Contents

Copyright © 1999-2014 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reservedworldwide. No part of this document may be reproduced by any means normodified, decompiled, disassembled, published or distributed, in whole or in part,or translated to any electronic medium or other means without the written consentof SolarWinds. All right, title, and interest in and to the software anddocumentation are and shall remain the exclusive property of SolarWinds and itsrespective licensors.SOLARWINDS DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS OR OTHERTERMS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, ONSOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION FURNISHED HEREUNDERINCLUDINGWITHOUT LIMITATION THE WARRANTIES OF DESIGN,MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ANDNONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL SOLARWINDS, ITS SUPPLIERS,NOR ITS LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, WHETHER ARISINGIN TORT, CONTRACT OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY EVEN IFSOLARWINDS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCHDAMAGES.The SolarWinds, the SolarWinds & Design, ipMonitor, LANsurveyor, Orion, andother SolarWinds marks, identified on the SolarWinds website, as updated fromSolarWinds from time to time and incorporated herein, are registered with the U.S.Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered or pending registration inother countries. All other SolarWinds trademarks may be common law marks orregistered or pending registration in the United States or in other countries. Allother trademarks or registered trademarks contained and/or mentioned herein areused for identification purposes only and may be trademarks or registeredtrademarks of their respective companies. Microsoft®, Windows®, and SQLServer® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United Statesand/or other countries.

Revised September 28, 2015

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About SolarWinds ivConventions ivSolarWinds Documentation Library vChapter 1: Introduction 1Architecture 1

Database Performance Analyzer Server 2Browser View 2Database Performance Analyzer Repository Database 2Monitored Database Instances 2Monitored Virtualization Environment 2

Chapter 2: Installing and Setting Up Database Performance Analyzer 3System Requirements 3Browsers 3System Requirements 3Database Requirements for the Repository 4Minimum System Requirements 4Ensure Adequate Disk Space for the Repository 5Administrator Credentials Are Required 5

Supported Databases for Monitoring 5Supported Microsoft SQL Server Instances 5Supported Oracle Database Instances 6Supported Sybase Database Instances 6Supported IBM DB2 Database Instances 6

Before You Install 6

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Table of Contents

Installation Overview 8Installing on Windows 8Installing on UNIX and Linux 8Completing the Installation 9Accessing SolarWinds DPA for the First Time 9Troubleshooting Tips 10

Upgrading the Database Performance Analyzer Server Software 10Upgrading on Windows 10Upgrading on UNIX and Linux 10

Licensing 12License Types 12Database Instance licenses 12Virtual Machine (VM) Option Licenses 12

Purchasing Licenses 13Viewing Purchased Licenses 13If You Do Not See Your License 13

Using Your Licenses 14Activating Licenses if You Have Direct Internet Connectivity 14Activating Licenses if You Do Not Have Direct Internet Connectivity 15Allocating Licenses to Database Instances 16Opening the License Allocation Page 17Viewing the Current License Allocations 17Allocating Licenses to Database Instances 17Allocating VM Option Licenses to VM Database Instances 17Deallocating Licenses 18

Deactivating Licenses 18Troubleshooting Over-Allocated Licenses 18

Adding Users and Controlling Access 19Enabling Active Directory User Authentication 20Enabling LDAP User Authentication 20

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Database Performance Analyzer

iii

Enabling Single Sign On (SSO) 20Creating a user or AD/LDAP group 20

Chapter 3: Getting Started 21Step 1: Identify the Top 3 Query Problems 22Step 2: Correlate Response Time with System Resources 24Step 3: Determine Specific Wait Bottlenecks Slowing Response Time 26Step 4: Diagnose the Situation Right Now 29Step 5: Set Up Proactive Management 31Reports 32Setting Alerts 34The Database Performance Analyzer Worksheet 38

Performing Advanced Analysis 39Instance Groups 40Monitoring 40Logs 41More Features 41

Trend Reports 41Trend Reports Use Summarized Data 42Minimum Data to Generate a Report 42

Creating a Report 42Report Types 43

Alerts 44Wait Time Alerts 45Database Administration Alerts 45Custom Alerts 46Alert Attributes 47

Monitoring Blackout Periods 50Enabling SNMP Monitoring in SCOM 50

Table of Contents

About SolarWinds

About SolarWindsSolarWinds, Inc. develops and markets an array of network management,monitoring, and discovery tools to meet the diverse requirements of today’snetwork management and consulting professionals. SolarWinds productscontinue to set benchmarks for quality and performance and have positioned thecompany as the leader in network management and discovery technology. TheSolarWinds customer base includes over 45 percent of the Fortune 500 andcustomers from over 90 countries. Our global business partner distributor networkexceeds 100 distributors and resellers.Contacting SolarWindsYou can contact SolarWinds in a number of ways, including the following:

Team Contact Information

Sales1.866.530.8100www.solarwinds.com

TechnicalSupport www.solarwinds.com/support

UserForums

support.solarwinds.net/support You need a customer account toaccess the Customer Support area of the website.

ConventionsThe documentation uses consistent conventions to help you identify itemsthroughout the printed and online library.

Convention SpecifyingBold Window items, including buttons and fieldsItalics Book and CD titles, variable names, new terms

Fixed font File and directory names, commands and codeexamples, text typed by you

Straight brackets, as in[value] Optional command parameters

Curly braces, as in{value} Required command parameters

Logical OR, as in Exclusive command parameters where only one of the

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value1|value2 options can be specified

SolarWinds Documentation LibraryThe following documents are included in the SolarWinds Database PerformanceAnalyzer Documentation Library.

Document PurposePageHelp Provides context-sensitive help for the DPA user interface.

VideoTutorials

http://www.solarwinds.com/resources/videos.aspxBrowse to the Database Performance Analyzer videos

SuccessGuide

http://thwack.solarwinds.com/docs/DOC-175335Provides a process for deploying Database Performance Analyzer.

OnlineHelp

Provides information on getting started.To access this help, click How do I use a performance analysis tool?on the banner bar.

ReleaseNotes

Provides late-breaking information, known issues, and updates. Thelatest Release Notes can be found at www.solarwinds.com.

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SolarWinds Documentation Library

Chapter 1: IntroductionDatabase Performance Analyzer for Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, and Sybase givesyou the means to easily and quickly monitor, diagnose, and resolve performanceproblems.Database Performance Analyzer is a 24/7 database performance monitoring andproblem isolation tool based on industry best practice performance intelligenceand wait time analysis methods.

ArchitectureSolarWinds DPA consists of:

l a SolarWinds DPA server

l a SolarWinds DPA repository database

l one or more database instances you want to monitor

The SolarWinds DPA server collects performance data from a set of databaseinstances you choose to monitor.. SolarWinds DPAthen stores this data in therepository database.Note: Placing the optimal performance the repository and the monitored databaseinstances need to reside on the same high-speed LAN. If your environmentcontains database instances that are on separate LANs, we recommend that it beset up on each LAN.The Database Performance Analyzer server provides a web interface to let youview performance data from a web browser from any computer with access to theDatabase Performance Analyzer server.Several Database Performance Analyzer installations can reside on the samemachine. On UNIX/Linux, this is done by installing each instance of DatabasePerformance Analyzer in a separate directory. The Database PerformanceAnalyzer Windows version supports the installation of a single DatabasePerformance Analyzer on a machine. Contact www.solarwinds.com/support if youneed multiple instances of Database Performance Analyzer installed on aWindows machine.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

Database Performance Analyzer Server

The Database Performance Analyzer Server performs two key functions:

l collects data from the monitored database instancesl provides a web interface to let you view performance data from anycomputer with access to the Database Performance Analyzer server

Browser View

Database Performance Analyzer uses a web browser to view performance data.From this interface, you configure monitoring and use advanced DatabasePerformance Analyzer features such as alerting and emailing reports.

