Khám phá windowns server 2008 - p 43 pdf

Launching the Performance Monitor is accomplished by selecting Performance Monitor from the Monitoring Tools folder in the Reliability and Performance MMC snap-in.. Data Collector Sets T

FIGURE 13.6 Viewing the Resource Monitor Over view screen

The Reliability and Performance Monitor MMC snap-in is composed of the following

elements:

Resource Monitor

Performance Monitor

Reliability Monitor

Data Collector Sets

Report Generation

The upcoming sections further explore these major elements found in the Reliability and

Performance Monitoring tool

Resource Monitor

The first area of interest in the Reliability and Performance Monitor snap-in is the

Resource Overview screen, also known as the Resource Monitor It is displayed as the

home page in the central details pane when the Reliability and Performance Monitoring

tool is invoked Alternatively, you can review the Resource Overview screen by selecting

Reliability and Performance in the navigation tree Resource Monitor can also be launched

from within the Performance tab on the Windows Task Manager

The Resource Monitor Overview screen presents holistic, real-time graphical illustrations

of a Windows 2008 system’s CPU usage, disk usage, network usage, and memory usage, as

displayed in Figure 13.6

Additional process-level details can be viewed to better understand your system’s current

resource usage by expanding subsections beneath the graphs For example, when expanded,

the CPU subsection includes CPU consumption by application, and the Disk subsection

displays disk activity based on read and write operations In addition, the Network

subsec-tion exhibits bytes being sent and received based on an applicasubsec-tion, and finally, the

Memory subsection reveals information about the memory use of an application

The Resource Monitor Overview screen is the first level of defense when there is a need to

get a quick overview of a system’s resources If quick diagnosis of an issue cannot be

achieved, an administrator should leverage the additional tools within the Reliability and

Performance Monitor These are covered in the upcoming sections

Performance Monitor

Windows 2008 comes with two tools for performance monitoring The first tool is called

Performance Monitor, and the second tool is known as Reliability Monitor These tools

together provide performance analysis and information that can be used for bottleneck,

performance, and troubleshooting analysis

First, defining some terms used in performance monitoring will help clarify the function

of Performance Monitor and how it ties in to software and system functionality The three

components noted in the Performance Monitor, Data Collector Sets, and reports are as

follows:

Object—Components contained in a system are grouped into objects Objects are

grouped according to system functionality or by association within the system

Objects can represent logical entities such as memory or a physical mechanism such

as a hard disk drive The number of objects available in a system depends on the

configuration For example, if Microsoft Exchange Server is installed on a server,

some objects pertaining to Exchange would be available

Counter—Counters are subsets of objects Counters typically provide more detailed

information for an object such as queue length or throughput for an object The

System Monitor can collect data through the counters and display it in either a

graphical format or a text log format

Instances—If a server has more than one similar object, each one is considered an

instance For example, a server with multiple processors has individual counters for

each instance of the processor Counters with multiple instances also have an

instance for the combined data collected for the instances

The Performance Monitor provides an interface that allows for the analysis of system data,

research performance, and bottlenecks The System Monitor displays performance counter

output in line graphs, histogram (bar chart), and report format

The histogram and line graphs can be used to view multiple counters at the same time, as

shown in Figure 13.7 However, each data point displays only a single value that is

inde-pendent of its object The report view is better for displaying multiple values

ptg6432687 FIGURE 13.7 The graph view of the Per formance Monitor

Launching the Performance Monitor is accomplished by selecting Performance Monitor

from the Monitoring Tools folder in the Reliability and Performance MMC snap-in You

can also open it from a command line by entering Perfmon.msc When a new Performance

Monitor session is started, it loads a blank system monitor graph into the console with %

Processor Time as the only counter defined

Adding Counters with Performance Monitor

Before counters can be displayed, they have to be added The counters can be added

simply by using the menu bar The Counter button on the toolbar includes Add, Delete,

and Highlight You can use the Add Counter button to display new counters On the other

hand, use the Delete Counter button to remove unwanted counters from the display The

