Brad’s Sure Guide to SQL Server Maintenance Plans- P40: 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 16 Introduction to the Maintenance Plan Designer Designer Menu bar At the top of the right-hand side of the screen for each Maintenance Plan that you have open in the Designer is a menu bar as shown in Figure . Daily Production .nee Plan Design X i J Add Subplan J Manage Connections . Hjj Daily Production Maintenance Plan Figure A lot of functionality is hidden in this small section of the screen. This menu bar holds a surprising number of options so let s explore each of the eight icons in turn. The first five options allow you to create and remove subplans and their schedules. The next two options pertain to the Maintenance Plan as a whole and allow you to configure the connections used by the plan and the reports that are sent when the plan executes. The final option allows you to configure multiserver Maintenance Plans an option I advise you to avoid . Add Subplan We ve already used this icon in order to add a new subplan to a Maintenance Plan. When you click on the Add Subplan icon the Subplan Properties screen appears where you can name describe and schedule your new subplan as shown in Figure . Subplan Properties When you click on this icon you get the exact same screen shown in Figure . Why you may ask Basically you define these properties for new plans using the Add Subplan icon and use this Subplan properties icon to change the properties of existing subplans and their schedules. 196 Chapter 16 Introduction to the Maintenance Plan Designer Figure Adding a new subplan. Delete Selected Subplan The Delete Selected Subplan icon which looks like an X is fairly self-explanatory and will remove the selected subplan from the Maintenance Plan. When you first create a Maintenance Plan it will consist only of the default subplan which cannot be deleted so the option will be grayed out. When additional subplans are added this option is activated. Subplan Schedule The Subplan Schedule icon looks like a calendar and is used to .
