Released: System Center Management Pack for SQL Server, Replication, AS, RS, Dashboards (6.7.2.0)

We are happy to announce that Management Packs to monitor SQL Server 2016 product family and updates to existing Management Packs have been released! Only the English versions are available at this time. Localized Management Packs will be made available later this summer.

Downloads available:

Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server 2016 Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server 2016 Replication Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server 2016 Analysis Services Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services (Native Mode) Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server (2005-2012) Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server 2014 Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server 2008 Replication Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server 2012 Replication Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server 2014 Replication Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server Dashboards

Please see below for the new features and improvements. Most of them are based on your feedback. Some highlights:

  • Much improved dashboard performance
  • Long asked for support for SQL Express instances
  • Support for TLS 1.2 in connection logic
  • Improved behavior around Always On scenarios

More detailed information can be found in guides that can be downloaded from the links above.

New SQL Server Dashboards MP Features and Fixes

  • Improved Dashboards performance
  • Added a feature to support Virtual Groups (groups defined by classes, not by real group instance). This will help users with partial access to use our predefined dashboards.
  • Added a feature to Bulk Add tiles from the class definition.
  • Added a feature to ignore some states while calculating the worst state for the Datacenter View State Tile; added a feature to set this ignorance up for each group
  • Added a feature to show/hide Instance path in the list on the Instance view
  • Added instance path to the Instance Details
  • Implemented deferred loading of the instance tiles to make the instance view operation faster
  • Implemented a new format for Dashboards configuration providing a smaller size and a single binding
  • Implemented a converter from old to new format providing preservation of user changes
  • Improved error reporting
  • Improved performance of initial load process
  • Improved data sources performance
  • Improved performance of instance selection (made it asynchronous)
  • Improved performance of Datacenter and Instance View Tiles, loading and loaded animations
  • Fixed animation issues and minor visual glitches (positioning, size of elements, fonts, main loading animation)
  • Updated Summary dashboard
  • “Known issues and Troubleshooting” section of the guide is updated

New SQL Server 2005-2012 MP Features and Fixes

  • Added rules for alerting when an Availability Replica changed its role and/or a Database Replica changed its role
  • Created a group for WOW64 SQL Server instances and disabled launching of some workflows for these instances
  • Added MP version line into MP events generated by the scripts
  • Fixed the display strings and Knowledge Base articles
  • Fixed issue: some scripts were not returning data when one of the few installed instances was stopped
  • Fixed issue: SPN configuration monitor used stale data
  • Fixed issue: mirroring monitoring scripts were failing when the instance was stopped
  • Fixed Always On Database replica discovery incorrect behavior; fixed Always On policies discovery and monitoring
  • Fixed Database policies discovery and monitoring
  • Fixed and optimized CPU Usage monitoring scripts (the issue appeared when only one core was assigned)
  • Added support for more than 32 processors count in CPU Usage monitoring.
  • SQLPS module is now used for the tasks instead of deprecated SQLPS.EXE
  • Implemented FILESTREAM filegroup monitoring
  • Multiple Ports are now supported in SQL Server TCP/IP parameters
  • Fixed error occurring when no port is specified in SQL Server TCP/IP parameters
  • Fixed filegroup read-only state discovery
  • Fixed RunAs profiles mapping for some workflows
  • Implemented support for TLS 1.2 in connection logic
  • Implemented support for different client drivers in connection logic
  • Updated connection logic error logging
  • Added RunAs profiles for mirroring monitors, fixed mirroring discovery issues
  • Fixed issue: CPU usage monitor ignored SQL server limitations on CPU core count
  • Fixed display strings and Knowledge Base articles
  • Fixed error reporting in the scripts
  • Fixed intermittent "Cannot login to database" alert with some rules
  • Added support for SQL Express Instances
  • Updated Knowledge Base articles
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2012 x86 on Windows 2008 R2: fixed the issue when DB file groups cannot be discovered
  • Win10 support: fixed "Cannot bind argument to parameter 'Path' because it is an empty string." issue
  • Fixed issue when SQL Configuration Manager starts snap-in of wrong version
  • Fixed invalid Always On non-readable replica detection

