Documenting SQL Servers

Question

Documenting SQL Servers

nicolajb

Grasshopper

Points: 12
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April 10, 2012 at 7:53 am

#253880

Hi,
I'm searching for a good tool to make a graphical documentation of my SQL Server setup (10 servers).
I have looked at numerous tools like SQL Doc (RedGate) and BIDocumenter (PragmaticWorks), but they all document DB's, stored procedures, indexes etc.
What i need is some graphical presentation of Servers, databases, Agent jobs (schedules and "normal duration")....
Any ideas?
Right now i think of making it in Visio or something but there might be better options out there?
Thx
Nicolaj

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Grant Fritchey SSC Guru Points: 399363 More actions · Answer 1

I'm not aware of a tool that's going to generate graphical reports on everything you have listed. You might take a look at some of the tools from SQL Sentry. They have a scheduler tool for working with multiple servers that has a fairly sophisticated output, but it won't document stored procedures and database internals. You can get a very good topology diagram from Microsofts Operations Manager, showing which servers are on which domains, with which controllers, disks, attached storage, all that fun stuff, but, again, no SQL Server or Database internals.

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Lowell SSC Guru Points: 323755 More actions · Answer 2

Just throwing this out there:

I've used xmind for documentation and to help me flesh out a process tree;

it's free and easy to use after you learn a few keyboard shortcuts.

it's nice because you can edit it easily and share it, since it's just a file.

Data entry is pretty much manual, however, I've never seen a way to make it automatically read from any outside process(ie a server ) to populate a tree.

it took me longer to create screenshot and post it to the web than it did to create the example here:

Lowell

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nicolajb Grasshopper Points: 12 More actions · Answer 3

I'll take a look at the SQL Sentry tool for the job documentation.

When it comes to the documentation of the serverpark/applications/databases mind maps might actually be a good idea. I'm alreay using MindJet a lot for other things so I'll give that a try - thx for input!

/Nicolaj