Database Performance Analyzer Repository Database

The repository database holds all the performance information collected byDatabase Performance Analyzer.

Monitored Database Instances

The Database Performance Analyzer remotely connects to each databaseinstance using a JDBC connection. It causes less than 1% overhead on theinstance. No software is installed on the monitored server.

Monitored Virtualization Environment

If you are running Database Performance Analyzer in a virtual environment, it canremotely connect to each VMware vCenter Server or ESX/ESXi host. It causesless than 1% overhead on the monitored systems. No software is installed in thevCenter Server, ESX/ESXi host or Virtual Machines.

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Chapter 2: Installing and Setting Up Database Performance Analyzer

Chapter 2: Installing and Setting Up DatabasePerformance AnalyzerThis chapter discusses how to install and set up SolarWinds DPA. It contains thefollowing topics:

l "System Requirements" belowl "Before You Install" on page 6l "Installing on Windows" on page 8l "Installing on UNIX and Linux" on page 8l "Accessing SolarWinds DPA for the First Time" on page 9l "Upgrading the Database Performance Analyzer Server Software" on page10

l "Licensing" on page 12l "Adding Users and Controlling Access" on page 19

System RequirementsThe following configurations have been tested and certified by SolarWinds.

BrowsersSolarWinds DPA supports the following browsers: 

l Microsoft Internet Explorer(IE) 8, 9, 10, and 11Note: Do not use IE compatibility view. It is incompatible withSolarWinds DPA and may cause our software to functionincorrectly.

l Firefoxl Chrome

System RequirementsYou can install SolarWinds DPA on any physical or virtual Windows, UNIX, orLinux server that supports the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.6 or 1.7.The minimum requirements for the server hardware and OS depend on thenumber of database instances you plan to monitor.

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Monitored DatabaseInstances

CPUs RAM(dedicated to DPA)

OSArchitecture

1 – 20 1 1 GB 32 or 64 bit20 – 50 2 2 GB 32 or 64 bit51 – 100 4 4 GB 64 bit101-250* 4 8 GB 64 bit

* To install more than 250 monitored database instances, refer to KB Article 1641or contact www.solarwinds.com/support.

Database Requirements for the RepositoryThe SolarWinds DPA repository is the database that stores the data collected bySolarWinds DPA. You may host the repository database on an instance of Oracleor Microsoft SQL Server:

Oracle Oracle 9iOracle 10gOracle 11gOracle 12c single tenant

Microsoft SQL ServerMicrosoft SQL Server 2005 SP4Microsoft SQL Server 2008 SP3Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP1Microsoft SQL Server 2014 CU1

Do not host the repository on a database instance that you plan to monitorbecause this affects the performance of that instance.

Minimum System Requirements

The server hosting your repository must meet these minimum requirements:

Number of Monitored Data-base Instances

Minimum Numberof CPUs

ReservedRAM

Architecture

fewer than 10 1 2 GB 32 or 64 bit10 or more 4 16 GB 64 bit

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Database Requirements for the Repository

Chapter 2: Installing and Setting Up Database Performance Analyzer

Note: If you are installing SolarWinds DPA on the same server as the repositorydatabase, these requirements are what you need in addition to the SolarWindsDPA requirements.

Ensure Adequate Disk Space for the Repository

The amount of disk space your repository uses is a function of the number ofdatabase instances you are monitoring and the level of activity of each instance.Here is a guideline for you:

Database Instance Activity Level Disk SpaceRequired

Light 1 GBMedium 3 GBHeavy 10 GB

Example: You are monitoring 5 light, 3 medium, and 2 heavy activity databaseinstances.(5 x 1GB) + (3 x 3GB) + (2 x 10GB) = 34 GBYou should reserve at least 34 GB to provide adequate disk space for thisrepository database.

Administrator Credentials Are Required

You will need to know the DBA credentials (Oracle) or the Sysadmin credentials(MSSQL) for the database instance hosting your repository.

Supported Databases for MonitoringSolarWinds DPA can monitor database instances hosted on both physical andvirtual servers. You can monitor Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase ASE, andIBM DB2 database instances. The server hosting SolarWinds DPA must be ableto connect to the monitored server.

Supported Microsoft SQL Server Instances

SYSADMIN privileges are required for the initial set up.

l Microsoft SQL Server 2005 SP4l Microsoft SQL Server 2008 SP3l Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2

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l Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP1l Microsoft SQL Server 2014 CU1

Supported Oracle Database Instances

SYS user privileges are required for the initial set up.

l Oracle 9il Oracle 10il Oracle 11gl Oracle 12.1 (single-tenant)

Supported Sybase Database Instances

SA_ROLE privileges are required for the initial setup.

l Sybase ASE 15.0.xl Sybase ASE 15.5l Sybase ASE 15.7 (ASE 16)

Supported IBM DB2 Database Instances

SYSADM privileges are required to set up performance tuning in DB2.

l IBM DB2 LUW Version 8.3l IBM DB2 LUW Version 9.1l IBM DB2 LUW Version 9.5l IBM DB2 LUW Version 9.7l IBM DB2 LUW Version 10.1l IBM DB2 LUW Version 10.5

Before You InstallBefore installing Database Performance Analyzer, perform the following steps.

1. Identify the server where the Database Performance Analyzer software willbe installed. Make sure the server:

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Supported Oracle Database Instances

Chapter 2: Installing and Setting Up Database Performance Analyzer

l Is powerful enough to handle the load of the potential number ofmonitored database instances that you will register.

l Has network connectivity to the Database Performance AnalyzerRepository and each of the monitored database instances that you willregister. Database Performance Analyzer software can be installed onthe same server as the repository instance although it is not required.

2. Identify the Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server database instance that will holdthe Database Performance Analyzer Repository.

a. Ensure the repository is not installed in a critical production databaseinstance.

b. For a Microsoft SQL Server Repository, ensure that ausername/password with SYSADMIN privileges is available duringinstallation.

c. For an Oracle Repository, ensure that a username/password withDBA privileges is available during installation.

3. Obtain appropriate login credentials for each of the monitored databases.Database Credentials

Oracle l non-SYS DBA username/passwordl SYS password

SQLServer

SYSADMIN username/passwordIf the SQL Server instance uses Windows Authentication,Database Performance Analyzer will need a SYSADMINusername/password that it will store and use for monitoring.

DB2 Username/password with SYSADMSybase Username/password that is a member of the sa_role

4. If you are using Database Performance Analyzer with the VM option, youmust have a read-only user with access to vCenter or ESX for monitoring.

Tip: Database Performance Analyzer monitoring performs best if a high-speednetwork exists between the repository and the monitored database instances.Although monitoring will work across a WAN or low-speed network, it may benecessary to reduce the frequency that Database Performance Analyzer collectsthe performance data.