New SQL Server 2014-2016 MP Features and Fixes 

  • Added rules for alerting when an Availability Replica changed its role and/or a Database Replica changed its role
  • Added MP version line into MP's events generated by the scripts
  • Fixed issue: some scripts were not returning data when one of the few installed instances was stopped
  • Fixed issue: SPN configuration monitor used stale data
  • Fixed: mirroring monitoring scripts were failing when the instance was stopped
  • Fixed Smart Admin policies monitoring
  • Fixed Always On Database replica discovery incorrect behavior; fixed Always On policies discovery and monitoring
  • Fixed Database policies discovery and monitoring
  • Fixed and optimized CPU Usage monitoring scripts (the issue appeared when only one core was assigned)
  • Added support for more than 32 processors count in CPU Usage monitoring.
  • SQLPS module is now used for the tasks instead of deprecated SQLPS.EXE
  • Implemented FILESTREAM filegroup monitoring
  • FILESTREAM is now supported on the summary dashboard
  • Multiple Ports are now supported in SQL Server TCP/IP parameters
  • Fixed error occurring when no port is specified in SQL Server TCP/IP parameters
  • Fixed filegroup read-only state discovery
  • Fixed RunAs profiles mapping for some workflows
  • Implemented support for TLS 1.2 in connection logic
  • Implemented support for different client drivers in connection logic
  • Updated connection logic error logging
  • Updated SMO usage in Always On workflows to support the new connection logic
  • Fixed issue: CPU usage monitor ignored SQL server limitations on CPU core count
  • Fixed display strings and Knowledge Base articles
  • Fixed error reporting in the scripts
  • Fixed intermittent "Cannot login to database" alert with some rules
  • Fixed display string for AgentsGroup.Discovery
  • Added support of SQL Server Express Instances
  • Always On issue: Events “967” are no longer fired for File Group and Files discoveries when server has a non-readable DB
  • DB Discovery issue fixed: masterDB is to be used if the target is inaccessible
  • DBSize issue: filter < 0 values in provider, return data for fileSize
  • Win10 support: fixed "Cannot bind argument to parameter 'Path' because it is an empty string." issue
  • Agent Job Discovery is now disabled by default
  • Fixed issue when SQL Configuration Manager starts snap-in of wrong version
  • Fixed invalid Always On non-readable replica detection
  • Updated the visualization library
  • Updated summary dashboards

New SQL Server 2014 MP Features and Fixes 

  • Created a group for WOW64 SQL Server instances and disabled launching of some workflows for these instances
  • Changed implementation of Memory-Optimized Data free space calculation
  • Added Memory-Optimized Data Stale Checkpoint File Pairs Ratio Monitor

New SQL Server 2016 MP Features and Fixes

  • Changed EventID for MP events generated by the scripts (became 4202 for the Always On scripts and 4211 for the others)
  • Disabled Memory-Optimized Data workflows for SQL Server 2016 Express
  • Added new performance rules for Always On Log Apply Pending/Ready Queue counters
  • Added support for new SQL Server 2016 Memory-Optimized Data implementation
  • Run As profiles are now presented in GPMP library and ready to become generic profiles for all SQL Server MPs starting with 2016
  • Updated Availability Group Automatic Failover monitor
  • Added rules to collect new Always On performance counters
  • Upgraded the used PowerShell version to 3+, since SQL Server 2016 uses .Net 4 Runtime

