Adding a second base monitor - Azure DB specs + migrating monitored servers?

matt_s

We have a hybrid estate (on-prem + Azure) and initially went with a single base monitor (on-prem).  We've been running like this for a while but are now looking to add a second dedicated base monitor in Azure for the cloud resources.

My questions are:

1. Are there any recommended/minimum specs when using Azure SQL Database for the repository?  The documentation says it is supported but makes no mention of the required resources.  If there are no official recommendations, could anybody share their experience of using Azure SQL Database for the repository?
2. Is there any way to "migrate" a monitored server from one base monitor to another?  Once the second base monitor is up and running can we move a monitored server from the first base monitor to the second (i.e. preserving the historic data)?  Or do we have to remove it from one base monitor before adding it to the other (and lose all the historic data). 

Many thanks,

Matt.

ThomasBE

1. If you're running in a vCore model you can just use the requirements posted here:
https://documentation.red-gate.com/sm11/installation-and-setup/planning-the-sql-monitor-infrastructure-and-installation/sql-monitor-database-requirements
If your on-prem setup uses 1 core per 5 SQL servers (hypothetical example) you can just extrapolate this to the cloud.
For the DTU model you can find 'converters' to a core/dtu online.
A good thing, you can scale Azure SQL Database up or down, so you can play around to find the correct infrastructure for your requirements.

2. If you dive in the data I'm sure you'll find a way to export the data and import on the new location. But this will be custom and very time consuming.
I would just disable the monitoring on the current location (saving you the license) and start the monitoring on the new base monitor. 
That way for a brief moment of time (depending on your retention settings) you can use the new base monitor for current issues and the old base monitor for history.
If you disable the monitoring for a server, you keep any data history.

Alex B

Hi  @matt_s

1. We don't have recommendations/minimum specs for Azure SQL DB as the repository.  I will say to ensure the storage tier related to it has sufficient throughput to allow it to keep up with the amount of data being sampled/inserted and served to the web UI by the Base Monitor service, though what that is, depends on how many entities you are monitoring and how busy they are.

2. There is not a built-in export option and I would suggest to raise a Redgate Monitor Uservoice suggestion here https://sqlmonitor.uservoice.com/forums/91743-suggestions/filters/top.  You can also remove and not tick the box to delete the entity data, which will keep the historical data until it is purged, or as stated above, suspend monitoring and ensure a license is not being consumed by the entity on the Configuration > Monitored servers page.

Kind regards,
Alex