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Installation Overview

1. Install the Database Performance Analyzer server software on a Windows,UNIX, or Linux machine.

2. Use the Database Performance Analyzer Setup Wizards to:

a. Create and configure a repository database on a non-productioninstance of Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server.

b. Register database instances to be monitored by the repository. Youshould not monitor the same database instance from more than oneinstalled instance of Database Performance Analyzer.

Installing on WindowsSolarWinds DPA for Microsoft Windows comes as a typical Windows installer.You can download the installer as a .ZIP file from your SolarWinds customerportal, https://customerportal.solarwinds.com.Note: You can download evaluation versions of SolarWinds DPA from theSolarWinds web site.Begin the SolarWinds DPA installation process by opening the .ZIP file anddouble-clicking the installer program file. Follow the instructions in the installer tocomplete the installation process.The default installation folder is c:\program files\confio\ignite pi. If you chooseto not specify your own installation folder during the installation process, thisdefault folder becomes the SolarWinds DPA Home directory.You may need to reboot the server to finish installing.Note: The installation process creates a Windows service called Ignite PIServer. This service is set to run automatically when the server is restarted. Youcan stop SolarWinds DPA by shutting down this service. You may change thestartup type of this service to manual if you so choose.

Installing on UNIX and Linux1.Download the install (.tar) file from the SolarWinds website.2.Create a directory to hold this version (and future versions) of DatabasePerformance Analyzer (e.g, \home\solarwinds).3.Untar the downloaded file into the above directory.

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Installation Overview

Chapter 2: Installing and Setting Up Database Performance Analyzer

4.Execute the dpa_<version>_installer.sh script by either:

l Making it executable and running it directly:

chmod +x dpa_<version>_installer.sh./dpa_<version>_installer.sh

l Running it via the shell:

sh dpa_<version>_installer.sh5.The installer will prompt you for needed information, including creating adirectory on the server to hold the new installation. This will be the DatabasePerformance Analyzer Home directory.6.Start Database Performance Analyzer.a.From the Database Performance Analyzer home directory, run ./startup.sh oropen a browser and connect to http://yourserver:8123/.b.When you run Database Performance Analyzer for the first time, a wizard willwalk you through the process of creating a repository and monitoring databaseinstances.

Completing the InstallationTo complete the installation process:1.Create the repository.When you connect to the Database Performance Analyzer for the first time, youmust create a repository. The Repository Creation Wizard will guide you throughthe process.2.Register Database Instances.When the Repository Creation Wizard is complete, register database instancesfor monitoring. The Register Instance Wizard will guide you through the process.

Accessing SolarWinds DPA for the First TimeBy default, SolarWinds DPA will be available at:http://yourserver:8123/Open your browser and connect to this URL to run the SolarWinds DPARepository Creation Wizard.

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Troubleshooting Tips

l View the logs available in the <DPA Home>/iwc/tomcat/logs/directory.

l Make sure a firewall is not running on the machine.

l Make sure another process isn’t using the default DatabasePerformance Analyzer ports. If the ports are being used by anotherprocess, change the default ports of 8123 and 8127 by editing<DPA Home>/iwc/tomcat/conf/server.xml and updating thefollowing lines with new port numbers:

<Connector port="8123"/><Server port="8127" shutdown="SHUTDOWN">

Upgrading the Database Performance Analyzer ServerSoftwareFollow these steps if your system already has an existing Database PerformanceAnalyzer installation that you wish to upgrade to a more recent version ofDatabase Performance Analyzer.

Upgrading on WindowsTo upgrade Database Performance Analyzer, run the installer to launch theinstallation wizard. The wizard will ask you for an install directory - make sure toselect the directory where you originally installed Database PerformanceAnalyzer (e.g., c:\Program Files\Confio\>Ignite PI). The installation wizard willthen automatically upgrade Database Performance Analyzer.

Upgrading on UNIX and LinuxFollow these instructions to upgrade to the latest version of SolarWinds DPAon aUNIX or Linux system:

1. Install the new version of the software on your existing server.2. Disable any cron jobs that were set up for SolarWinds DPA.3. Run shutdown.sh from the old installation directory.4. Locate the directory that was created when you installed the new version:

/home/dpa_9_0_xxx <= old installation home (might be ignite_8_x_xxx)/home/dpa_9_0_xxx <= new SolarWinds DPA home

5. Copy or move these directories from the old installation to the new:WARNING! Do not copy any hotfix files!

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Troubleshooting Tips

Chapter 2: Installing and Setting Up Database Performance Analyzer

cp -fr <OLD_home>/iwc/tomcat/ignite_config/*<NEW_

home>/iwc/tomcat/ignite_config/cp -fr <OLD_home>/iwc/tomcat/logs/* <NEW_home>/iwc/tomcat/logs/mv <OLD_home>/iwc/tomcat/licensing <NEW_home>/iwc/tomcat/

6. If you are upgrading from 8.2.x or higher and you are:l using LDAPS, orl using SSL, orl have changed the default SolarWinds DPA ports,

then also complete the following tasks:

a. Copy server.xml to the new installation.cp -fr <OLD_home>/iwc/tomcat/conf/server.xml <NEW_

home>/iwc/tomcat/conf/

NOTE: If you are using LDAPS but not SSL, it is not necessary tocopy the server.xml file.

b. Copy the keystore to the new installation.cp -fr <OLD_home>/iwc/tomcat/conf/.keystore <NEW_home>/iwc/tomcat/conf/

7. If you are upgrading from 8.1.x or below to 8.2 or higher and you are:l using SSL, orl have changed the default SolarWinds DPA ports

then also complete the following tasks:

a. Copy the keystore to the new installation.cp -fr <OLD_home>/iwc/tomcat/conf/.keystore <NEW_home>/iwc/tomcat/conf/

b. If you changed port values, open server.xml from both the old and thenew installation directories and then manually copy over theappropriate values.

c. If you want to use SSL, uncomment the SSL section in the newserver.xml.For more information, see <NEW_home>/iwc/ssl_setup.txt.

8. If you previously disabled a cron job, update the path in those scripts to thenew directory name and re-enable the job.

9. The upgrade is complete. The next step is to start SolarWinds DPA.

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LicensingSolarWinds DPA comes with a time-limited evaluation license. During theevaluation period, you can monitor and view data for an unrestricted number ofdatabase cores and instances. After the end of the evaluation period, you willneed to purchase the appropriate quantity and type of licenses for the databasecores or instances you want to monitor.

License TypesThere are 2 different types of licenses that you can purchase for SolarWinds DPA.

l Database Instance licensesl VM Option licenses

Database Instance licenses

Purchase an instance license for each database instance you want to monitor.Licenses are sold separately by database type. You can purchase:

l IBM DB2 instance licensesl Microsoft SQL Server instance licensesl Oracle Standard Edition (SE) instance licensesl Oracle Enterprise Edition (EE) instance licensesl Sybase instance licenses

Note: For this 9.0 release, Oracle SE/EE, IBM DB2, and Sybase instancelicenses are represented in SolarWinds DPA as core-based licenses. Do notworry about the number of actual cores needed to monitor your instances, oursoftware will handle that correctly.

