SQL Server 2012 Databases Summary Dashboard: Where Are The Health State Indications?

With the new SQL MP also a new Dashboard came to be: the SQL Server 2012 Databases Summary Dashboard. Even though this Dashboard looks nice there are some questions about it.

One of the most heard questions is: Why don’t I see the Performance widgets change colors in order to reflect the Health State of the currently selected SQL database?

The answer to it is relatively simple: RTFM (Read The Friendly Manual) .

As the guide related to this SQL MP states on pages 66 & 67:
’…Performance section contains eight performance collection rules, four of them can be linked with monitors. If linked monitors are disabled widgets display performance collection data without heath state indication…’

The 4 widgets that don’t work :

1. DB Active Sessions;
2. DB Active Requests;
3. DB Active Connections;
4. DB Transactions/sec.

The 4 widgets that work (AFTER the related monitors are enabled):
Syntax: <NR> Widget                    <>    Monitor to enable:

1. DB Total Free Space (%)    <>    Transaction Log Free Space (%),
2. DB Total Free Space (%)    <>    DB Total Space,
3. DB Avg. Disk ms/Read       <>     Disk Read Latency
4. DB Avg. Disk ms/Write       <>     Disk Write Latency

When these Monitors are enabled the Widgets will reflect the Health State:

SQL MP and the related MP guide can be downloaded from here.