New Replication 2008-2016 MP Features and Fixes 

  • Fixed percentage threshold comparison of deactivated subscriptions workflow in Distributor
  • Added support for SQL Express edition
  • Added timeout support for .Net modules
  • Reviewed threading implementation
  • Supported case-sensitive collation on DBEngine instance
  • Updated Low-Privilege Environments configuration
  • Updated Known Issues and Troubleshooting section of the guide
  • Updated dashboards to support SQL Server 2016 Replication objects
  • Decreased database timeout value for some workflows to match new connection logic
  • Fixed issue: Distributor Discovery could fail for Replication
  • Fixed error logging, added more details
  • Fixed "Availability of the Distribution database" monitor issue: added missing overridable parameter
  • Fixed replication monitoring issue: compatibility with SQL 2005 as a part of Replication
  • Fixed Publisher Discovery issue: unable to cast object of type 'System.DBNull' to type 'System.String'
  • Fixed issue: SQL Server Event Log Collection Target was not discovered Associate due to invalid path in DataSource
  • Fixed issue: an INSERT EXEC statement cannot be nested
  • Fixed Replication Agent State monitor type cookdown issue
  • Fixed issue: failing replacement warning in "One or more of the Replication Agents are retrying on the Distributor" monitor
  • Assigned SDK profile to the Replication Database Health Discovery
  • Fixed upgradeability
  • Fixed Knowledge Base articles and display strings
  • Fixed "Invalid length parameter passed to the LEFT or SUBSTRING function" error after deleting last replication objects
  • Fixed “SQL Server blocked access to Agent XP's procedure”
  • Updated the visualization library

New Analysis Services 2016 MP Features and Fixes 

  • Updated references and removed deprecated elements to support 6.6.4.0+ visualization library
  • Fixed bug when SSAS Monitoring Pack could not collect OS performance counters with localized names
  • Updated discoveries to throw errors in case of some problems detected during the discovery
  • Fixed module error collection on cluster instances to reduce the noise
  • Changed defaults for CPU Usage monitor, added sampling to Memory Usage on the server monitor
  • Reduced inner complexity of modules
  • Fixed the discoveries; now the last items can be undiscovered
  • Simplified the dashboard to make it quicker and more informative
  • Reviewed and updated the Knowledge Bases
  • Added timeout support for every non-native workflow
  • Fixed Blocking Session Monitor – in some situations it could calculate blocking sessions incorrectly
  • Win10 support: fixed OS version detection issue
  • Fixed CPU usage alert description
  • “Known Issues and Troubleshooting” section of the guide is updated
  • Updated the visualization library
  • Run As profiles are now presented in GPMP library and ready to become generic profiles for all SQL Server MPs starting with 2016

New Reporting Services 2016 MP Features and Fixes 

  • Fixed issue: Microsoft System Center Management Pack for SQL Server Reporting Services doesn’t discover SSRS instance when the instance name starts from some certain symbols (0-9, A-F)
  • Instance configuration monitor is introduced
  • Implemented a better logging system
  • Improved the Report Manager availability monitor: now it parses human readable message to get the real status of the Report Manager
  • Improved the Report Manager and Web Service availability monitors: now the user can treat some status codes as healthy via the override.
  • Fixed the discoveries, now the last items can be undiscovered
  • Added timeout support for every non-native workflow
  • Simplified the dashboard to make it quicker and more informative
  • Reviewed and updated the Knowledge Base articles
  • Improved Run As mappings
  • Updated the discoveries to throw errors in case of some problems detected during the discovery
  • Updated the references and removed deprecated elements to support 6.6.4.0+ visualization library
  • Changed the performance rules write actions accounts to “Default Action account”
  • “Known Issues and Release Notes” section of the guide is updated
  • Fixed “Memory consumed by other processes (%)” rule having no Run As profile for DS; added SQL MP default Run As to the data source
  • Fixed “Failing replacement: $Data/Context/Property[@Name='<MonitorName>’]$” issue in OM log
  • Updated the visualization library
  • Run As profiles are now presented in GPMP library and ready to become generic profiles for all SQL Server MPs starting with 2016

We are looking forward to hearing your feedback.