The MsSqlEngineTest reports statistics related to the Microsoft SQL server engine.

The default parameters associated with this test are as follows:

• The TEST PERIOD list box helps the user to decide how often this test needs to be executed. 

• The HOST text box, indicates the variable name of the host for which the test is to be configured.

• The PORT text box, indicates the port number through which the MS SQL server communicates. The default port is 1433.

• In the INSTANCE text box, enter the name of a specific Microsoft SQL instance that is to be monitored. The default value of this parameter is "default". To monitor a Microsoft SQL instance named "CFS", enter this as the value of the INSTANCE parameter. 

• If a Microsoft SQL server 7.0/2000 is monitored, then provide the name of a SQL user with the Sysadmin role in the USER text box. While monitoring a Microsoft SQL server 2005/2008 on the other hand, provide the name of a SQL user with the CONNECT SQL, VIEW ANY DATABASE, and VIEW SERVER STATE roles.

• The password corresponding to the above user has to be entered in the PASSWORD text box.

• Confirm the password by retyping it in the CONFIRM PASSWORD text box. 

• By default, none is displayed in the DOMAIN text box. If the ‘SQL server and Windows’ authentication has been enabled for the server being monitored, then the DOMAIN can continue to be none. On the other hand, if ‘Windows only’ authentication has been enabled, then, in the DOMAIN text box, specify the Windows domain in which the managed Microsoft SQL server exists. Also, in such a case, the USER name and PASSWORD that you provide should be that of a user authorized to access the monitored SQL server.

• In some Windows networks, NTLM (NT LAN Manager) may be enabled. NTLM is a suite of Microsoft security protocols that provides authentication, integrity, and confidentiality to users. NTLM version 2 ("NTLMv2") was concocted to address the security issues present in NTLM. By default, the ISNTLMV2 flag is set to No, indicating that NTLMv2 is not enabled by default on the target Microsoft SQL host. Set this flag to Yes if NTLMV2 is enabled on the target host.

• By default, the USE SP MONITOR flag is set to Yes, indicating that this test uses the sp_monitor stored procedure (by default) to pull out the required metrics from the target server. This stored procedure mandates the Sysadmin role - i.e., you should configure the test with the credentials of a USER with the Sysadmin role, if you want the test to use the sp_monitor. Moreover, even if the required privileges are granted to the test, in some environments, the sp_monitor procedure may result in errors. Administators of high-security Windows environments may not want to expose the credentials of their Sysadmin users. Neither would they want error-prone stored procedures to execute in their environment. In such environments therefore, you can use queries to extract the desired metrics from the Microsoft SQL server, instead of the sp_monitor procedure. To enable the use of queries, set this flag to No.

• If the Microsoft SQL server being monitored is an SSL-enabled server, then set the SSL flag to Yes. If not, then set the SSL flag to No.

• If the ISPASSIVE parameter is set to YES, then it means that the Microsoft SQL server under consideration is a passive server in a SQL cluster. No alerts will be generated if the server is not running. Measures will be reported as "Not applicable" by the agent if the server is not up.

• If multiple components of the same component type are awaiting configuration, then an APPLY TO OTHER COMPONENTS check box will appear in this page. Clicking on this check box will allow you to apply the configuration to all/selected components of that type.

• Once the necessary values have been provided, clicking on the UPDATE button will register the changes made.

When changing the configuration for specific servers, a “*” beside the text box corresponding to the parameter signifies that these values have to be manually configured by the user. The parameter values that require to be configured will typically be prefixed with a “$” or contain a series of “*”. A value of "none" in the parameter value indicates that the corresponding parameter value can be changed if required.