.NET SQL Data Provider Test

A data provider in the .NET Framework serves as a bridge between an application and a data source. A .NET Framework data provider enables you to return query results from a data source, execute commands at a data source, and propagate changes in a DataSet to a data source.

The .Net Data Provider for SQL Server allows you to connect to a Microsoft SQL Server 7.0, 2000, and 2005 databases, and perform the above-mentioned operations. This test reports many useful metrics that shed light on the health of the interactions between the ASP .Net sever and the SQL server.

Target of the test : An ASP .Net server

Agent deploying the test : An internal agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for the ASP .Net server being monitored.

Configurable parameters for the test
Parameter	Description
Test Period	How often should the test be executed
Host	The IP address of the host for which this test is to be configured.
Port	The port at which the specified Host listens.

Measurements made by the test
Measurement	Description	Measurement Unit	Interpretation
Hard connects	Indicates the number of actual connections per second that are being made to a database server.	Connects/Sec
Hard disconnects	Indicates the number of actual disconnects per second that are being made to a database server.	Disconnects/Sec
Active connection pool groups	Indicates the number of currently active connection pool groups.	Number	The value of this measure is controlled by the number of unique connection strings that are found in the AppDomain.
Active connection pools	Indicates the number of connection pools that are currently active.	Number	When a connection is first opened, a connection pool is created based on matching criteria that associates the pool with the connection string in the connection. Each connection pool is associated with a distinct connection string. If the connection string is not an exact match to an existing pool when a new connection is opened, a new pool is created. Connections are pooled per process, per application domain, per connection string, and, when integrated security is used, per Windows identity. When using Windows Authentication (integrated security), both the Active connection pool groups and Active connection pools measures are significant. The reason is that connection pool groups map to unique connection strings. When integrated security is used, connection pools map to connection strings and additionally create separate pools for individual Windows identities. For example, if Fred and Julie, each within the same AppDomain, both use the connection string "Data Source=MySqlServer;Integrated Security=true", a connection pool group is created for the connection string, and two additional pools are created, one for Fred and one for Julie. If John and Martha use a connection string with an identical SQL Server login, "Data Source=MySqlServer;User Id=lowPrivUser;Password=Strong?Password", then only a single pool is created for the lowPrivUser identity.
Active connections	Indicates the number of connections that are currently in use.	Number
Free connections	Indicates the count of unused connections.	Number	Ideally, the value of this measure. A very low value indicates excessive connection usage.
Inactive connection pools	Indicates the number of connection pools that have had no recent activity and are waiting to be disposed.	Number
Inactive connection pool groups	Indicates the number of inactive connection pool groups that were waiting to be deactivated i.e., to be pruned.	Number
Non-pooled connections	Indicates the number of active connections that are not using any of the connection pools.	Number
Pooled connections	Indicates the number of connections that are managed by the connection pooler.	Number
Reclaimed connections	Indicates the number of connections that have been reclaimed through garbage collection where Close or Dispose was not called by the application.	Number	Not explicitly closing or disposing connections hurts performance.
Waiting connections	Indicates the number of connections that are currently awaiting completion of an action and are therefore unavailable for use by any other application.	Number
Soft connects	Indicates the rate at which connections are pulled from the connection pool.	Connects/Sec
Soft disconnects	Indicates the rate at which connections are returned to the connection pool.	Disconnects/Sec