9.6.00 enhancements and patches

For a list of recent updates and enhancements across multiple versions, see Release-notes-and-notices.

BMC applies upgrades as described in BMC Helix Upgrade policy . BMC applies upgrades and patches during Maintenance windows .

9.6.41

For the list of issues resolved in this release, see Known-and-corrected-issues.

9.6.40

Generate detailed annotations for the metrics

Generate events that contain the detailed annotation for each of the following metrics:

• Failed Jobs
• Hung Jobs
• Long Running Transactions

For more information, see Configuring Microsoft SQL Server monitoring profile.

9.6.31

Added new parameters

The following parameters are added to the KM:

9.6.30

Option to consider a job as failed as long as its last run was failed

PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server 9.6.30 provides you an option to change the way to calculate the value of the SQL Agent Job Failures parameter. The Job considered as failed as long as its last run was failed check box enables you to consider a job as failed as long as its last run was failed. Earlier, the job was considered as failed if and only if it failed during the collection interval. 

For more information, see Configuring Microsoft SQL Server monitoring profile.

Option to configure query timeout

You can now specify the number of seconds allowed for a query to complete before going into timeout. This time affects all the queries executed by the KM to collect data. Earlier, the query timeout value was set to 30 seconds and you could not change it.

For more information, see Configuring Microsoft SQL Server monitoring profile.

Custom SQL Query Value parameter is shown as graph

By default, the Custom SQL query Value parameter is shown as a graph.

Updated annotation for the Long Running Transactions parameter

The annotation of the Long Running Transaction parameter also includes Transaction SPID and Transaction Text. Earlier, this parameter showed the following information only:

• Transaction ID
• Transaction Name
• Transaction Begin Time

9.6.20

Full monitoring coverage of SQL Server 2016 perfmon catalogs

PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server now supports monitoring of SQL Server 2016 external scripts performance monitor (perfmon) catalogs.

Enhanced Custom SQL query feature to annotate returned records

Enhanced Custom SQL query annotates returned records when the Number of Records has a value greater than zero.

Database Status parameters are part of the Availability parameters list

The parameters listed below are now part of the Availability parameters and the Monitor availability only option includes:

• Database Status
• Number of Offline Databases
• Number of Suspect Databases

Additionally, monitoring of Database Status includes the configuration of Database filtering options.

Higher rate monitoring using Custom SQL Query

Custom SQL Query feature now supports a minimum collection interval of one minute. In earlier versions, the minimum was two minutes.

Higher maximum value for all time-based parameters

All time-based parameters have a new maximum limit of 10080 minutes (one week). In earlier versions, the minimum was 120 minutes.

Improved accuracy of SQL Agent Job Failures

The following are the methods to improve the accuracy of parameters:

1. If a job failed a few times during the last collection interval, it is considered as a single failure. This parameter counts the number of job failures, not the number of run failures.
2. If a step fails but the job succeeds, it is not considered a job failure. The entire job is a success even if one or more steps have failed.
3. If a job fails, the job annotates the last failed step.
4. Parameters do not detect SQL Agent Hung Jobs and SQL Agent Job Failures if the job is owned by a user who does not have a login account.

9.6.10

Tolerance support for Microsoft SQL Server 2016

BMC PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server supports only those features of Microsoft SQL Server 2016 that are covered by the existing monitor types.

Enhanced the KM to support In-Memory Online Transaction Processing

QM001886855: Introduced support for Microsoft SQL Server In-Memory Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) for databases. The new metrics are:

Added support for Logpool Freepool and Query Store perfmon counters

The KM now supports Logpool Freepool and Query Store perfmon counters. The new metrics are:

Enhanced the KM to support Columnstore Index feature

QM001886856: Introduced support for Microsoft SQL Server Columnstore Index feature. 

Added the ability to control the size of annotations of the SQL Agent Job Failures parameter

QM001822864: Size of the annotation messages of the SQL Agent Job Failures parameter can now be controlled. This can be done by updating the getFailedJobs query in the SqlQueries.xml file. This file is located in the %PATROL_HOME%\mssql\configuration directory.

Introduced new attributes in existing monitor types

9.6.11

Enhanced the KM to generate single event for each incident

BMC PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server has been enhanced to generate single event per incident for the following parameters:

• SQL Agent Hung Jobs (SQLAgentHungJobs)

• SQL Agent Job Failures (SQLAgentJobFailures)

• Long Running Transaction (LongRunningTrans)

For example, 

Open an event when job HungJob1 becomes hung and close this event when it stops from being hung. 

The feature is configurable and is disabled by default. For more details, see KM administration.

9.6.12

Supports .NET framework 4.xx version

PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server 9.6.12 and later supports .NET framework versions from 3.5.xx to 4.xx. For more details please refer to System requirements.

Easy enabling of external process (SQLCollector.exe) logging

PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server 9.6.12 allows you to enable/disable logging of external process (SQLCollector.exe) from configuration Central Monitoring Administration (CMA) screen only.

Now there is no need for extra ‘NLog.config’ file edit, you can achieve it through enable/disable logging from CMA only. To know more about this feature, please see configuring Microsoft SQL server using CMA.

Enhancement of annotation for status parameters

PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server 9.6.12 provides improved annotation coverage for status parameters.

Annotation now includes more details about the problem, environment characteristics and possible corrective actions.

If the Generate detailed events feature enabled, job is considered as not failed after a successful run

PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server 9.6.12 has changed the way it detects the job as not failed in case if the Generate detailed events feature enabled. Earlier, the job was considered as failed if and only if it is failed during the last collection interval. Now in version 9.6.12 with the Generate detailed events feature enabled, the job is considered as failed only if the last Run was not successful, it doesn't matter when the Job was run.

As a result of that SQL Agent Job Failures does not close the event till the job is successfully run, when the Generate detailed events feature enabled.

In addition, PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server uses the stored procedure msdb.dbo.agent_datetime to gather Failed and Hung Job metrics. The monitoring user should have permission to execute this procedure. For more information, see System requirements.

Enhancement of diagnostic tool functionality

PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server 9.6.12 has improved the tool usability to be more intuitive and accurate.

To know more about this enhancement, please see Validation of Windows user and Validation of MS SQL Server login.

List of installation files

The following tables list product files per platform available on EPD for PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server.

Product files for Windows and UNIX platforms

9.6.00.01

For the list of issues resolved in this patch, see Known-and-corrected-issues.

9.6.00

Monitoring remote environments

The BMC PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server product provides remote monitoring of SQL Servers. The primary focus of PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server is to monitor remote hosts, which hold multiple SQL Server instances. 

Monitoring perfmons

With the MSSQL_SERVER_PERFMON application classes, you can monitor Microsoft Performance Monitor counters. See, Configuring perfmons for more information.

Monitoring Custom SQL queries

BMC PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server supports custom query configuration to fetch specific information about the query. See Configuring-custom-SQL-queries for more information.

Support for monitoring clustered environments  

PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server monitors SQL Servers in a clustered environment. See Monitoring-SQL-Server-failover-cluster-environment for more information.

Updates

BMC PATROL for Microsoft SQL Server 9.6.00 provides the following updates:

^{* RFEs (Request For Enhancements) submitted directly or through a support representative, are tracked using 'QM' numbers, whereas RFEs directly submitted on BMC Communities are marked as Community Ideas.}