Using the SQL Servers sensors you can natively monitor the most commonly implemented SQL servers: MySQL, Microsoft SQL, and Oracle SQL. The sensors monitor if the database server

  • A: accepts connections and
  • B: processes requests and
  • C: returns an expected result when executing a custom SQL command.

PRTG supports native monitoring for the following SQL Servers:

  • Microsoft SQL Server: Checks Microsoft SQL server connections.
  • MySQL Server: Checks MySQL server connections.
  • Oracle SQL Server: Checks Oracle SQL server connections.

General steps for setup

  • Identify the IP address or the DNS name of your database server.
  • Create a new device in PRTG Network Monitor. You can do this with the context menu of a group. If you already have an adequate device object created you can skip this step.
  • In the configuration page of this device object locate the "DNS Name" property. Enter the IP address / DNS name from the first step. If you already have a device object with the correct address information you can use it and skip this step.
  • Open the context menu of the device object from above and select "Add Sensor".
  • Select the appropriate SQL Sensor type (Microsoft SQL, Oracle SQL, MySQL) and click on "Continue".

Common Settings for all SQL Sensors

Configuring the sensor consists of two steps:

  • Setting connection relevant properties. This is mandatory to get a working sensor.
  • Optional configuration of a SQL expression which the sensor should execute over the existing connection to the database server.

The following fields are particular to all of these sensors (there are others that appear with certain SQL Sensor types only - see below):

  • Database: In this field, the name of the database or the path of the database can be entered in order to access the database information. Do not confuse this with the name of the database server (which is set in the corresponding device setting in PRTG Network Monitor).
  • User/Password: Please enter your SQL server's credentials needed to log into the database.
  • SQL-Expression: Provide an expression for querying or modifying database objects like tables, views, roles. When a cursor is returned (i.e. with a SELECT statement), only the first row of data will be fetched.
  • Result Set: Select this checkbox if your SQL expression returns a result set. Then the value of the first column in the first row of the result set is used as the return value of the monitoring request (i.e. will be compared to the limits). Otherwise, the "number of affected rows" is regarded to be the return value of a monitoring request. The latter usually makes sense with a data modification statement like DELETE. Note: The Result Set has to be of type "integer".

Notes for Microsoft SQL Sensors

  • Supports SQL Server 2008, SQL Server 2005 (including SQL Server Express / Server Compact Editions), SQL Server 2000, SQL Server 7 and MSDE (requires OLE DB installed on the machine running the PRTG probe that accesses the server).
  • Instance: This holds the name of the instance if you want to connect to a "named instance", otherwise this field should remain empty. Note: Sometimes you will see connection strings like SQLSERVER\SQLINSTANCE in database clients. The first part is the server name configured under the general server settings. The second part refers to the instance name mentioned above. Never enter this complete string in this PRTG form, merely provide the second part (without the backslash).
  • Port: If your SQL server runs the instance at a different static port than 1433, you can define the port number here. Select "Manual" and change the port number.
  • Authentication: When using a Microsoft SQL server, you can also choose to use the Windows Authentication, if probe computer and the Microsoft SQL Server are in the same domain.You can change the Credentials for Windows Systems in the settings of the device on which you are creating the sensor. As default, these settings are inherited from the Root group, unless specified differently (see Reviewing Settings of the Root Group for more details).

For more configuration tips, see Paessler Knowledge Base article:
http://www.paessler.com/knowledgebase/en/topic/1063

Notes for Oracle SQL Sensors

  • Supports Oracle servers 11g, 10g, 9i, 8i, 8.0, and 7.3, including Oracle 10g Express and Oracle 8i Personal and Lite editions (requires default TCP Port Setting 1521).
  • Connections work through direct TCP/IP communication (SQL-NET). Note: OCI is not supported any more.
  • Port: You need to supply the TCP/IP port for the connection in this field. Usually the default value "1521" is correct.

Notes for MySQL Sensors

  • Supports MySQL server 5.1, 5.0, 4.1, 4.0 and 3.23.
  • Note: For this sensor type, no port number can be set.
  • The 'database' setting is a logical entity on the database server where database objects like tables or stored procedures exist. In case of the mySQL server it also reflects a physical directory structure where your database objects are stored. Enter the appropriate string which is the same as you would supply when invoking the mysql.exe admin tool (with the command line switch -p) or after the login with mysql.exe with the command 'use'.


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