The Connection Discovery Wizard is used to locate resources on the network to add as Spotlight connections. The Connection Discovery Wizard can be used to locate SQL Server instances and Windows Servers.

Open the Connection Discovery Wizard in the Spotlight Client

  1. Click Configure | Connections.
  2. Click Discover from the list of All connections, Azure SQL Managed Instance, SQL Server, or Windows.
  3. If prompted, select the SQL Server, Azure SQL Managed Instance, or Windows connection type.

Add multiple connections via discovery or file import

Discover from the network

When selected, Spotlight compiles a list of resources on the network. From this list, you select the resources to monitor.

Depending on the size of your network it may take some time for Spotlight to discover all the available resources.

Import from a file

When selected, Spotlight uses a file to locate Azure SQL Managed Instance, SQL Server, or Windows Server on your network. Setup the file beforehand as per the following instructions. Click Browse to locate the file.

Setup your import file to locate SQL Server instances on your network

On each line of the file, detail an existing SQL Server instance on your network. The format of the line is dependent on the authentication used to connect to the SQL Server instance and your use of connection tags.

ConnectionString

Connect to this SQL Server instance with Windows authentication. The credentials of the Windows user configured to run the Spotlight Diagnostic Server are used. Create a corresponding link to the SQL Server host operating system.

ConnectionString,User,Password

Connect to this SQL Server instance with database user and password. Specify the database user and password. Create a corresponding link to the SQL Server host operating system.

ConnectionString1,,,\CreateOSConnection:false
ConnectionString2,User,Password,\CreateOSConnection:false

Connect to these SQL Server instances. Do not create a corresponding link to the SQL Server host operating system. In the first string use windows authentication. In the second string, specify the database user and password.

DefaultCreateConnection:false
ConnectionString1,User,Password
ConnectionString2,User,Password,\CreateOSConnection:true

Set that by default Spotlight does not create a corresponding link to the SQL Server host operating system. DefaultCreateConnection:false should be the first line of the import file. For ConnectionString1 Spotlight does not create a corresponding link to the SQL Server host operating system. For ConnectionString2 Spotlight does create a corresponding link to the SQL Server host operating system.

ConnectionString,,,,#Tag

Connect to this SQL Server instance with Windows authentication. The credentials of the Windows user configured to run the Spotlight Diagnostic Server are used. Create a corresponding link to the SQL Server host operating system. Assign one or more connection tags to the instance. Add multiple tags to the line by separating each tag with a comma.

ConnectionString,User,Password,,#Tag

Connect to this SQL Server instance with the database user and password. Create a corresponding link to the SQL Server host operating system. Assign one or more connection tags to the instance. Add multiple tags to the line by separating each tag with a comma.

More information on the connection string and connection tags follows.

ConnectionString

The connection string (Server name, Instance name or IP address).

Optionally, enclose the server name in double quotes, as in “Server Name”.

Double quotes are required if including the port number, as in “ServerName,PortNumber”.

Optionally include the instance name in the address, as in “ServerName\InstanceName” or “ServerName\InstanceName,PortNumber”.

#Tag

Tags are a free form organizational tool that may be optionally applied to Spotlight connections. Tag names represent a project, geographic region or other indicator of interest to you and your organization. Multiple tags can be assigned to one connection.

Example tag names could be:

  • #Country.USA
  • #APP.Finance
  • #APP.HR

For more information, see Connection Properties | Tags.

Setup your import file to locate Windows Server on your network

On each line of the file, detail an existing Windows Server on your network. The format of the line is dependent on the authentication used to connect to the Windows Server instance and your use of connection tags.

ConnectionString

Log in to this Windows Server using the credentials of the Windows user configured to run the Spotlight Diagnostic Server.

ConnectionString,User,Password

Log in to this Windows Server using the given user and password.

ConnectionString,,,#Tag

Log in to this Windows Server using the credentials of the Windows user configured to run the Spotlight Diagnostic Server. Assign one or more connection tags. Add multiple tags to the line by separating each tag with a comma.

ConnectionString,User,Password,#Tag

Log in to this Windows Server using the given user and password. Assign one or more connection tags. Add multiple tags to the line by separating each tag with a comma.

More information on the connection string, user details and connection tags follows.

ConnectionString

The IP address, hostname, or URL of the Windows Server.

If the Windows Server is in a different domain to the Spotlight Diagnostic Server host then specify the address as a fully qualified address (for example, machine1.domain.company.corp).

Optionally, enclose the address in double quotes, as in “Address”.

User / Password

When specifying the user details, include the Windows Domain in the user name. For example, “domain\johnsmith”, instead of “johnsmith”.

#Tag

Tags are a free form organizational tool that may be optionally applied to Spotlight connections. Tag names represent a project, geographic region or other indicator of interest to you and your organization. Multiple tags can be assigned to one connection.

Example tag names could be:

  • #Country.USA
  • #Country.AU

For more information, see Connection Properties | Tags.

Setup your import file to locate Azure SQL Managed instances

On each line of the file, detail an existing Azure SQL Managed instance on your network. The format of the line is dependent on the authentication used to connect to the Azure SQL Managed instance and your use of connection tags.

ConnectionString,User,Password

Connect to this Azure SQL Managed instance with SQL Server Authentication using database user credentials.

ConnectionString,AAD_Password,User,Password

Connect to this Azure SQL Managed instance with Azure Active Directory Authentication (Password) using Azure Active Directory admin user credentials along with key word “AAD_Password”.

ConnectionString,AAD_Integrated

Connect to this Azure SQL Managed instance with Azure Active Directory Authentication (Integrated) along with key word “AAD_Integrated”.

ConnectionString,AAD_MFA,User,Application ID

Connect to this Azure SQL Managed instance with Azure Active Directory Authentication (Multi Factor Authentication) using Azure Active Directory admin user along with Application ID provided for Managed Instance connection and key word “AAD_MFA”.

ConnectionString,User,Password,#Tag

ConnectionString,AAD_Password,User,Password,#Tag

ConnectionString,AAD_Integrated,#Tag,#Tag1,#Tag2

ConnectionString,AAD_MFA,User,Application ID,#Tag,#Tag1,#Tag2

Assign one or more connection tags to these Azure SQL Managed instances using #Tag. Add multiple tags to the line by separating each tag with a comma.

Limitations

Consider a deployment of more than one Spotlight Diagnostic Server. A single Spotlight Diagnostic Server is designed to monitor a maximum of 100 SQL Servers, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Analysis Services or Replication instances and 100 Windows servers. Exceeding this recommended limit on 32 bit environments may result in poor performance or product instability, due to the 1 Gb memory limit. On 64 bit environments theoretically more connections can be monitored as the 1 Gb limit no longer applies, however testing of this has been limited.

How to apply an alarms configuration template to new SQL Server connections

Once Spotlight has identified the new SQL Server connections by discovery or File Import, click Edit to modify identified connection properties. For example: apply an alarms configuration template to new SQL Server connections.

How to apply an alarms configuration template to new Azure SQL Managed Instance connections

Once Spotlight has identified the new Azure SQL Managed Instance connections by File Import, click Edit to modify identified connection properties. For example: apply an alarms configuration template to new Azure SQL Managed Instance connections.

SQL Server, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and Windows Server Display Names

The SQL Server, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and Windows Server display names can be entered post import via SQL Server Connection Properties / Connection Details for Azure SQL Managed Instance / Windows Server Connection Properties. The display name cannot be entered via file import and the Connection Discovery Wizard.