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Managing Azure SQL Database Size Checks

The Size Check Monitoring feature helps you get alerts when the size of your Azure SQL Databases grows out of your control and/or the database is not operational.

The Database Monitoring Agent monitors the size of configured Azure SQL Databases. In Nodinite; each database manifests as one Resource. Each Azure SQL Database returns its evaluated state which therefore can be monitored using one or more Monitor Views. Push alerts using Alarm Plugins.

The main difference compared to SQL Server SQL Size Checks is that there is no transaction log to monitor for Azure SQL Databases.

Size checks for Azure SQL Databases are grouped by the Category Azure - SQL Size Checks

Category Azure - SQL Size Checks
Example of a Monitor View filtered by the 'Azure - SQL Size Checks Category.

  • Your Azure - SQL Size Checks within the Azure SQL databases(s) are listed in Nodinite as resources where the name of the Azure SQL Database becomes the Resource name.
graph LR subgraph "Configuration" c["fal:fa-code 1 Azure SQL Database"] --> r[fal:fa-lightbulb 1 Resource] end

What are the key features for Monitoring Azure Database Size Checks?

  • State Evaluation - Monitors and evaluates the state according to current configuration.
  • Actions - Support for the execution of Remote Actions.

What is evaluated for Azure SQL Database Size Checks?

The different possible evaluated states for your Azure SQL Database are provided in the table below:

State Status Description Actions
Unavailable Resource not available Evaluation of the 'Database size' is not possible either due to:
  • network or security-related problems
  • A specific configuration exists with a database that no longer exists
 Review prerequisites
Error Error state raised The database size is above the error threshold value Edit
Warning Warning state raised The database size is above the warning threshold value Edit
OK Online SQL Job is valid, executes and reports that no problems were detected Edit

TIP: The evaluated state may be reconfigured using the Expected State functionality that exists on every Resource within Nodinite.

How do I configure the thresholds for Azure SQL Database Size Checks?

Azure SQL Database Size Checks are enabled when the checkbox Enable Azure SQL database monitoring is checked from within the Remote Configuration dialogue for the Database Monitoring Agent. When checked, the database provided by the ConnectionString is monitored.

There are two different ways to configure thresholds for SQL Jobs:

  1. Global configuration
  2. Specific configuration

1. Global configuration

From the Azure SQL databases tab the global settings are configured. You then need to click on the Size check tab.

Size check configuration
Example of the Size check tab with global monitoring thresholds for size related checks.

You can then edit the available properties.

  • Size Evaluation Type - The type of evaluation to use for the size check
    • Percent or
    • Megabyte
  • Warning Size - The size when the database to trigger Warning alert
  • Error Size - The size when the database to trigger Error alert
  • Description - Short description for this specific size check

The Application - is inherited from the Azure SQL Database Instance being configured.

2. Specific configuration

Managing specific SQL Jobs is covered in the Edit thresholds remote action section below.

Actions

The Database Monitoring Agent category Azure - SQL Size Checks has support for the following Remote Actions:

  • Edit thresholds

Remote Actions

Edit Size Check Configuration

The following dialogue is displayed after clicking the action button menu item Edit thresholds.
edit
Example of dialogue changing global thresholds to specific thresholds.

The Default values are set using Remote Configuration. Review the Global configuration section of this document for further details.

The same properties as described in the Global configuration are available and in addition the following can be managed:

  • Application - a way of grouping resources (by default the Application used for the SQL Instance is re-used)

Save

You must click the Save button or click on the Save and close button for any changes to be written to the agent and take effect on next synchronisation.
Save and Close buttons

NOTE: Depending on the synchronisation interval set for the agent, there might be a delay before the Web Client reflects upon the change. You can force the agent to synchronize from the configuration of the Monitoring Agents.

Save and close, save, and close the dialogue.

Cancel, close the dialogue without saving any changes.

Next Step

Add or manage Monitor View

Database Monitoring Agent
SQL Categories
SQL Size Checks
Resources
Monitoring Agents
Monitor Views