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Released: Version-agnostic Management Pack for SQL Server (7.0.15.0)

EbruErsan's avatar
EbruErsan
Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
Apr 22, 2019

Version-agnostic management pack for SQL Server now supports SQL Server 2012, 2014, and 2016 in addition to 2017 and up

This management pack is virtually a new version of the version-agnostic management pack for SQL Server 2017 and up, whose last version, 7.0.7.0, was released in July 2018. This update allows the management pack to monitor SQL Server 2012, 2014, and 2016 in addition to previously supported 2017 and up. The former generation of management packs for SQL Server 2008-2016 has reached the end of support with this release as we have announced previously (blog post).

 

We are also releasing new versions (7.0.15.0) of SQL Server 2017+ Replication and SQL Server 2017+ Reporting Services management packs compatible with this new version-agnostic SQL Server management pack.

 

Downloads available at:

Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server

Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server 2017+ Replication

Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server 2017+ Reporting Services

 

Benefits of single version-agnostic SQL Server MP

  • Easier MP management with a single MP to monitor all SQL Server versions.
  • Easier to develop and maintain custom developed solutions based on SQL Server MP. You will be able to create a single solution for all the versions of SQL Server instead of being forced to have four different solutions like today (2008-2012, 2014, 2016, 2017).
  • Agentless monitoring available for the older versions of SQL Server.
  • Simplified Run As configuration - one set of Run As profiles shared across all version-agnostic MPs.

 

Upgradability issues

This version-agnostic SQL Server MP is significantly different than the SQL Server 2017+ MP. This means that there are some upgrade issues you need to be aware of and take action:

 

  • After importing this management pack over the SQL Server 2017+ MP, all already-discovered instances of SQL Server 2017 will be re-discovered. This will cause SCOM to “forget” historical data for these instances, which will affect reporting.
  • Management pack for SQL Server 2017+ Integration Services cannot be upgraded and has to be removed before importing this update. Remove the following management pack (this file is part of the delivery of SQL Server 2017+ MP): Microsoft SQL Server 2017+ Integration Services on Windows
  • Monitoring management pack for SQL Server 2017+ Replication cannot be upgraded and has to be removed before importing this update. Remove the following management pack (this file is part of the delivery of SQL Server 2017+ Replication MP): Microsoft SQL Server 2017+ on Windows Replication (Monitoring)

 

Localization for SQL Server 2017+ MP cannot be imported over the current version of SQL Server MP

This management pack cannot be localized with the localization packs initially made for SQL Server 2017+ MP. If you already have SQL Server 2017+ MP (7.0.0.0 or 7.0.7.0) imported and localized, then you do not need to remove the localization pack before importing the new version-agnostic management pack.

 

SQL Server MP Changelog

  • Updated MP to support SQL Server 2019 (verified with CTP version 2.4)
  • Added support for computers with the same NetBIOS computer name placed in different domains
  • Updated “Product Version Compliance” monitor to check instances of SQL Server 2012 and higher
  • Updated “Database Log Backup Status” monitor to consider SIMPLE recovery model
  • Updated SQL DB Engine class: Added “NetBIOS Domain name” property
  • Updated “Product Version Compliance” monitor to set SQL Server 2017 CU14 as minimal version
  • Updated “Service Principal Name Configuration Status” monitor and “Login failed” and “Database consistency check performed with no errors” alerting rules to disable them by default
  • Added rule that turns on maintenance mode for certain instances of SQL Server MP objects when hosting computer is sent to maintenance
  • Updated “Transaction Log Free Space” monitor to show free space in percent value in its alerts
  • Updated display strings
  • Brought back “IS Views” file in MSI package
  • Fixed: “Buffer Cache Hit Ratio” performance rule and monitor get values greater 100%
  • Fixed: “Availability Group Online (rollup)” monitor raises alerts with not replaced placeholders
  • Fixed exception treating in “Resource Pool Memory Consumption” monitor
  • Fixed: “Service Principal Name Configuration Status” monitor raises false alerts because of case-sensitive comparison
  • Fixed: “Integration Services Seed” discovery throws errors on cluster nodes
  • Fixed event log category for “DB Engine Seed” discovery
  • Fixed alert message in “Memory-Optimized Data Stale Checkpoint File Pairs Ratio” monitor
  • Fixed issues in cookdown of “User Policy” and “General Always On” discoveries that caused performance degradation in workflows
  • Fixed: “Service Principal Name Configuration Status” monitor throws errors when computer is not domain-joined
  • Fixed “Database Log Backup Status” monitor for SQL Server for Linux
  • Fixed list of required permissions for SQL Server 2012 in “Securables Configuration Status” monitor
  • Fixed: “Database User Policy” discovery failures for AG secondary replica
  • Fixed event log source description of “VLF Count” performance rule for SQL Server on Linux
  • Fixed performance rules for SQL Server 2017 Integration Services

 

SQL Server 2017+ Replication MP Changelog

  • Supported last changes in version-agnostic management pack for SQL Server

 

SQL Server 2017+ Reporting Services MP Changelog

  • Supported last changes in version-agnostic management pack for SQL Server

 

Updated Apr 22, 2019
Version 1.0
  • mkmaster78's avatar
    mkmaster78
    Copper Contributor

    Great to see!

    A few questions, though:

    1) Is there a plan to update the SQL Server Dashboards to work with the new HTML5 web console?

    2) Will the Analysis Sevices, Reporting Services, and Replication packs be updated to accommodate the new version agnostic MPs? Or better still, included with the new MPs?

    3) Would it be possible to get an update SQLServerMPWorkflowList.pdf?  This is very useful to be able to provide to my DBAs in order to ensure that they are getting exactly what they want monitored.

  • mkmaster78 thank you for your questions. 

    1. We're currently working on creating an HTML5 version of SQL Server Dashboards. There's no precise plan yet, the feature will be introduced in one of the upcoming releases.
    2. We don’t have anything to announce here yet.
    3. The download page has been updated. You can now download the workflow list.
  • Jannep's avatar
    Jannep
    Copper Contributor

    I have installed the version MPs 2008,2012,2014,2016. Should I remove the 2014-2016 MP:s when installing this one?

  • Jannep when you install the version-agnostic management pack on SCOM where there already are the version-specific MPs for SQL 2008-2016, the new management pack won't discover and monitor SQL 2012-2016 by default. It was made to avoid double monitoring. If you want to monitor SQL 2012-2016 with the new management pack, you can either remove the version-specific management packs before importing the new one or, if you have already imported it, override the DB Engine discovery so it begins to discover SQL 2008-2016. Also, in the latter case, it's up to you when to remove the version-specific MPs - before or after enabling the new MP to discover SQL 2012-2016. 

     

    How to enable the monitoring of SQL 2012-2016 is described in the operations guide to this management pack in the section "Turning on the monitoring of SQL Server 2012-2016."

  • AJM_GDOL's avatar
    AJM_GDOL
    Copper Contributor

    Just wondering why the "Tcp Port" property of the Database Engines is not included in this management pack, whereas it was in the version-specific management packs.  Having this available for inventory/general info is very important to our DBA'a and they are quite upset to see it missing.  Hopefully it can be added back in a future update...?  Thanks.

  • Thanks for the feedback. This is a popular ask. The plan is to introduce it back in the next update (no timeline to share yet).