Virtual Machine (VM) Option Licenses

If you purchase supplemental VM Option licenses, you can see informationrelated to the virtual infrastructure of database instances in the Virtualization view.These optional licenses are in addition to the licenses required to monitor thedatabase instances in the Performance view.Note: For this 9.0 release, SolarWinds DPA makes a distinction between thecore-based and instance-based licenses for the VM Option. To handle this, wegive you both a core-based and an instance-based VM Option license for each

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Licensing

Chapter 2: Installing and Setting Up Database Performance Analyzer

VM Option that you buy. Do not worry about the number of actual cores needed tomonitor your VM-hosted database instance, our software will handle thatcorrectly.When activating licenses, activate the VM Option licenses according to this table:

If you have a virtually-hosted... ...activate this VM Option license.Microsoft SQL Server instance VM Option - Instance-basedIBM DB2 instance VM Option - Core-basedOracle SE or EE instance VM Option - Core-basedSybase instance VM Option - Core-based

Purchasing LicensesContact our sales team to purchase licenses directly from SolarWinds in themanner most convenient to you.

l on the webhttp://www.solarwinds.com/onlinequotes/

l over emailsales@solarwinds.com

l over the telephone+1 (866) 530-8100

Viewing Purchased LicensesYou can view your SolarWinds DPA licenses in the SolarWinds customer portal(http://customerportal.solarwinds.com). Log on to the customer portal with yourSolarWinds Customer ID and password.The licenses for your SolarWinds DPA product are in the License Managementsection of the Customer Portal. Scroll to locate your Database PerformanceAnalyzer licenses.Licenses for the different types of licenses, for example DPA for Sybase and DPAfor SQL Server, are listed separately.

If You Do Not See Your License

If you cannot find your licenses for SolarWinds DPA, please submit a CustomerService Ticket (http://www.solarwinds.com/support/ticket/) and we will help you.

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Using Your LicensesYour licenses are grouped into activation keys that you can find in your CustomerPortal. To activate some or all the licenses associated with an activation key, youcopy and paste the activation key from the Customer Portal to your SolarWindsDPA server's License Manager page. After activating a number of licenses, youcan then allocate these licenses between the database instances you want tomonitor.

Activating Licenses if You Have Direct Internet Connectivity

If the SolarWinds DPA server has internet connectivity, you can use onlineactivation. Follow these steps:Note: If the SolarWinds DPA server uses a proxy to connect to the Internet, youmust use offline activation instead.

1. From the SolarWinds Customer Portal, copy an activation key that hasavailable licenses.

a. Log on to the SolarWinds Customer Portal(http://customerportal.solarwinds.com).

b. Locate the license in the SolarWinds customer portal and then click [+]to expand it.

c. Copy the activation key to the clipboard.

2. On the SolarWinds DPA License Manager page, paste the activation key.

a. Open the SolarWinds DPA Web Client in your browser.b. On the Home page, click License Management and then click

License Manager.c. Click Enter Activation Key.d. SelectOnline Activation.

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Using Your Licenses

Chapter 2: Installing and Setting Up Database Performance Analyzer

e. On the Online Activation page, paste the activation key into the correctfield. For example, if this is a SQL Server key, paste it into theSQL Server field.

f. If you want to activate only a few of the licenses granted with anactivation key, you can click Specify Amount instead of selecting AllAvailable. For example, you might choose to activate only 3 licensesof a 5 license SQL Server activation key. We reserve the unusedlicenses so that you can use them at a later time and even on adifferent SolarWinds DPA server.

g. Fill out the remaining fields and then click Activate.h. Your licenses are activated and you can click Done.

Activating Licenses if You Do Not Have Direct Internet Connectivity

If the SolarWinds DPA server does not have Internet connectivity, or uses a proxyto connect to the Internet, you must use offline activation.Offline activation requires you to have a way to transfer files between theSolarWinds DPA server and an Internet-capable computer. You may use email,shared storage, a USB memory stick, and other such methods to transfer files.

1. Go to the Offline Activation page.

a. Open the SolarWinds DPA Web Client in your browser.b. On the Home page, click License Management and then click

License Manager.c. Click Enter Activation Key.d. SelectOffline Activation.

2. On the Offline Activation page, copy the long text string next to thedatabase type you want to activate and save it to a text file. Be sure toinclude the brackets. For example:[Ao5yFukOXlTETNF3hjTA278dkwnTCunVTYYteV06n3k/KXe:WqOZI4+jNAMAAAABBBAkA]

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3. Transfer this text file to a computer with Internet access.4. Retrieve the license key files using the computer with Internet access:

a. Log on to the SolarWinds Customer Portal(http://customerportal.solarwinds.com).

b. Locate the license in the SolarWinds customer portal and then click [+]to expand it.

c. Click Manually Register License.

d. Click Generate Activation Key.e. Paste the long text string into the Unique Machine ID field and fill the

other fields appropriately.f. Click Generate License File.

5. Transfer the license file back to the SolarWinds DPA server.6. On the Offline Activation page, click Choose File to choose the license file

you just transferred, and then click Activate.7. Your license key is activated.

Allocating Licenses to Database Instances

Make use of your SolarWinds DPA licenses by allocating them among yourregistered database instances. Allocating regular licenses to database instancesstarts the monitoring process for those instances and begins collects the datashown in the Performance view. Allocating VM Option licenses to databaseinstances starts the VM-related monitoring processes and collects the data shownin the Virtualization view.You allocate licenses on the License Allocation page.

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Allocating Licenses to Database Instances

Chapter 2: Installing and Setting Up Database Performance Analyzer

Opening the License Allocation Page

1. Open the SolarWinds DPA Web Client in your browser.2. On the Home page, click License Management.

Viewing the Current License Allocations

You can see the current license allocations in a chart near the top of the LicenseAllocation page. This chart shows the core and instance licenses currentlyallocated to database instances.

Allocating Licenses to Database Instances

You must allocate licenses to each database instance you want to monitor andcollect data from. Instance-based databases require one instance license each,and core-based databases require one license per database core.

1. From the list, find the registered database instance you want to monitor.2. Select the Perf check box next to that instance.3. SolarWinds DPA automatically allocates the appropriate number of

licenses.

After you allocate a license, you will see the license count update accordingly.

Allocating VM Option Licenses to VM Database Instances

SolarWinds DPA collects information related to the virtual infrastructure ofdatabase instances only if you allocate VM Option licenses to those databaseinstances. VM Option licenses are in addition to the regular SolarWinds DPAlicenses required to normally monitor that database instance.

1. From the list, find the registered database instance you want to assign aVM Option license to.

2. Select the VM check box next to that instance.3. SolarWinds DPA automatically allocates the appropriate number of

licenses.

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Deallocating Licenses

If you change your mind about the registered databases instance you want tomonitor, you can deallocate licenses and then reallocate them to differentdatabase instances.Deallocating a license is similar to allocating a license, except that you clear thecheck box instead. If a registered database has both VM and Perf check boxesselected, clear the Perf check box to automatically clear the VM check box too.

Deactivating Licenses

For various reasons, you may want to deactivate licenses on a SolarWinds DPAserver to make them available elsewhere.

