Default Parameters for SqlAzuUnUsdIdxTest

One of the balancing acts of SQL Azure database Server is the use of indexes. Too few indexes can cause scans to occur which hurts performance and too many indexes causes overhead for index maintenance during data updates and also a bloated database. Administrators hence need to continuously track which indexes are used and how they are used. Unused indexes in particular can have a negative impact on performance. This is because when the underlying table data is modified, the index may need to be updated also. This takes additional time and can even increase the probability of blocking. To avoid this, administrators need to rapidly isolate the unused indexes and drop them. The SqlAzuUnUsdIdxTest facilitates this. Using this test, administrators can quickly determine the number of unused indexes in each database, and also understand how badly that index impacts database performance.

This page depicts the default parameters that need to be configured for the SqlAzuUnUsdIdxTest.

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

• In the DATABASE NAME text box, enter the name of a specific Microsoft SQL Azure database server instance that is to be monitored. The default value of this parameter is “default”. To monitor a Microsoft SQL Azure database server instance named “CFS”, enter this as the value of the Database Name parameter.

• Specify the name of a SQL Azure database user with the “View Server State” role in the USER text box.

• Specify the password of the specified User in the PASSWORD text box.

• Confirm the Password by retyping it in the CONFIRM PASSWORD textbox.

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

• 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 Azure database server exists. Also, in such a case, the User and Password that you provide should be that of a user authorized to access the monitored Microsoft SQL Azure database 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 Azure database server host. Set the ISNTLMV2 flag to Yes if NTLMv2 is enabled on the target host.

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

When changing default configurations of tests, the values with “$” indicate variables that will be replaced by the eG system according to the specific server being managed - for instance, $hostName is the host/nickname of the target host, $port is the port number of the server being monitored. E.g., for a server xyz:80, $hostName will be changed automatically by the eG manager to “xyz*” and $port will be changed to “80” when configuring a test.