Spotlight vs. SQL Server Business Intelligence Manager

Spotlight is great when you need a tool to give a quick look at a SQL server as a whole. It gives you the ability to see a lot of things, which can be vital in diagnosing problems or identifying stressors. Less great is the open-end of some of the diagnoses it makes, and things it identifies as "problems" (unless you love users coming to you and saying something like "Spotlight says there's a problem with our page latch!!!").

Incentivized

SQL Server [Business Intelligence] Manager is useful for tracking performance across SSIS, SSRS and SSA and have the data represented in dashboards. It helps improve performance and helps end users. However, several features are redundant for smaller organization that can use the tools that comes with existing Microsoft products. These features also takes time to learn and use.

Incentivized

• I love the main page that provides a color code list of all the servers so I know very quickly where to focus my attention first.
• I love how easy it is to configure new notifications.
• I love how easy it is to configure a new server to monitor.

Incentivized

• Types of alerts
• Dashboard view
• Configurable Alerts

Incentivized

• Have not found any issues at this point.

Incentivized

• Lacks versioning control.
• Lacks support/native driver for alternative database.
• Only plays well with other Microsoft products.

Incentivized

Though our support needs have been minimal, we have gotten good responses when we have needed it.

Incentivized

I think Dell is better with its dashboard and ease of use, but SQL Sentry is better at customization. We used Spotlight at my previous company, and SQLSentry at my current company.

Incentivized

SQL Server Business Intelligence Manager does what SQL Server Management Studio should already do natively. So it actually fills up important gaps Microsoft left in its product.

Incentivized

• We have not encountered any issues and continue to keep Spotlight's version current.
• Very simple to set up and add databases. The only thing that has to happen to the database is that a user ID needs to exist.

Incentivized

• More efficiencies throughout the BI stack
• Less employees needed for monitoring all the BI processing
• Proactive error handling

Incentivized