1. Open the SolarWinds DPA Web Client in your browser.2. On the Home page, click License Management and then click License

Manager.3. In the Licensed Products section, locate the License Key you want to

deactivate.4. Click Deactivate.5. Your license is deactivated and the License Deactivated notification

appears.

Troubleshooting Over-Allocated LicensesIn some situations, SolarWinds DPA may be tasked with monitoring moreregistered database instances than you have licenses to monitor. This couldhappen, for example, if you are using temporary evaluation licenses and theyexpire before you have purchased your permanent licenses.If SolarWinds DPA licenses are over-allocated, you cannot view or analyze yourdatabase instances until you de-allocate the extra licenses. SolarWinds DPAcontinues monitoring the databases, so you will not lose any data while you bringthe allocated licenses back to an allowable level.To fix over-allocated licenses, de-allocate database instances until you reach theproper number of licenses.

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Deallocating Licenses

Chapter 2: Installing and Setting Up Database Performance Analyzer

1. On the Home page, click License Management.2. Look at the allocations chart to find the over-allocated license type. Over-

allocated license types are shown in red.

3. De-allocate databases instances until the chart is no longer red.4. Click Save.5. You should now be able to see your database instances in your views.

Adding Users and Controlling AccessSolarWinds DPA provides a way to create and manage several different types ofusers who can access repository data. Some users can only view the data, whileothers can start and stop monitoring database instances or change the monitoringparameters. Each user in an installed instance of SolarWinds DPA must have aunique user name.SolarWinds DPA supports Active Directory(AD) and LDAP authentication. Usingyour existing authentication infrastructure eliminates the need to duplicate youruser accounts in SolarWinds DPA. After you configure AD or

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LDAP authentication, your users can log in with either their domain account or a"custom user" account that SolarWinds DPAcreates for each of them.

Enabling Active Directory User AuthenticationSolarWinds DPA integrates with Windows Active Directory 2003 or later andleverages the security group information from AD to assign permissions to groupswithin SolarWinds DPA.For more information, see http://support.confio.com/kb/1640.

Enabling LDAP User AuthenticationSolarWinds DPA integrates with most LDAP implementations to assignpermissions to groups within SolarWinds DPA.For more information, seehttp://www.solarwinds.com/documentation/kbloader.aspx?kb=5828.

Enabling Single Sign On (SSO)Single sign-on allows your AD and LDAP users to log into SolarWinds DPAwithout re-entering the domain credentials they used to log on to their operatingsystem.Note: Before configuring SSO, make sure you have configured SolarWinds DPAfor either AD or LDAP authentication.For more information, see http://support.confio.com/kb/1645.

Creating a user or AD/LDAP group1.From the main menu, click Administration > User Administration.2.Click Create User.If you have configured Database Performance Analyzer to point to your ActiveDirectory or LDAP server. You will see an option to either create a user or a group(corresponds to a group in Active Directory or LDAP).

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Enabling Active Directory User Authentication

Chapter 3: Getting Started

Chapter 3: Getting StartedSolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer gives you the ability to quicklyanswer critical performance questions about your database. DatabasePerformance Analyzer is the fastest and most effective solution for finding the rootcause of database delays that impact business applications.Even the simplest tools require you to start somewhere. This chapter will help youimmediately begin using Database Performance Analyzer to identify and resolvethe urgent performance problems in your database.You will learn how to:

l Identify the top three queries with the highest impact on applicationresponse time.

l Correlate these queries with system resources to understand thecomplete picture.

l Identify the specific bottlenecks slowing response time.

l Diagnose current problems happening right now.

l Become proactive with by using alerts and automatic reportdistribution.

These first steps cover the basics of Database Performance Analyzer, but onceyou have completed this chapter you will have acquired enough knowledge andexperience to begin performing more advanced analysis.Database Performance Analyzer works with Oracle, Sybase, DB2 / LUW, andSQL Server. There are some difference in the examples and screen shots, butgenerally the application works the same for all database types.Database Performance Analyzer is an agentless solution that places less than1% load on the monitored databases. You will see best results on a heavily useddatabase where there are problems to solve.This guide assumes Database Performance Analyzer is currently installed andyou have started monitoring a database. For installation and setup instructions,see the Introduction section

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Step 1: Identify the Top 3 Query ProblemsThe efficiency of processing SQL queries is one of the most important indicatorsof database performance, so start by determining which queries are creating thelargest delays in the database. The response time measure is critical because itreflects where end-users are waiting on the database. Identifying and improvingresponse time for SQL queries has the biggest impact on the service delivered byyour database.Note: Before continuing with this step, let Database Performance Analyzercapture at least two days of performance data so you have a representativesample of data to begin with.Screen 1 below identifies the SQL queries most responsible for database delays.Which SQL queries were consistently contributing to response time on the dayswhere data was captured? If there was a day with particularly poor performance,which SQL queries were most prevalent on that day?

Screen 1:  Main Screen with Instances and Monitor Status

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Step 1: Identify the Top 3 Query Problems

Chapter 3: Getting Started

The legend entries are sorted by total database wait time, so the first three entrieson the list should be your highest priorities.Note: For the best results, be sure to record your results at each step of theprocess. To help you track your progress and record important information, usethe Database Performance Analyzer Worksheet.Click on the instance name to bring up the Trend View showing the Top SQLStatements for the days you have gathered data.

Screen 2: Top SQL Queries by Daily WaitScreen 2 displays data for each day the monitors have been running. The lengthof each bar represents the total wait time across all sessions. The longer the bar,the longer the users had to wait for the database. The colors represent theindividual SQL queries, identified by hash values accumulating the response timedelay. In screen 2, it is immediately obvious that a combination of queries on June22 is creating the most significant delay in the instance QAORA10_ QAORA10.Action: Note the top three SQL query hash values with highest performancepriority and enter this information into the Database Performance AnalyzerWorksheet.

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Database Performance Analyzer lets you assign names to the SQL queries soreports and charts are more understandable. In the following screen, the legendshows SQL names, not just numerical hash values. Before you move on to moredetailed analysis, assign names to the SQL queries you have chosen.

Screen 3: Assign a name to the SQL Hash ValueClick on the SQL hash number in the legend to get the SQL Name dialog box.Assign an understandable name to this query as it will be used throughout allDatabase Performance Analyzer reports.Action: Assign names to your top three SQL query problems.

Step 2: Correlate Response Time with SystemResourcesNow it is time to compare the response time results with system resource usagesuch as CPU, I/O, and memory. You will learn if specific response time spikes arerelated to server resources by comparing chart results at the same times.Click the Resource tab on the Trend View screen. A default set of resources areshown, but you can change them by clicking Resources on the right.

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Step 2: Correlate Response Time with System Resources

Chapter 3: Getting Started

Screen 4: The Resource Tab Correlates Resource with Response TimeChoose from the resources of most interest by clicking Add Resource Chart.Customize this resource page so you can quickly return and correlate with theresponse time chart.Note: Viewing the specific top Wait Types/Events, as explained below, will helpyou determine which resources are having the biggest impact on databaseresponse time. For example, if you have db_file_sequential_read as a top WaitType/Event you would want to monitor storage layer resource metrics.Action: Choose the two or three resources of most interest at your site andcustomize your tab. Note the resource names in the Database PerformanceAnalyzer Worksheet.