Highlight Counter button is helpful for highlighting a particular counter of interest; a

counter can be highlighted with either a white or black color around the counter

The following step-by-step procedures depict how to add counters to the Performance

Monitor:

1 In the navigation tree of Event Viewer, first expand Reliability and Performance,

Monitoring Tools, and then Performance Monitoring

2 Either click the Add icon in the menu bar or right-click anywhere on the graph and

select Add Counters

FIGURE 13.8 Adding counters to Per formance Monitor

NOTE

Typical baseline counters consist of Memor y - Pages / Sec, PhysicalDisk - Avg Disk

Queue Length, and Processor - % Processor Time

3 The Add Counters dialog box is invoked, as shown in Figure 13.8 In the Available

Counters section, select the desired counters, and then click the Add button

NOTE

Windows 2008 includes a tremendous number of counters to choose from when

con-ducting per formance monitoring It is challenging in this section to fully explain what

each counter offers If you want to find out more about a counter, enable the Show

Description option in the Add Counters dialog box and highlight a specific counter to

obtain a detailed explanation about it

4 Review the selected counters in the Added Counters section, and then click OK

NOTE

When adding counters, it is possible to conduct remote monitoring by selecting

coun-ters from another system To simplify things, it is also possible to search for instances

of a counter and add a group of counters

Managing Performance Monitor Settings

While back on the Performance Monitor display, update displays by clicking the Clear

Display button Clicking the Freeze Display button or pressing Ctrl+F freezes displays,

which suspends data collection Data collection can be resumed by pressing Ctrl+F or

clicking the Freeze Display button again Click the Update Data button to display an

updated data analysis

It is also possible to export and import a display by using the Cut and Paste buttons For

example, a display can be saved to the clipboard and then imported into another instance

of the Performance Monitor This is commonly used to view or analyze system

informa-tion on a different system, such as informainforma-tion from a producinforma-tion server

The Properties page of Performance Monitor has five additional tabs of configuration:

General, Source, Data, Graph, and Appearance Generally, the Properties page provides

access to settings that control the graph grid, color, style of display data, and so on Data

can be saved from the monitor in different ways The easiest way to retain the display

features is to save the control as an HTML file

The Performance Monitor enables you to also save log files in HTML or tab-separated (.tsv)

format, which you can then analyze by using third-party tools such as Seagate Crystal

Reports Alternatively, a tab-separated file can be imported into a spreadsheet or database

application such as Excel or Microsoft Access Windows 2008 also enables you to collect

data in SQL database format This is useful for performance analysis at an enterprise level

rather than a per-server basis Reports displayed in Excel can help you better understand

the data and provide reports to management And by saving log files, you can save the

results from Performance Monitor as an image This is great when you need to obtain a

point-in-time depiction of a performance graph

Reliability Monitor

The Reliability Monitor is a brand-new tool first introduced with the release of Windows

Vista and now reintroduced with Windows 2008 This enhanced system management tool

is the second monitoring tool available with Microsoft’s Reliability and Performance

Monitor MMC snap-in Use this tool when you need help troubleshooting the root cause

associated with reduced reliability of a Windows 2008 system Reliability Monitor provides

event details through system stability charts and reports that help diagnose items that

might be negatively impacting the reliability of a system

The tool uses a System Stability Index to rate the stability of a system each day over its

lifetime by means of an index scorecard that identifies any reduction in reliability An

index rating of 1 represents a system in its least stable stage, whereas an index rating of 10

indicates a system in its most stable stage Each day’s index rating is displayed in a System

Stability Chart graph, as illustrated in Figure 13.9 This graph typically helps

administra-tors to identify dates when stability issues with the Windows 2008 system occurred

Additional itemized system stability information can be found in an accompanying

System Stability Report section of the Reliability Monitor screen The additional stability

information further assists by identifying the root cause of the reliability issues This

FIGURE 13.9 The Reliability Monitor screen

information is grouped into the following categories: Software Installs and Uninstalls,

Application Failures, Hardware Failures, Windows Failures, and Miscellaneous Failures

Reliability Monitor is an essential tool for identifying and correlating problems with

