Installing and connecting to the Alert Repository

When you first run SQL Response, you are prompted to install an Alert Repository. The Alert Repository is required by SQL Response to monitor SQL Servers.

What is the Alert Repository?

The Alert Repository is a Windows service that runs on a network computer; it communicates continuously with a list of specified SQL Server instances to collect information about their performance and store issues relating to job failures, performance problems and so on.

The Alert Repository service must be run under an administrator account; it also requires local administrator privileges on all SQL Servers it monitors.

The SQL Response client runs on your local computer and retrieves alert information from the Alert Repository for each monitored SQL Server instance. When the client is not running, the Alert Repository continues to monitor your SQL Servers and collect alert information.

Multiple SQL Response clients

You can install multiple SQL Response clients connecting to a single Alert Repository. This allows several users to access the alerts raised on that Alert Repository. Any updates made by one client would be reflected in all other clients within a short period of time.

Multiple Alert Repositories

You can install several Alert Repositories; this may be useful if you have a large number of SQL Servers to monitor. We recommend that you monitor no more than 50 SQL Servers on a single Alert Repository. When using multiple Alert Repositories with a single client, you would have to disconnect from one Alert Repository and connect to the other in order to view alerts across all your monitored SQL Servers.

Where to install the Alert Repository

To monitor your SQL Servers, we recommend you install the Alert Repository on a network server.

If you want to evaluate SQL Response by monitoring only a small number of servers, you can install the Alert Repository on your local computer. Note that if you turn this computer off, for example when you go home in the evening, monitoring will stop and no alerts will be raised by SQL Response during that period.

Note: Windows 2000 is not a supported operating system for the computer running the Alert Repository.

Installing the Alert Repository on a network computer

1. If the Alert Repository Setup wizard is not displayed, from the Alert Repository menu, select Alert Repository Setup.
2. Select Install a new Alert Repository.
3. Select On a server somewhere on your network.
4. Click Next.

   To install on a network server, you need to copy an MSI installer file to the computer, and then log in to that computer to run the installer.

5. Click Save Installer File to Server and copy the Alert Repository installer (MSI) file to a folder on your network server.

   If you can connect remotely from your local computer, click Launch Windows Remote Desktop to connect to the server.

6. Run the installer file locally on the network computer.

The SQL Response Alert Repository Setup wizard is launched.

Installing the Alert Repository on the local computer

Alternatively, you can install the Alert Repository on the same computer as the SQL Response client. This may be suitable for evaluation purposes.

To do this:

1. In the Alert Repository Setup wizard, select to install On this server.
2. Click Next.

The SQL Response Alert Repository Setup wizard is launched.

Using the SQL Response Alert Repository Setup wizard

Follow the steps in the Wizard to specify the settings for installing and running the Alert Repository.

Choosing a data store folder

Select a folder to store the alert files created by the Alert Repository.

Every time an alert is raised, one or more alert files are created containing details about the alert. These alert files are stored on the same computer that runs the Alert Repository service.

When SQL Response has been running for several days or weeks, the number of alert files stored in the data store folder could grow to be quite large. This takes up a lot of disk space, and may adversely affect the performance of SQL Response.

You should select a folder on a disk with as much space as possible. We recommend a minimum of 1GB per SQL Server instance being monitored.

Note: You can configure SQL Response to automatically delete alert files from disk after a specified time. See Managing the size of the Alert Repository data files on disk.

Specifying the Alert Repository service account

The Alert Repository service requires an administrator account, with administrator privileges on all the SQL Servers you want to monitor:

When you connect to the Alert Repository and add SQL Servers to monitor in the SQL Response client, you will see that the Alert Repository service account is used by default to connect to each SQL Server and also to the computer hosting the SQL Server.

Enter the user name and password for the account, then click Next. SQL Response validates the credentials.

If you subsequently change the account name or password after SQL Response has been installed (for example, if this is an account that requires a change of password every six months), you will need to specify the new details in the properties of the Alert Repository service using Windows Services. You cannot update the credentials within the SQL Response interface.

Note: Windows 2000 is not a supported operating system for the computer running the Alert Repository. (Windows 2000 is still supported for the SQL Response client and for monitored SQL Servers.)

To subsequently specify a different account to log in to one of your monitored servers, see Changing the Windows login credentials for a specific computer.

Account credentials not valid?

When you enter the account credentials and click Next, SQL Response checks that the account you entered can be used to run the Alert Repository service. If the credentials are not valid, a page is displayed:

Do one of the following:

• Click Back and enter a different account or password
• Continue the installation process using the Local System account

  This allows you to complete the installation of the Alert Repository. However, the Alert Repository service will not be able to connect to any SQL Servers you want to monitor using the Local System account; you will need to either:

  - change the account used to run the Alert Repository service after installation (use Windows Services to edit the properties of the service), or

  - specify an account to use to connect to each SQL Server when you add SQL Servers to monitor in the SQL Response client. See Adding SQL Servers to monitor.

• Continue the installation process using the account you specified

  This allows you to continue installing the Alert Repository. However, the installation may fail at its final step, when it attempts to start the Alert Repository using this account. If the installation fails, you will need to re-install the Alert Repository from the beginning, using a different account.

Choosing the TCP port

The Alert Repository service requires a TCP port to communicate with the SQL Response client.

The default port number is 7398.

Choose a port number between 1 and 65535 that is not in use and allows incoming connections.

Connecting to the Alert Repository

When you have finished installing the Alert Repository, you need to connect to it from SQL Response:

• If you are still running the Alert Repository Setup wizard, click Next to choose the Alert Repository to connect to.
• Otherwise, from the Alert Repository menu in SQL Response, click Connect to Alert Repository.

Type the name or IP address of the computer where you installed the Alert Repository, and click Connect.

The connection status to the Alert Repository is shown in the status bar at the bottom left of the application window. When you are connected to the Alert Repository, the name of the computer hosting the Alert Repository, the port number, and licensing status, is displayed:

Whenever SQL Response communicates with the Alert Repository for a specific purpose, for example to refresh the display of alerts or retrieve alert details, the task status is displayed in the status bar at the bottom right of the application window:

When you have successfully connected to the Alert Repository, you need to select which SQL Servers you want to monitor. See Adding SQL Servers to monitor.

Upgrading the Alert Repository

If you have installed a newer version of the SQL Response client, you should upgrade the version of your Alert Repository version to match the client. The installer files to upgrade the Alert Repository are automatically installed with the new version of the client.

You will be prompted to upgrade your Alert Repository to the new version when you next connect to the Alert Repository:

Click the Upgrade Alert Repository link to start the Upgrade Alert Repository installation wizard. If you don't want to upgrade the Alert Repository, click OK to close the dialog box.

You can also upgrade at any time when you are connected to your Alert Repository by selecting Upgrade Alert Repository from the Alert Repository menu.

What happens when I upgrade?

All your existing alerts will remain available. No data is altered or removed.

Your current configuration will remain unchanged and you will be able to connect to the Alert Repository without changing your existing credentials.

Note: If you have several SQL Response clients and some have not been upgraded, these older versions of the client will still be able to connect to the newer version of the Alert Repository.

What happens if I don't upgrade?

SQL Response will still continue to work with the older version of the Alert Repository, but you will not benefit from any enhancements or bug fixes available in the newer version.

For a list of what's new in the latest version, see the release notes for the latest version.