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Step 3: Determine Specific Wait Bottlenecks SlowingResponse TimeOnce you have the basics of identifying problem SQL queries based on responsetime analysis and impact, you can drill down for more detail about the problemand identify the cause of the bottleneck.From screen 2, Top SQL by Daily Wait, click on your day of concern to drill in formore detail. See the daily wait time chart, screen 5, showing the response timedelay in each hour of the day and the SQL queries that created the delay. This issimilar data, but is now focused on one day with each bar representing an hour.The Interval drop-down can be used to adjust the time interval. Drill into a specifichour then use the Timeslice tab to view a range of intervals down to one second.

Screen 5: SQL Statements Causing Delays in Each Hourly PeriodWas there a particular hour that had problems or that represents commonly foundproblems? From screen 5, choose an hourly period of concern. Click the Hourlylink to bring up the Top SQL chart, screen 6.

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Step 3: Determine Specific Wait Bottlenecks Slowing Response Time

Chapter 3: Getting Started

Screen 6: Top SQL Statements Causing Delays in the Selected HourScreen 6, Top SQL Statements, ranks the specific query bottlenecks in thechosen period. Here the SQL queries with most accumulated wait time across allsessions are charted to show the total delay for each. If they were running duringthis time period, your named SQL statements from Step 1 may appear with longbars. Click the name (or hash) to get detail on the SQL query.

Screen 7: Detail and Statistics on Problem SQL StatementsThe SQL text and execution statistics are shown in screen 7. The tabs along thetop row allow you to drill down based on programs, sessions, objects and otherdimensions captured in the Database Performance Analyzer Repository.

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Action: Click the Programs tab and see which programs were executing the queryyou have chosen and note the program name in the Database PerformanceAnalyzer Worksheet.Now you have detailed visibility to the problem SQL query. Use the DatabasePerformance Analyzer screens illustrated to identify the specific cause of thebottleneck.For easy navigation, use the breadcrumb trail in the top banner to move toprevious screens and keep track of where you are. Click the hourly period to goback to Top SQL Statements for that hour.

Now go back to the Top SQL Statement chart again, shown below in screen 8.For the first query, named Object Trend Message Priority, note how the majority ofthe bar corresponds to a colored Wait Type/Event in the legend db file scatteredread.

Screen 8: Top SQL statements Causing Delays in the Selected HourThis is an important piece of information. Database Performance Analyzer hasshown the specific bottleneck causing delay in the query Message Priority. Thedb file scattered read Wait Type/Event is the one item causing delay, here shownas responsible for the response time. What is this Wait Type/Event?Click on the Wait Type/Event in the legend to see an explanation of the specificbottleneck as shown below.

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Step 3: Determine Specific Wait Bottlenecks Slowing Response Time

Chapter 3: Getting Started

Screen 9: Description of the Wait and Details on How to Best Resolve the IssueNow Database Performance Analyzer has isolated the top SQL queries creatingincreased user response time and has shown you the Wait Types/Eventsuniquely responsible for the response time in each one.Action: For the three SQL queries of interest identify the two or three WaitTypes/Events that comprise more than 75% of the total response time. In manycases, one single wait bottleneck will be responsible for nearly all of the delay.

Step 4: Diagnose the Situation Right NowUp to this point all the analysis has focused on historical Trend View data. Butwhen a problem is actually occurring, you need to be able to instantly diagnose itin real-time. To see immediate performance issues, switch to the DatabasePerformance Analyzer Current View and examine response time and resourceswithin the past minutes and seconds.Go back to screen 2 and click the Current link from the upper right of the Trendscreen to see the last hour of collected data.The Current View starts off by giving you an overview of the past hour broken into10 minute intervals. Click it to drill down into the top SQL queries during a recent10 minute interval.

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Screen 10: Current View Shows Current ConditionsSelect the time interval you want to analyze. This takes you to screen 11 whereyou can see performance for smaller time increments. Click the Timeslice tab tosee a minute by minute breakdown of the response time and resource data.

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Step 4: Diagnose the Situation Right Now

Chapter 3: Getting Started

Screen 11: Timeslice to See Performance for Small Time IncrementsThe timeslice view breaks the current data into one minute intervals, for bothresponse time and system resources. Examine the response time charts, thenscroll down to the resources and identify any correlation.Note: To get to a one second timeslice you will need to click on one of the oneminute times listed below the chart in screen 11 (For example, 3:01 PM), thenclick the Timeslice tab.

Action: Evaluate the current performance situation. If there are queries andresources that are showing performance problems right now, record them in theDatabase Performance Analyzer Worksheet.

Step 5: Set Up Proactive ManagementProactive response time monitoring is one of the best ways to maintain topdatabase performance. Database Performance Analyzer’s automated reports andalerts help keep you, managers, and developers focused on improving databaseresponse time, while immediately warning the appropriate people whensignificant performance degradation occurs. Many times this results in resolvingissues before they have critical impact end users.In this step you will set up reports to automatically run daily and email details onyour top three queries.

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ReportsClick the Reports link from the top of the Database Performance Analyzer mainscreen.

Now select the database instance to use for the report and Report Type = TopSQLs. Then click Report Options.

Screen 12: Report CreationNow you can choose the Top SQLs Report and the number of SQL statements todisplay.

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Reports

Chapter 3: Getting Started

Then click Display Report near the top of the Report Creation Window. Screen 13shows the report with just the chosen queries for the most recent days.

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Screen 13: Custom Report for Three Critical QueriesMake sure to use the Save As link with a report name to keep the selections youhave chosen for repeated use and scheduled distribution.First, you want to schedule the report to be delivered automatically via email toyou and your manager on a weekly basis. From top right navigation, clickOptions, then from the Monitor Setup tab click Report Schedules.Note: Database Performance Analyzer has a default SMTP email configurationthat works in most cases. If your network or firewall requires use of an internalSMTP server, see the Configuring SMTP Mail Server for Outgoing EmailKnowledge Base article.Creating a report delivery schedule just requires a few pieces of information onthis screen:

l Name the schedule and descriptive text for the email.

l Choose when to deliver the report – daily, weekly or monthly.

l Choose the report you want using the name created earlier.

l Choose the recipients by adding their email addresses.

Action: Create the report Total Response Time for three Critical SQLs for thequeries identified in Step 1. Create a report schedule to deliver it via email to you,colleagues, or managers every Monday morning.

Setting AlertsDatabase Performance Analyzer enables you to find the routine performancehistory at any time. You also can generate summary reports to watch queries ofinterest. Now you can take the final step of establishing proactive alerts to watchfor major increases in SQL response time and other metrics.You will determine the average execution response time for each of your SQLqueries, then set Alerts to warn you of significant deviations.First, determine the normal execution time for your queries. Go back to screen 2.See the View Historical Charts for SQL drop-down menu. Choose your first queryand view the historical chart, as in screen 14. You will see this chart with a blackbar through the center located near the bottom on the page Historical Charts forSQL. This chart shows the average execution time for the SQL on each day, andthe black bar denotes the average wait for this query across all the daysdisplayed in the chart.

