If your business uses SQL Server in some capacity, then managing this important resource effectively will make a big difference to how well it functions.
Monitoring performance is a key part of this process, so here is a look at what it means to monitor SQL Server and why this can benefit your organization.
Measuring metrics to make the most of SQL Server
By using modern SQL Server monitoring tools like those compared at https://www.sentryone.com/compare-best-sql-server-monitoring-tools/, you will be able to track a number of metrics that indicate how well your database is performing at any one time.
These metrics cover everything from the time it takes for requests to complete to the amount of hardware resources monopolized by particular processes.
One of the best things about harnessing the tools above is that it saves you from having to do all of the hard work manually and instead offloads this to a platform that can streamline the duties of any SQL Server admin.
Furthermore, with automated alerts, monitoring tools will identify problems and bring them to your attention so you can troubleshoot them, rather than have potentially serious performance issues flying under the radar.
The business significance of SQL Server monitoring
Your database can be used for many things, from hosting a website to powering internal software apps and more besides, so you need to see its performance as intrinsically linked to things like the productivity of your employees and the reputation of your brand.
As such, SQL Server monitoring is about more than just keeping the backend elements from functioning as smoothly as possible, but rather being able to shore up the underpinnings of your entire operations. Any server snafus can have a knock-on effect that does damage in other areas, so you simply cannot afford to let your monitoring responsibilities fall by the wayside.
Additional considerations
Another aspect to keep in mind is that if you are always on top of monitoring, you will be able to see where inefficiencies in the current infrastructure might lie, allowing you to optimize your use of hardware and your SQL query composition to squeeze more out of your setup.
Then there is the prospect of long-term planning, which can be better achieved with the help of persistent SQL Server monitoring. Rather than discovering that your server hardware is suddenly inadequate for your needs in months or years to come, you can keep tabs on usage in real-time, project how needs will change further down the line, and plan your procurement well in advance to sidestep unexpected bottlenecks.
Lastly, monitoring should not just be seen as a means of ironing out smaller kinks in your database but instead of making it far more resilient and resistant to the likelihood of downtime occurring. Unplanned outages are another costly disaster that can strike small and large businesses alike. Still, by taking SQL Server monitoring seriously, you will set yourself on the path to having a more robust infrastructure at your back.
