Create a SQL Server login with VIEW SERVER STATE permission:
-- Create login
CREATE LOGIN netdata_user WITH PASSWORD ='YourStrongPassword!';
-- Grant VIEW SERVER STATE (required for DMVs)
GRANTVIEW SERVER STATETO netdata_user;
-- Optional: Grant access to msdb for SQL Agent job monitoring
USE msdb;
CREATEUSER netdata_user FOR LOGIN netdata_user;
GRANTSELECTON dbo.sysjobs TO netdata_user;
-- Optional: Grant access to distribution database for replication monitoring
-- (only if replication is configured)
USE distribution;
CREATEUSER netdata_user FOR LOGIN netdata_user;
GRANTSELECTON dbo.MSreplication_monitordata TO netdata_user;
GRANTSELECTON dbo.MSpublications TO netdata_user;
GRANTSELECTON dbo.MSsubscriptions TO netdata_user;
Required permissions:
VIEW SERVER STATE - Access to dynamic management views
Optional permissions:
SELECT on msdb.dbo.sysjobs - SQL Agent job status monitoring
SELECT on distribution.dbo.MSreplication_monitordata - Replication monitoring
SELECT on distribution.dbo.MSpublications - Publication information
SELECT on distribution.dbo.MSsubscriptions - Subscription counts
Configuration
Options
The following options can be defined globally: update_every, autodetection_retry.
Group
Option
Description
Default
Required
Collection
update_every
Data collection interval (seconds).
10
no
autodetection_retry
Autodetection retry interval (seconds). Set 0 to disable.
0
no
Target
dsn
SQL Server DSN (Data Source Name). See DSN syntax.
sqlserver://localhost:1433
yes
timeout
Query timeout (seconds).
5
no
Virtual Node
vnode
Associates this data collection job with a Virtual Node.
no
via UI
Configure the mssql collector from the Netdata web interface:
Go to Nodes.
Select the node where you want the mssql data-collection job to run and click the :gear: (Configure this node). That node will run the data collection.
The Collectors → Jobs view opens by default.
In the Search box, type mssql (or scroll the list) to locate the mssql collector.
Click the + next to the mssql collector to add a new job.
Fill in the job fields, then click Test to verify the configuration and Submit to save.
Test runs the job with the provided settings and shows whether data can be collected.
If it fails, an error message appears with details (for example, connection refused, timeout, or command execution errors), so you can adjust and retest.
via File
The configuration file name for this integration is go.d/mssql.conf.
The file format is YAML. Generally, the structure is:
There are no alerts configured by default for this integration.
Troubleshooting
Debug Mode
Important: Debug mode is not supported for data collection jobs created via the UI using the Dyncfg feature.
To troubleshoot issues with the mssql collector, run the go.d.plugin with the debug option enabled. The output
should give you clues as to why the collector isn’t working.
Navigate to the plugins.d directory, usually at /usr/libexec/netdata/plugins.d/. If that’s not the case on
your system, open netdata.conf and look for the plugins setting under [directories].
cd /usr/libexec/netdata/plugins.d/
Switch to the netdata user.
sudo -u netdata -s
Run the go.d.plugin to debug the collector:
./go.d.plugin -d -m mssql
To debug a specific job:
./go.d.plugin -d -m mssql -j jobName
Getting Logs
If you’re encountering problems with the mssql collector, follow these steps to retrieve logs and identify potential issues:
Run the command specific to your system (systemd, non-systemd, or Docker container).
Examine the output for any warnings or error messages that might indicate issues. These messages should provide clues about the root cause of the problem.
System with systemd
Use the following command to view logs generated since the last Netdata service restart:
journalctl _SYSTEMD_INVOCATION_ID="$(systemctl show --value --property=InvocationID netdata)" --namespace=netdata --grep mssql
System without systemd
Locate the collector log file, typically at /var/log/netdata/collector.log, and use grep to filter for collector’s name:
grep mssql /var/log/netdata/collector.log
Note: This method shows logs from all restarts. Focus on the latest entries for troubleshooting current issues.
Docker Container
If your Netdata runs in a Docker container named “netdata” (replace if different), use this command:
docker logs netdata 2>&1 | grep mssql
Connection refused
Ensure SQL Server is running and accepting TCP connections on the configured port.
Check that the SQL Server Browser service is running if using named instances.
Login failed
Verify the username and password in the DSN are correct.
Ensure SQL Server is configured for mixed mode authentication if using SQL logins.
Permission denied
The monitoring user needs VIEW SERVER STATE permission.
Grant it with: GRANT VIEW SERVER STATE TO netdata_user;
The observability platform companies need to succeed
