Install first responder on SQL Server

How to install first responder on RDS / SQL Server

The first responder kit does not require a repository, but you do have the option to create one. While I was installing first responder, I kept wishing the instructions were in one place. I kept finding instructions in various videos and in some of the code and decided to put them in a markdown doc for my own sanity. Then I found this wiki and decided to copy my work here and hope it makes a difference for the next new guy.

AWS will not allow you to install code into the master database. I chose to install Hallergren and first responder into the DBATools database and run the code from this database. Thank you Brent for making these tools and for all the videos on youtube. You are making one hell of a difference for me and my continued career as a DBA.

Henry Wycislo - Houston, Texas. October 2021

1. Create new database on RDS called DBATools
2. Install Ola Hallergen into DBATools
3. Unzip firstresponder
4. Open Install-All-Scripts.sql and execute in the DBATools database
5. Execute sp_blitzfirst and sp_Blitz to create the tables in DBATools

use DBATools;
EXEC sp_BlitzFirst 
@OutputDatabaseName = 'DBAtools', 
@OutputSchemaName = 'dbo', 
@OutputTableName = 'BlitzFirst',
@OutputTableNameFileStats = 'BlitzFirst_FileStats',
@OutputTableNamePerfmonStats = 'BlitzFirst_PerfmonStats',
@OutputTableNameWaitStats = 'BlitzFirst_WaitStats',
@OutputTableNameBlitzCache = 'BlitzCache',
@OutputTableNameBlitzWho = 'BlitzWho',
@OutputTableRetentionDays = 18;

This will create tables and views into the DBATools database.

5. Create SQLServer Agent job that will run sp_blitzfirst and store monitoring information in this database.

6. Execute sp_blitz in the DBATools database and create the tables in DBATools

use DBATools;
exec sp_Blitz
@OutputDatabaseName = 'DBAtools', 
@OutputSchemaName = 'dbo', 
@OutputTableName = 'BlitzResults'