Brad’s Sure Guide to SQL Server Maintenance Plans- P14: SQL Server has a reputation as being a simple database application to install, configure, and maintain. This is a little misleading. SQL Server is a powerful relational database that can handle the needs of the largest organizations and, as such, its proper maintenance almost certainly requires the attention of an experienced DBA. | Chapter 3 Getting Started with the Maintenance Plan Wizard Figure Once at least one database is selected additional options are the screen can be configured. The middle section of the screen in Figure contains the configuration options for a given task. In this example there is only one option Include indexes. Each task will have different options. For example Figure shows the same portion of the screen for the Rebuild Index task. 66 Chapter 3 Getting Started with the Maintenance Plan Wizard Figure Task-specific configuration options for the Rebuild Index task. If I were to go through all the options on this screen in full detail and the equivalent screens for the remaining tasks it would quickly become overwhelming. Instead starting with Chapter 5 I have devoted individual chapters to each of the eleven possible database maintenance tasks. Please refer to a task s specific chapter for full details on all of these configuration options. Task Scheduling The final section of the screen shown in Figure is devoted to task scheduling as shown in Figure . Figure Scheduling maintenance tasks. By default each task is set to Not Scheduled On Demand . To implement a schedule on which the task should run click on Change and you ll arrive at the Job Schedule Properties screen shown in Figure . 67 Chapter 3 Getting Started with the Maintenance Plan Wizard Figure The Job Schedule Properties screen. As you can see this is a complex screen with many options and some of these options do not mean quite what you might initially think. As a result we will defer a full discussion of all of these options to a dedicated chapter Chapter 4 where we ll also look at general considerations when scheduling multiple tasks so as to avoid overlap and server resource contention. For now you can either click Cancel to exit the Job Schedule Properties screen and then exit the Wizard or you can work through the screens leaving all tasks unscheduled selecting
