Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Bible

Chapter 62. Management Data Warehouse

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Collecting management data

• Configuring MDW

• The default collection set

Denmark is primarily an Oracle country. SQL Server accounts for perhaps 10% of the database servers, but that number is growing. So at the SQL Open World 2007 (hosted by Miracleas.dk)at Lalandia in Rødby, Denmark, most of the attendees were Oracle DBAs and developers wanting to learn more about SQL Server. For me, as a presenter, it was a great time to learn more about the gap between SQL Server and Oracle. At Lalandia, the guests stay in cottages near the conference center (and indoor beach, but that's another story). While walking to the cottages I asked the Oracle DBAs, "What could SQL Server do better? What do you as Oracle DBAs take for granted with Oracle that you don't see in SQL Server?" The singular answer was that Oracle DBAs build a data warehouse to gather performance stats, and then they use this data warehouse to analyze the baselines and performance trends. And they were right, that's a wonderful practice missing from the SQL Server community.

Allow me to introduce the Management Data Warehouse.

New to SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition, the Management Data Warehouse (MDW) is a significant strategic development in the progress of SQL Server.

The collection of management data is what has been missing in Microsoft's plans to take SQL Server to the next level. Even if you don't see much benefit to the MDW now, believe me, it's one of the most strategic ...