Monitoring and administration tools such as Performance Monitor, SQL Server Activity Monitor, Query Store, and Extended Events include their own graphical interfaces for viewing and analyzing their own specific datasets. However, these features are limited relative to the data exploration and visualization capabilities provided by dedicated BI tools such as Power BI. Additionally, as per the first recipe of this chapter, system and database administrators require an integrated view over distinct data sources with a common and flexible visual surface. The ability to define logic on top of monitoring source data, along with the "anywhere" availability of Power BI content and its data alert and advanced analytics features, further enhances the value of integrated monitoring datasets.

In this recipe, the monitoring...