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Setting Alerts

Chapter 3: Getting Started

Screen 14: Daily Average Wait Time on Historical SQL PageRolling the cursor over each bar shows the popup window with details specific tothis day including the Average time for this Wait Type/Event, plus the averagetime for all wait times on this day.

In this case, the average wait time was 13.58 milliseconds for the example inscreen 14. Note that execution time, wait time, and response time all refer to thesame concept of how long it takes for the database to return a response to theapplication.

The black bar shows an average time of 15:26 milliseconds wait for this query forall executions for the entire month. A best practice is to alert if the average

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response during a period is greater than 100% higher than this average during asample period. In this case that would be roughly two seconds.Action: For each of the three chosen SQL queries, estimate the typical responsetime. Choose a threshold, approximately twice as long, that you will use to setalerts for notification.To create the alert, go to the top right navigation and click Alerts, then the ManageAlerts tab. From here, you can select the Alert Category and the Alert Type.

Screen 15: Create a New AlertClick Create Alert and fill in the details as in screen 16 to match your SQL query.

l Name the alert, give it a short description, and save it.

l Add your alert parameters.

l Choose the database instance and one of the three important SQLqueries you selected in Step 1 as the target for your Alert.

l Set low and high level alert thresholds that are approximately twiceas long as the typical execution times for your query.

l Run the alert every 10 minutes or more, allowing enough time to getvalid samples and ensure you don’t get unnecessary warnings from

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Setting Alerts

Chapter 3: Getting Started

a single slow execution.

l Make sure you test the alert (see Test button) to ensure it worksproperly and can send email messages from your network. 

Screen 16: Alert Creation DetailsPlease note the following:

l You can search for the query to alert on by name or hash value.

l The hash value is always returned from search, even when anamed query is selected.

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l The average wait time is specific to the execution interval, so if theinterval is 10 minutes, Database Performance Analyzer will look atthe average wait time for the SQL statement chosen for that 10minute period and compare these values to your thresholds.

Action: For the three selected SQL queries, and the criteria established already,create, name, and save three alerts that send you warning messages when theSQL queries exhibit excessively long response times.

The Database Performance Analyzer Worksheet

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The Database Performance Analyzer Worksheet

Chapter 3: Getting Started

Performing Advanced AnalysisOnce you have mastered the basics of Database Performance Analyzer, you willwant to expand your skills and explore the more advanced features that DatabasePerformance Analyzer provides.After at least one database instance has been registered for monitoring, DatabasePerformance Analyzer displays the main screen.

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The main screen shows a table of the database instances being monitored.Notice that different database types can be seen on the same screen. Monitoringcan be started or stopped from this screen.

Instance Groups

You can also group monitored databases using the Instance Groups feature. Therepository above has databases groups defined as the various database types,but you can define any mix of groups. Database Performance Analyzer willautomatically group Oracle RAC instances. Other databases are notautomatically grouped.

Monitoring

Once monitoring is started it will always monitor if possible. In other words, it isnot necessary to restart the Database Performance Analyzer monitor if either therepository instance or the monitored database instance was unavailable for aperiod of time. Monitoring will automatically resume when both are available

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Instance Groups

Chapter 3: Getting Started

again. Using the Monitoring Blackout Periods feature, you can configure timesthat monitoring should not occur. This feature is described later in this document.

Logs

Clicking the Log link for a database (found on the Home page in the Action drop-down) shows the Database Performance Analyzer monitoring log for theassociated database. This is helpful to determine why the Database PerformanceAnalyzer monitor cannot start for some reason, or data seems to be missing. TheLog Viewer link (found on the Options page under the Support tab) shows the logentries for all monitored database instances.

More Features

Other buttons and links on the page include:

l Register Database for Monitoring: Registers another databaseinstance to be monitored by Database Performance Analyzer.

l Register VMware for Monitoring: Monitors VMware environments.You can purchase this companion product called DatabasePerformance Analyzer VM. Database Performance Analyzer willshow VMware performance information in addition to databaseinstance performance data.

l Alerts: Allows you to create, edit, and views alerts.

l License Management: Allows you to add Database PerformanceAnalyzer trial or permanent license keys.

l Options: Allows you to manage Database Performance Analyzersettings and advanced features such as custom DatabasePerformance Analyzer users.

l Reports: Allows you to create and edit custom reports.

Trend ReportsTrend Reports let Database Performance Analyzer users communicate theimportant, long-term performance of their databases across the organization inpublished reports with easy-to-understand charts. With Trend Reports, you canquickly capture the results of performance tuning efforts, database resources ofconcern, or database trends in the form of graphical reports and publish thesereports for managers, team members and customers. Trend Reports give

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Database Performance Analyzer users a vehicle to show evidence to supporttheir work across the organization, highlighting database trends for up to fiveyears.This standard report and customization feature is easy to use, and provides ahigh degree of flexibility. Without complex setup or configuration, reports can beinstantly published. For example, you can highlight the top five resourcebottlenecks, or the highest SQL statement utilization. Then, you can select theunique set of SQLs, Resources, or Programs of interest, and tailor their ownreports for a customized period.

Trend Reports Use Summarized Data

Trend Reports are different from the detailed data displayed in the typicalDatabase Performance Analyzer charts because Reports are available forsummarized data that extends over months or years. Detailed repository data isaccessible for a shorter detailed data storage period, typically 30 days. TrendReports can show data captured over longer intervals and allows you to displayand capture longer term trends.To generate Trend Reports, Database Performance Analyzer summarizes andcondenses repository data to make long-term information available within amanageable size. This process is automatic, and no user management of theReport data summary process is required. The data is summarized by hour, andthis hourly data is available for 90 days. After 90 days, the data is summarized byday and is available for five years.

Minimum Data to Generate a Report

Because the Trend Reports are designed to show data trends over hours, days,months and years, a display of Reports requires a minimum of three hours ofcollection. Detailed repository data, with time granularity down to the second, willdisplay information within 10 minutes of initial collection. Best results areachieved after letting the repository collection run for at least a full day beforegenerating Reports.

Creating a ReportYou can create a new report by clicking the Reports link from the main page. Thereport menu page is displayed.

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Trend Reports Use Summarized Data

Chapter 3: Getting Started

Once a report type has been selected, you may be prompted for some mandatoryparameters. In all cases, you can choose Report Options to change the defaultreport parameters selected by Database Performance Analyzer. Common reportparameters include date range, interval, and time of day.This page also shows any saved reports and report groups. A report group issimply a group of reports that are displayed together.

The Report page also has a Report Schedules tab. Report schedules are used toautomatically email a report (or group of reports) at regular intervals. For example,you could create a schedule to email a list of the top ten worst performing SQLstatements every Monday at 9:00 am.

Report Types

Database Performance Analyzer is pre-configured with many standard reports,highlighting the most commonly used wait time statistics. You can use thesestandard reports or you can customize the reports to reflect the unique trendingpicture they should communicate. Once saved, the custom reports can be easilypublished with up-to-date data whenever they are needed. Below are someexamples of the reports that are available.

l Top Waits: This report charts Wait-Events for an entire database. Bydefault, Database Performance Analyzer displays the top five Wait-Events with highest accumulated wait time. The user has the optionto display the top ten or select specific waits of interest on the WaitTypes/Events tab in the Report Properties dialog.

l Top Waits for single SQL: This report identifies the top Wait-Events(up to 50), ranked by wait time, for a specific SQL statement. Theuser has the option to display Wait Types/Events of interest from theWait Types/Events tab.

