Chela, in your explanation, you mention SQL, DBA, CIO, CEO ... I have
no idea what these acronyms stand for. The explanation is getting very
complicated. Regards, Kim Friedman. P.S.: Your writing to someone who
doesn't understand this stuff. K.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] *On Behalf Of *Chela Robles
*Sent:* Friday, August 06, 2010 8:05 PM
*To:* bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
*Subject:* [bksvol-discuss] Re: Really technical
In information technology, a dashboard is a user interface that,
somewhat resembling an automobile's dashboard, organizes and presents
information in a way that is easy to read. However, a computer
dashboard is more likely to be interactive than an automobile
dashboard (unless it is also computer-based). To some extent, most
graphical user interfaces (GUI
<http://searchWinDevelopment.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid8_gci213989,00.html>s)
resemble a dashboard. However, some product developers consciously
employ this metaphor (and sometimes the term) so that the user
instantly recognizes the similarity.a product might obtain information
from the local operating system in a computer, from one or more
applications that may be running, and from one or more remote sites on
the Web and present it as though it all came from the same source.
Hewlett Packard developed the first such product, which began as a
tool for customizing Windows desktops. Called /Dashboard/, the HP
product was subsequently acquired by Borland and then a company called
Starfish. Microsoft's /Digital Dashboard/ tool incorporates Web-based
elements (such as news, stock quotes, and so on) and corporate
elements (such as e-mail, applications, and so on) into Outlook.
Dashboards may be customized in a multitude of ways and named
accordingly, generally, for example as a general /corporate/ or
enterprise
<http://searchWinIT.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid1_gci212065,00.html>
dashboard, or more specifically, as a CIO
<http://searchCIO.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid182_gci213620,00.html>
or CEO
<http://searchCIO.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid182_gci1271045,00.html>
dashboard.
A software-based control panel for one or more applications, network
devices or industrial machines. Dashboards display simulated gauges
and dials that look somewhat like an automobile dashboard.
What is the SQL Server DBA Dashboard?
The SQL Server DBA dashboard tool is both a DBA and a TSQL programmer
tool. The main goal of this tool is to allow DBAs and programmers to
quickly identify performance, SQL Agent and disk space issues
associated with a single instance of SQL Server. The dashboard tool
can be installed and run against any SQL Server 2005 SP2 or SQL Server
2008 instance.
The dashboard provides 39 different performance and disk space related
reports with a single click from the main dashboard page. These
different reports provided information in the following areas:
* Identifies the worst performing TSQL Statement and Stored
Procedures, based on different criteria like CPU, I/O and elapsed time
* Performance counter measurements
* Shows summarized and detailed SQL Server Agent Job failures
* Displays CPU consumption overtime
* Reports on Index Fragmentation
* I/O usage by database <#>
* Tracks backup history
* Tables without indexes
* Unused and missing Indexes
There are two different dashboards within the SQL Server DBA <#>
Dashboard. There is one dashboard for DBAs and another one with a
subset of reports targeted for SQL Server programmers/developers <#>.
The main reason for having two different dashboards has to do with
permission. The programmer/developer dashboard only requires "VIEW
SERVER STATE" permissions; where as the SQL Server DBA Dashboard
requires "sysadmin" permissions.
Architecture/Components that make up the SQL Server DBA Dashboard:
The dashboard is made up of a single DLL, a database
(SS_DBA_Dashboard), a SQL Server Agent job and a series of Reporting
Services RDL files. As already stated the SQL Server DBA Dashboard
contains two different dashboards, one for DBAs and another for
programmers.
The DLL file contains most of the code used to obtain the information
displayed in the dashboard reports. The DLL assembly is used to create
external stored procedures in the SS_DBA_Dashboard database. In
additions to SPs being created in this database there are a couple of
tables to hold a small number of statistical records. This database
should grow very little, if any after the first use of the dashboard.
The DLL and database needs to be installed on each SQL Server instance
you want to monitor with the dashboard tool. The RDL files can be
stored in a single location or multiple locations. The RDL files are
designed to only to be executed from within SQL Server Management
Studio. In fact, only two RDL files "DBA_Dashboard_Main.rdl" and
"Programmer_Dashboard_Main.rdl" files should be referenced when
bringing up a Custom Report from within SSMS. These two RDL files pass
parameters to the other RDL files, so if you try to invoke the other
RDL files directly from SSMS they will fail.
Any instance where the DLL and SS_DBA_Dashboard have been installed
can be monitored using the two dashboards. The two main RDL files
mentioned above can be rendered on any client computer that has SSMS
installed. The only requirement is that the client computer be running
SQL Server SP2, the user/computer can access the RDL files, a valid
registration can be made between the client computer and the server
being monitored with SSMS, and the user using the dashboard has the
permission to execute the SPs in the SS_DBA_Dashboard database.
**
--
"To me, music that breaks your heart is the music that stays with you
forever. It's one thing to be melancholy and one thing to be
sophisticated, but when you get the two of them together in a way
people can relate to, then I think you're on to something. You want
the sophistication to lie in the purity of the sound, the beauty of
the arrangements, and the quality of the performances."-Trumpeter
Chris Botti
--
Chela Robles
AIM and E-Mail: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxx
Skype: jazzytrumpet
WindowsLive Messenger: cdrobles693@xxxxxxxxxxx
I Volunteer for a non-profit organization called Bookshare, to find
out more go to: http://www.bookshare.org
--
On 8/6/2010 1:44 PM, Kim Friedman wrote:
> Hi,
I read this message about dashboards (the computer ones, not the
> ones in
cars), and I haven't the faintest idea what one is supposed
> to do when
encountering a dashboard. I'm afraid I think: "huh? What
> is that for?
Why do they call it a dashboard?" In short, this is
> beyond my purview
and I'm stumped. Can someone explain this dashboard
> thing to me in
simple terms and show me what you'd do if you came
> across one? I'm
willing to learn. Regards, a confused Kim Friedman.
>
>
>
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