Brad’s Sure Guide to SQL Server Maintenance Plans- P51: 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 19 Create and Modify Maintenance Plans Using the Designer The Weekly Maintenance subplan is beginning to look crowded but it actually looks more complex than it is partly due to the fact that 1 included so many Notify Operator tasks. These tasks are entirely optional. You might want to use fewer of them perhaps only receiving notification of the success or failure of those tasks you deem most critical but 1 like to be notified if any one of the steps within the subplan fails. 1 also find it reassuring to receive a mail confirming that the whole plan ran successfully hence the seventh instance of the task. Configure the Maintenance Plan Tasks Having assigned all the required Maintenance Plan tasks to their relevant subplans the next step is to configure each task appropriately. Having covered all the options for each task previously either in Chapter 17 or in each task s namesake chapter when 1 was discussing the Wizard I m not going to repeat myself here. As you configure each of the task instances on each of the subplans 1 recommend that where needed you assign each of the Maintenance Plan tasks a more descriptive name so that it will be easier for you and others to fully understand the intent of the plan. For example Figure shows the Weekly Maintenance subplan with each task configured and many of the tasks renamed. 251 Chapter 19 Create and Modify Maintenance Plans Using the Designer Figure Notice the scroll bars and the four-arrow icon on the screen above. As your plan becomes more complex you may extend it past the boundaries of your screen. For large plans use the four-arrow icon to move around the plan. 252 Chapter 19 Create and Modify Maintenance Plans Using the Designer Once all the tasks in all the subplans have been configured and renamed as appropriate it is time to set the precedence for each of the tasks within each subplan. In the configuration screen for each Notify Operator task you should insert a relevant subject line and a .