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l Top SQLs: This report shows the top five SQL statements ranked bytotal Wait Time across a user selected interval. The user has theoption to display the top ten or select specific SQL statements fromthe SQL Statements tab on the Report Properties dialog. The reportwill show a descriptive name for the SQL if it has been definedpreviously by the user.

l Top SQLs for Single Wait: This report is similar to Top Waits forsingle SQL except it shows Wait Time for a single specific databaseWait only.

l Top Programs: This reports the total accumulated Wait Time forPrograms. It shows the top five programs by default and allows theuser to display up to ten or select specific programs of interest fromthe Programs tab on the Report Properties dialog.

l Top Files: This report displays the top five busiest files ranked bytotal I/O Wait Time. Database Performance Analyzer calculates thetotal Wait Time for all I/O operations on each file for selectedintervals. The user has the option to display up to the top ten orselect specific files from the Database Files tab on the ReportProperties dialog.

l Typical Day of Wait for single SQL: This report displays a stackedgraph showing average hourly Wait Time for the top five Wait-Events contributing to the total Wait Time for an individual SQLstatement. The uppermost portion of the bar is the summation of allother Wait-Events. You have the option to display the top ten orselect specific Wait Times/Events to display from the WaitTimes/Events tab. This report is useful for identifying the peak loadsduring a business day based on long-term observation of thesystem.

l Typical Day of Wait: This report displays a bar graph showing theaverage hourly Wait Time for a specific database. It displays thedistribution of average Wait Time versus time-of-day.

AlertsDatabase Performance Analyzer Alerts give you proactive control of thedatabase, notifying you of issues before they become problems for databasecustomers. By setting thresholds on key Wait Time statistics or on standard

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Alerts

Chapter 3: Getting Started

administration indicators, the DBA group gets an early warning of potentialproblems, and can take steps to solve the underlying issue before users areaffected. The result is improved customer service, fewer trouble tickets, andincreased compliance with database SLAs.

Alerts, like Trend Reports, are designed to provide instant use out-of-the-box andallow a high degree of customization to give you a tool tailored to your specificneeds. Database Performance Analyzer is preconfigured with three types ofalerts:

Wait Time Alerts

Wait time alerts are based on the amount of time users or applications waited onthe database. For example, the Average SQL Wait Time alert fires when a SQLstatement causes more wait time for the user than is acceptable. These alerts arecritical because they ensure that you are only alerted when users andapplications are being affected.

Database Administration Alerts

DB Admin alerts are typical alerts surrounding the health of the database system.For example, the Database Parameter Changes alert notifies you when anydatabase parameter has changed. The Database Availability alert notifies you

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when the database instance is no longer accessible (e.g., crashed or the networkhas gone down).

Custom Alerts

Custom Alerts are user-specified queries that are run against the monitoreddatabase or the Database Performance Analyzer Repository. The query returns anumber (or set of numbers) that may trigger an alert depending on user-definedthreshold settings.For example, you could enter a query to detect the number of cancelled orders inthe last ten minutes.select count(*) from orderswhere status=’CANCELLED’ and date > sysdate– 10/1440;You might also want to see which type of orders have high cancellation rates.select order_type, count(*) from orders where status=’CANCELLED’ anddate > sysdate – 10/1440 group by order_type;Finally, you may want complex logic to determine if an order has truly beencancelled. In this case, you could write a function or procedure on the monitoreddatabase instance and call it.

l Oracle: selectmycustomfunction(parm1) from dual

l SQL Server: selectmycustomfunction(parm1)

l Sybase:mycustomprocedure(parm1)

l DB2: select dbo.mycustomfunction(parm1) fromSYSIBM.SYSDUMMY1

These functions or procedures are written in the native database programminglanguage such as PL/SQL for Oracle, T-SQL for MSSQL, T-SQL for Sybase, andIBM SQL for DB2.

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Custom Alerts

Chapter 3: Getting Started

Alert Attributes

When creating an alert, you need to specify the following attributes:

l Active: Indicates the alert will be automatically executed byDatabase Performance Analyzer. Uncheck this box if you would liketo temporarily disable an alert but do not want to delete it.

l Execution Interval: Indicates how often the alert is run. It has aminimum of ten minutes to ensure that the alert doesn’t put too muchload on the monitored database instance.

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For Wait Time alerts, this value also indicates the time period that DatabasePerformance Analyzer uses to examine data, looking backwards from the time thealert runs. For example, if the execution interval/explain is 10 minutes, DatabasePerformance Analyzer will execute the alert every 10 minutes and also query thelast 10 minutes of Database Performance Analyzer performance data as alertinput.

l Notification Text: This text will be sent with the notification email orpage. It should include an explanation of the alert as well as thesuggested resolution steps.

l Database Instance to Monitor: Specifies which database instanceswill be monitored with this alert. Some alert types allow multipledatabase instances to be specified.

l Alert Levels and Recipients: Specifies the ranges of values that willtrigger an alert notification. For example, a particular SQL has anSLA to execute in under 4 seconds, but typically executes in lessthan 2 seconds. A Low alert threshold could be set at the 2 secondmark to send you an email. Another High alert threshold could beset to the 4 second mark.

l Notification Group or Contact: Alerts can be sent to an individual, agroup, or to an enterprise management console such as HPOpenView or Tivoli using SNMP traps. It is important to note thatwhen Alert Levels are reached the appropriate notificationgroup/contact is notified only once. As Alert Levels change (i.e., gohigher or lower), a group will not be notified again if it has alreadybeen notified once. This will continue until the Alert Level goes backto Normal.

l SNMP Alerting: Database Performance Analyzer alerts can beconfigured to send SNMPv2c Traps to a SNMP-enabled NetworkManagement Station (NMS) when an alert level or threshold isreached. The trap will contain the name of the monitored database,alert name, alert level, and response instructions. The NMS that willreceive the trap is represented as a contact (SNMP Contact) inDatabase Performance Analyzer.

l SNMP Contacts: SNMP Contacts represent an NMS that willreceive traps from Database Performance Analyzer Alerts.

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Alert Attributes

Chapter 3: Getting Started

An SNMP Contact is created and modified through the Database PerformanceAnalyzer Contact Management screen.

To create an SNMP Contact, from the Management Option screen, click theAdministration tab. Under Users & Contacts, click Contacts and Contact Groups.

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Monitoring Blackout PeriodsDatabase Performance Analyzer can be set up to not monitor during certainperiods. To create a blackout schedule, go to the ‘Options’ page and select‘Database Monitor Blackout Periods’.

Enabling SNMP Monitoring in SCOMYou can set up Database Performance Analyzer to use SNMP to monitor SCOM.1.From the main menu, go to Options > Contacts and Contact Groups > CreateSNMP Contact.2.Enter the Trap Receiver information with the SCOM HOST IP and Port (usually162).3.Enter the Community string that was set up on the SNMP Service on the SCOMHost.4On the Database Performance Analyzer application server, ensure the SNMPservice is running and the Community string is set matches the string you enteredin the SNMP Contact window.Note: This string is case sensitive.

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Monitoring Blackout Periods