Chapter 11. Monitoring a SharePoint 2010 Environment

A SharePoint farm is complex, with many moving parts contributing to the functionality of the entire platform. Subsequently, the farm components need to be well maintained and monitored on a regular basis to ensure the smooth functioning of the environment. Of particular emphasis are the SQL databases that SharePoint runs on, which are often neglected but that specifically require regular maintenance and monitoring.

Fortunately for the SharePoint administrator, Microsoft has revamped SharePoint 2010 to include robust monitoring capabilities and features, including a new Health Monitor that automatically determines if there are issues that affect SharePoint health. The SharePoint team has also built-in advanced reporting capabilities natively in SharePoint and improved timer jobs.

In addition to the internal tools, outside of SharePoint, applications such as Microsoft’s System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) 2007 R2 provide for SharePoint-aware management capabilities that exceed those of the internal tools.

This chapter focuses on the specifics for monitoring and maintaining SharePoint, including an analysis of the native tools including the SharePoint Health Analyzer and a discussion of System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 monitoring for a SharePoint 2010 environment. In addition, practical guidance for daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly maintenance is provided.