Windows 2008 With Reliability Monitor, an administrator can quickly identify changes in

a system that caused a negative trend with system reliability As such, this tool can also

help administrators anticipate other problems, which ultimately leads to solving issues

efficiently and effectively

Data Collector Sets

The Data Collector Sets is a vital new feature available as a subfolder within the Reliability

and Performance snap-in The purpose of a Data Collector Set is to review or log system

performance data This is achievable through a single component that encompasses

orga-nized multiple data collection points This information can then be analyzed to diagnose

problems, correct system performance issues, or create baselines

Performance counters, event trace data, and system configuration information are all data

collector elements that can be captured and contained in a Data Collector Set Data

Collector Sets can be based on a predefined template, from a Data Collector Set that

already exists, by creating it manually, with a wizard, or it can be user defined Data

Collector Sets can be exported and used for multiple systems, easing the administrative

load involving the configuration of new systems producing more effective monitoring

Wizards facilitate the creation of Data Collector Sets and enable an administrator to

quickly create collections based on server roles or the type of information that is required

NOTE

To create Data Collector Sets, you must be a member of the Administrators group or

logged on with an account that is a member of the Per formance Log Users group

Creating Data Collector Sets

Data Collector Sets can be created manually from a template or from Performance

Monitor The following examples will help you to gain an understanding of the different

ways to create Data Collector Sets

To create a Data Collector Set from Performance Monitor, complete the following steps:

1 In the Reliability and Performance Monitor snap-in, navigate to Performance Monitor

2 Add counters based on items you want to capture For this example, the following

counters were used: Memory - Pages / Sec, Physical Disk - Avg.Disk Queue Length,

and Processor - % Processor Time

3 After the counters are added, right-click anywhere on the Performance Monitor

display screen or right-click Performance Monitor in the navigation tree, select

New, and then select Data Collector Set The Create New Data Collector Set Wizard

is launched

4 Enter a name for this new Data Collector Set on the Create New Data Collector Set

page, and then click Next

5 On the next page, specify where you want the data to be saved The default path is

the %systemdrive%\PerfLogs\ Click Finish to save the current settings and exit or

click Next to enter a user account to run as

6 Click the Change button to enter a user for this data set

7 Select the option to Save and Close or Start This Data Collector Set Now, and then

click Finish to complete the Data Collector Set creation process

The resulting Data Collector Set can be configured to run immediately by right-clicking

the new Data Collector Set and selecting Start You can view the properties of the Data

Collector Set by right-clicking and selecting Properties

Data Collector Sets can be created, saved, or restored from templates Many templates are

built in and can be created using the Create New Data Collector Set Wizard in Windows

Reliability and Performance Monitor This wizard is invoked by right-clicking the User

Defined folder, the Event Trace Sessions folder, or the Startup Event Trace Sessions folder

under Data Collector Sets and selecting New, Data Collector Set

To create a Data Collector Set from a template, complete the following steps:

1 Expand the Data Collector Sets folder and then the User Defined subfolder in the

Reliability and Performance Monitor snap-in

2 Right-click the User Defined subfolder and select New Data Collector Set to launch

the Create New Data Collector Set Wizard

3 Enter a name for this new Data Collector Set, select the Create from a Template

option, and then click Next

4 On the next page, select the desired template to use, and then click Next

NOTE

The Create New Data Collector Set Wizard offers three templates for creating Data

Collector Sets: Basic, System Diagnostics, and System Per formance Use the Basic

template when there is a need to create a basic Data Collector Set The System

Diagnostics template generates a repor t detailing the status of local hardware

resources, system response times, system information, and configuration data The

Systems Per formance template is leveraged when you want to not only generate a

repor t detailing the status of local hardware resources and system response times,

but also processes on the local computers

In summar y, typically the Basic template provides basic diagnostics, whereas the

Systems Diagnostics template is good for maximizing per formance and streamlining

system operations, and the System Per formance template is a good choice when you

want to identify per formance issues Regardless of which template you use to create

your Data Collector Set, you can edit the Data Collector Set after ward In addition, it is

possible to select the Browse button and impor t templates from other ser vers

5 On the next page, specify where you want the data to be saved The default path is

the %systemdrive%\PerfLogs\ Click Finish to save the current settings and exit or

click Next to enter a user account to run as

6 Click the Change button to enter a user for this data set

7 Select the option to Save and Close, Start This Data Collector Set Now, or Open

Properties for This Data Collector Set, and then click Finish to complete the Data

