Introducing the SQL Server 2008 Performance Data Collector

by Brad McGehee

August 20, 2008

Audio via phone conference (866) 218- 3342, the dial in code is 540226

Local News

• SQL Saturday #9– SQL Server Innovators Guild– Greenville, SC – Oct. 11, 2008

• SSWUG vConference– High Quality virtual event – October 1-3– Great content, speakers and production

Fall speaker line up:• All face-to-face meetings hosted by CSSUG members• Oct. 1 Jason Hall, MCPD, SQL Sentry

– “Introducing Resource Governor”

• Oct. 22 Andy Korczynski, MCSD, Red Bull Racing – “Fast Times at SQL Server High: Data Management Inside a NASCAR

Race Team.”

• Nov. & Dec. – Potential Speakers– Wayne Snyder – Current President of PASS– A representative from Microsoft Premier Support

Sponsorship

• We also have Great Sponsors– SQL Sentry

• Award Winning Software

– Metrotek Learning• Courseware, labs, simulations and custom solutions.

– SQLonCall• Remote DBA services and consulting

Direct to You!

Today’s Speaker• Brad McGehee

– Experienced DBA– Noted SQL Server MVP– Founder of SQL-Server-Performance.com– Director of DBA Education for Red Gate

Software– Renowned Speaker

• PASS Community Summit, Tech-Ed, etc…

CSSUG Follow Up

• Invite friends & associates to join• Email w/ PPT and Survey links• Check the web Site for meeting updates

– www.Charlotte-SQL.org

• Thanks

Introduction to the SQL Server 2008 Performance Data Collector

Brad M. McGehee, SQL Server MVPDirector of DBA Education, Red Gate Software

Founder, SQL-Server-Performance.Combradmcgehee@hotmail.com

Here is What We are Going to Learn Today

• How Does the SQL Server 2008 Data Collector Fit Into the Overall Picture of SQL Server Performance Tuning

• What is the Data Collector• How Does the Data Collector Work• How Much Overhead is Used by the Data Collector• How Do You Set Up the Data Collector (Demo)• Data Collector Properties, SSIS Packages, Database Schema, and

Jobs (Demo)• What Kind of Reports are Included with the Data Collector

(Demo)…

How Does the SQL Server 2008 Data Collector Fit Into the Overall Picture of SQL Server Performance Tuning

• The Data Collector is just one more tool, among the many performance-related tools that come with SQL Server, that can be used by DBAs to collect and analyze performance information.

• Will not replace other built-in SQL Server tools.• Great tool for DBAs who can’t afford third-party performance

tools.• But, if you have third-party tools, or have written your own, the

Performance Data Collector may be redundant.

What is the Data Collector

• Acts as a Central Data Repository (MDW data warehouse)

• Collects Selected SQL Server Performance Data• Displays Performance Reports

System Data Collection Sets

• System Data Collection Sets are Used to Collect Performance Data. They include:– Disk Usage Collection Set– Server Activity Collection Set– Query Statistics Collection Set…

Disk Usage Collection Set

• Tracks the growth of database and log files and maintains historical file-related statistics.

• Captures this data:– Snapshots of data file sizes obtained from

sys.partitions and sys.allocation_units.– Snapshots of log file sizes obtained from DBCC

SQLPERF (LOGSPACE).– Snapshots of I/O statistics from

sys.dm_io_virtual_file_stats.

Server Activity Collection Set• Provides an overview of SQL Server activity, SQL

Server resource utilization and SQL Server resource contention.

• Captures data from:– sys.dm_os_wait_stats – sys.dm_os_latch_stats – sys.dm_os_schedulers – sys.dm_exec_sessions– sys.dm_exec_requests– sys.dm_os_waiting_tasks– sys.dm_os_process_memory– sys.dm_os_memory_nodes – Additional OS and SQL Server performance counters

Query Statistics Collection Set

• Gathers data about query statistics, including query text, graphics execution plans, and other related data, such as CPU time, disk I/O, execution time, etc.

• Captures this data:– sys.dm_exec_query_stats view– Virtually every query that runs through your server

How Does the Data Collector Work

• The Data Collector must be running on each instance of SQL Server 2008 that is to be monitored.

• SQL Server Agent jobs, stored procedures, and SSIS packages are used to:– Collect performance data and move it to a local cache– Then move the data from the local cache to the DMW

• Once the data is in the Management Data Warehouse, then reports can be run against the data.

• Three reports are built-in, or you can create your own…

High Level Overview of Data Collector

SQL Server Instance Dedicated for Management Warehouse

Databases

SQL Server Instance Running the Data Collector

SQL Server Instance Running the Data Collector

SQL Server Instance Running the Data Collector

SQL Server Instance Designated for Storing Data Management Warehouses

How Much Overhead is Used bythe Data Collector

• According to the latest Microsoft documentation, the Data Collector will add about 4% to the current CPU load of the SQL Server instance being monitored.

• Using typical data collection settings, the Data Collector can generate about 250-300 MB of data every day per SQL Server instance being monitored.

• Older data is automatically purged. You can control the schedule or accept the defaults…

How Do You Set Up the Data Collector

• Setting up the Data Collector is a simple process. All you have to do is to follow a wizard.

• Demo Setup• Demo Results of Setup:

– Jobs– SSIS Packages– DMW Tables and Schemas

What Kind of Reports Can be Produced with the Data Collector

• Each of the three pre-configured collection sets has its own report.

• Demo each report …

Take homes for today

• The SQL Server 2008 Data Collector has a lot of potential for helping DBAs track performance data over time.

• To take full advantage of the tool will take some time and effort to master, especially if you want to create your own data collection sets.

• I suggest you begin testing on test servers first. Don’t roll out to production servers until you are comfortable that the benefit of using this tool outweigh its advantages.

• We still don’t fully understand the amount of resources needed by the Data Collector and how this will affect production SQL Server instances…

Q & A

• Time to answer your questions.

Find out more

• Check these out:– SQL Server 2008 Books Online (of course)– www.SQL-Server-Performance.Com– www.SQLServerCentral.com– www.Simple-Talk.com– http://www.microsoft.com/sql/2008/default.mspx

• Contact me at:– bradmcgehee@hotmail.com– www.sqlHawaii.com