Create a custom metric for SQL Monitor and win a Kindle Fire

Now that you’ve had a chance to work with custom metrics and learn how they can extend SQL Monitor’s functionality, we think it’s time to set a little challenge:

Create a custom metric and submit it to the site by September 14th for your chance to win a great prize!

Install metric...

Metrics install automatically if you have Redgate Monitor installed.

If you are using Redgate’s SQL Server monitoring tool, Redgate Monitor, you can instantly install and run this metric on your servers.

The competition is now closed. Thanks to everyone who took part, and congratulations to our winners. Read about and install the winning metrics
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Now that you’ve had a chance to work with custom metrics and learn how they can extend SQL Monitor’s functionality, we think it’s time to set a little challenge:

Create a custom metric and submit it to the site by September 14th for your chance to win a great prize!

We’re lucky to have some great judges on board for this competition – Steve Jones (@way0utwest), editor-in-chief for SQL Server Central, and Jonathan Allen (@fatherjack), founder of PASS SQL South West and Friend of Red Gate. Each will be casting an expert eye over the submissions, looking for particularly interesting and useful metrics that:

  • broaden SQL Monitor’s range,
  • help database administrators implement best practice or
  • enable more effective performance tuning.

Some of the best submissions will be published on sqlmonitormetrics.red-gate.com and attributed to the author once the competition is concluded.
Now for the important bit – the details:

When can I submit my metrics?

Submissions are open from Monday 27th August until Friday 14th September.

Can I use metrics I have already written?

Yes, you can use metrics you’ve already got running in SQL Monitor – they don’t have to be written specifically for this competition. Just make sure they aren’t duplicates of the metrics we already have on the site.

When will the winners be announced?

We’ll announce the winners on Monday 8th October but we’ll notify you before then if you’re one of the lucky winners.

What can I win?

There are 3 Kindle Fires up for grabs (or the equivalent $199 in Amazon vouchers).

Sounds great! How do I get started?

Grant Fritchey has written a great article that describes how to write a custom metric. We recommend that you read this and then fill in the share a metric form with your competition entry. Please include the T-SQL script and a description of the metric. We’ll confirm receipt and your metric will be entered into the competition automatically.

Metric definition

Name

Description

The T-SQL query that will collect data

Instances to collect from

Databases to collect from

Collection frequency

Use collected or calculated values

Leave the Use a calculated rate of change between collections check box unchecked

Metric collection

Alert definition

Alert name

Description

Raise an alert when the metric value goes

the defined threshholds

Default threshold values

High:
Medium:
Low:

Raise an alert when the threshold is passed for

collections

Alert is