting to access the database server.

• What should I do if the SQL check dials do not show any information?

  A lack of statistics for the dials in SQL check usually occurs because the SQL counters that look for that information are unavailable.

  You can check whether this is the case by running Perfmon:

  1. Go to start... run and execute "perfmon.exe"
  2. Right click or press ctrl-I in the counter window to bring up "Add counters"
  3. Connect to the computer where the SQL Server is installed under "select counters from computer:"
  4. Under Performance Monitor object, select any object prefaced with SQLServer: and add a counter to the list

  If the counters are not available, they might not have been installed initially or they may have been disabled by a service pack.

  This situation is easily resolved.

  If the statistics have disappeared just after an upgrade to the monitored server's OS or SQL Server, you may need to restart that computer for the counters to become active again.

  If the counters were never installed before, just use the SQL server setup CD to install the counters.

  If the counters have been installed before, and a restart doesn't resolve the issue, please follow the instructions below. Please note that this procedure requires a stop and restart of SQL Server on the machine:

  1. Unload the SQL Server Counters. In command line, execute "unlodctr MSSQLServer"
  2. Verify that the file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\BINN\sqlctr.ini is defined with all counters.
  3. From the command line, go to C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\BINN and execute "lodctr sqlctr.ini"
  4. In command line, execute "net stop mssqlserver", then execute "net start mssqlserver"

  Further, SQL check will show no real-time database performance statistics if the server has been started with the parameter -x, which disables the keeping of statistics. To determine if this is the case, open Enterprise Manager, right click the server, go to Properties, and view Startup Parameters.

• What should I do if I experience problems viewing SQL check in 16-bit color with Remote Desktop?

  When viewing the SQL Check GUI in remote desktop using a color-depth less than 16-bit, you may experience problems such as flickering, refresh stalling, or a GUI crash.

  CAUSE:

  There is a known issue with the redrawing method in the application at less then 16-bit color.

  SOLUTION:

  Please increase the resolution of your remote desktop connection to 16 bit color.

  You can find this option under the Display tab -> Colors section.