Collector Set creation process

Reports

The final folder in the Reliability and Performance Monitor snap-in is Reports The Reports

folder provides diagnostic reports to support administrators in troubleshooting and

diag-nosing system performance problems, including reliability Reports are viewed in the

central details pane of the Reliability and Performance Monitor snap-in

The reports are based on Data Collector Sets that were previously defined by users or

preconfigured and included with Windows 2008 Reliability and Performance Monitor The

report console’s features and functionality are similar to those seen by means of the

reports introduced with Server Performance Advisor in Windows Server 2003

The Reports folder is broken into two main subfolders: User Defined reports and System

reports The default System reports typically include reports relating to LAN diagnostics,

system diagnostics, and system performance Additional system reports are automatically

generated depending on the server role installed on the Windows 2008 system For

FIGURE 13.10 Viewing the System Per formance repor t

example, an Active Directory Diagnostics system report is automatically included in the

console when the Active Directory Domain Services server role is installed on the

Windows 2008 system

Creating a User-Defined Report

The first step in creating a user-defined report is to create a user-defined Collector Set and

define the parameters for a collection After the user-defined Collector Set is created, data

collection must be manually started or scheduled to run at a specific date At this time, a

report folder is automatically generated under the User Defined folder After the report is

created, you can review the contents by selecting it When viewing reports, it is possible

to expand specific items such as the report summary, diagnostic results, or CPU for

addi-tional information This is depicted in the sample System Performance report in Figure 13.10

Viewing Predefined System Reports

Another option for assessing system health and troubleshooting system anomalies is to

leverage the predefined system reports The following steps illustrate how to view these

system reports:

1 In the Reliability and Performance Monitor navigation tree, expand the Data

Collector Sets folder and then System

2 Right-click one of the predefined Data Collector Sets such as System Diagnostics, and

then click Start

This starts the data-collection process

3 Now expand the Reports folder, System, and then System Diagnostics

4 Highlight the newly created report and review the contents of the report in the

cen-tral Details pane

NOTE

The repor t generates and appears when the data-collection process is complete The

repor t is automatically tagged with the current date

Setting Baseline Values

A baseline is a performance level that can be used as a starting point to compare against

future network performance operations When a server is first monitored, there is little to

compare the statistics against After a baseline is created, information can be gathered at

any time in the future and compared against the baseline The difference between the

current statistics and the baseline statistics is the variance caused by system load,

applica-tion processing, or system performance contenapplica-tion

To be able to set a baseline value, you need to gather a normal set of statistics on each

system that will eventually be monitored or managed in the future Baselines should be

created for normal and stressed times The workload on a machine at night when there

are fewer users connected to it provides a poor baseline to compare real-time data in the

middle of the day Information sampled in the middle of the day should be compared

with a baseline of information collected at around the same time of day during normal

load prior to the sample comparison

Creating baselines should be an ongoing process If an application or a new service is

added to a server, a new baseline should be created so that any future comparisons can be

made with a baseline with the most current status of system performance

Reducing Performance Monitoring Overhead

Performance monitoring uses system resources that can affect the performance of a system

and affect the data being collected To ensure that performance monitoring and analyzing

do not affect the machines being monitored themselves, you need to decrease the impact

of performance monitoring You can take some steps to ensure that

performance-monitor-ing overhead is kept to a minimum on the server beperformance-monitor-ing monitored to create as accurate of

an analysis on a system as possible:

Use a remote server to monitor the target server Servers can actually be dedicated to

monitoring several remote servers Although this might also lead to an increase in

network bandwidth, at least the monitoring and tracking of information do not

drastically degrade CPU or disk I/O as if the monitoring tool were actually running

on the server being monitored

Consider reducing the frequency of the data-collection interval, because more

frequent collection can increase overhead on the server