About The New Utility Control Point (UCP) Feature For SQL 2008 R2

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 addresses some of the most "real world" administrative issues surrounding enterprise level multi-server administration with a new tool called the SQL Server Utility. This tool is in addition to the Policy Based Management (PBM) - Central Management Server and Data Collector introduced in the earlier 2008 release. The service used in the server utility is called Utility Control Point. The UCP collects information (every 15 minutes) to monitor multiple managed SQL instances. Data collected from the UCP is stored in the Utility Management Data Warehouse (UMDW) which is automatically created when you create the UPC. The primary administrative interface tool - Utility Explorer is used to create the UCP, add instances and view reports of data collected. Of course - all of this would be meaningless without some really cool, colorful chart driven report - which is where we get the Utility Explorer Dashboard. Do you think Microsoft is trying to push the "utility" point in the choice of naming conventions?

The Utility Control Point is perfect for capturing and managing consolidated views of resource data from enrolled instances of SQL Server in the Server Utility. Enrolled instances are monitored every 15 minutes while other monitoring parameters like database file space utilization, CPU utilization, and storage volume utilization can be taken into account too.

CPU works in conjunction with the SQL Server Utility to provide both summary and detailed data which allows for both under-utilization and over-utilization policies for a variety of key parameters as well as enabling resource consolidation opportunities and resource over-utilization to be identified with ease. With this new utility we are able to configure and adjust policies at different resource utilization thresholds including global monitoring policies.

Both Global and individual monitoring policies are managed in the SQL SU. The Server Utility itself, is managed through a utility control point on an instance of SQL Server, using Utility Explorer in SSMS. The Utility Explorer is similar to the SSMS Object Explorer for navigating through and managing resources in the SU. The UCP is the central reasoning point for the SU supporting actions like specifying resource utilization policies and tracking utilization requirements.

Setting up the UCP also has some new system requirement, some of the more important ones are as follows:

• SQL Server must be version 10.50 or higher.
• The Server instance type must be Database Engine.
• The SU must operate within a single Windows domain, or across domains with two-way trust relationships.
• The Server service accounts on the UCP and all managed instances of SQL Server must have read permission to Users in Active Directory.

Getting started with the Server Utilities is really fairly intuitive. From the SSMS Interface, simply click View and Utility Explorer. You'll see a link for "Create a Utility Control Point" and you're off to the races.
Create the SQL Server Utility.

1. Create a utility control point
2. Enroll instances of SQL Server into the SQL

After your SQL SU is created, use SSMS to monitor managed instances of the Server, and customize monitoring policies.

1. Use SSMS to connect to the SQL SU
2. Monitor managed instances of SQL Server
3. Customize the Server Utility monitoring policies to meet your needs

If you are unfamiliar with the processes discussed in the steps above, complete hands-on tutorials for creating a utility control point and set up are offered through several Microsoft Certified Trainers, Microsoft Training centers and Microsoft Bootcamps online.

Chester Flake is the CEO of Certification Camps which is the industry leader in Microsoft Courses.  He offers Microsoft Certification courses on MCTS, MCITP or MCPD Certifications. Plus Microsoft Training, Windows Server 2008 and Visual Studio Certifications.

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About Distributed Computing Environment

Distributed Computing Environment:

The Details of the basic services are hidden from end users. Distributed Computing Environment is an open system that can run on any platform or operating system. It is not restricted to UNIX. The Distributed computing Environment model provides an integrated approach to distributed processing. Its layer architecture provides flexibility to include future technologies. Each layer provides its own security and management.

Distributed Computing Environment provides two sets of services:

• Basic Distributed services allow developers to build applications.
• Data- Sharing services, which require no programming by the end users, include a distributed file system, disk-less system support, and micro integration.

The tools provided by Distributed Computing Environment as basic Distributed services are:

• Remote procedure calls
• Distributed Directory Service
• Threads Service
• Time Service
• Security Service

Remote procedure Calls:

Distributed computing Environment's remote procedure calls allow an application's program to execute on more than one server in the network, regardless of the other machines' architectures or physical locations. Because information transfer is transparent between different platforms, the use of remote procedure calls allows heterogeneous operation.

Distributed Directory Service:

This service provides a single naming model throughout the distributed network. Users locate and access
servers, files or print queues by name, not their physical location. Users use the same name even if the networks address changes. The Directory services use a local cell directory service and a global directory service. Global names can reside in the X.500 standard directory service or Internet Domain Name System name space.

Threads Service:

Distributed Computing Environment requires for operation. The Threads Services allows multiple threads of execution in a single process and synchronizes the global data access. One thread can be executing a remote procedure call, while another processes user input. Applications do not need to know whether threads are executing on one or several processors.

Time Service:

This software-based service synchronizes system clocks among host computers in both local area network and wide area network environments. It provides an accurate time stamp for application development files that must be stored in sequence. The Time Services also supports time values from external services used for distributed sites using the Network Time Protocol.

Security Service:

Data integrity and privacy by three facilities:
• Authentication is based on the Kerberos version 5 standards from MIT. It verifies a user through a third server.
• Once users are authenticated, the authorization facility decides if they should have access to the requested resources.
• A user registry facilities the management of user information, the registry ensures that user names are unique across the network.

I am Raji P Pushpam. I completed in Engineering Degree. Now I am working in Software company from Bangalore. I was Basic Author in Ezine Articles.

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About distributed computing environment

The distributed computing environment:

Details of basic services are hidden from end users. A Distributed Computing environment is an open system that can run on any platform or operating system. Is not limited to UNIX. Distributed model of computing environment provides an integrated approach to distributed processing. Its architecture layer provides the flexibility to integrate future technologies. Each layer has its own security and management.

A Distributed Computing environment consists of two sets of services:

• Distributed basic services enable developers to create applications.
• Data sharing services that require no programming by the end user, include distributed file system, disk support less system and micro-enterprises integration.

Tools provided by the Distributed Computing environment as a core distributed services are:

• Remote procedure call
• Distributed directory service
• Threads services
The time service ·
• Security Service

Remote procedure call:

Distributed computing environment for remote procedure call to an application program to perform for more than one server in the network, regardless of other architectures, or physical locations. Because communication is transparent between different platforms, using a remote procedure call allows heterogeneous operations.

Distributed directory services:

This service provides a single model denomination throughout a distributed network. Users to locate and access
servers, files, or print queues with names, not their physical location. Users use the same name, even if your address changes. Directory services use cell directory service, the local and the global catalog service. Global names can be in standard directory service x.500 or namespace of the domain name system.

Stories of service:

A Distributed Computing environment requires to operate. Service threads allows multiple threads to execute in a single process and synchronizes access to global data. One thread can execute remote procedure calls, while another processes user input. Applications do not need to know whether the story is performed on one or more processors.

The time service:

This service synchronizes clocks among system/software host computers, both in the local area network (LAN) and wide area network environments. It enables precise timestamp files development of applications that must be stored in the sequence. Time service also supports the time values from external services used for distributed sites using Network Time Protocol.

Security Service:

Data integrity and privacy across three objects:
• Authentication is based on the Kerberos version 5 standards of MIT. Verifies the user by a third server.
• When users are authenticated, authorization determines, if the instrument, they should not have access to the requested resource.
• A device management registry information, view information about the registry, shall ensure that user names are unique on the network.

I'm Raji P Pushpam. I completed a Masters degree in mechanical engineering. Now I'm working in a software company from Bangalore. I was the Basic Developer Ezine articles.

View the original article here