Module 2: Preparing to Monitor Server Performance

Overview
Introduction to Monitoring Server Performance Performing Real-Time and Logged Monitoring Configuring and Managing Counter Logs Configuring Alerts

Lesson: Introduction to Monitoring Server Performance

Why Monitor Performance? Multimedia: Creating a Performance Baseline Guidelines for Establishing a Baseline

Why Monitor Performance?

By monitoring performance, you obtain data that you can use to: Understand your workload and the corresponding effect on your system's resources Observe changes and trends in workloads and resource usage so you can plan for future upgrades Test configuration changes or other tuning efforts by monitoring the results Diagnose system problems and identify components or processes for optimization Analyze performance data to uncover bottlenecks

Multimedia: Creating a Performance Baseline

This presentation explains the general steps for creating a performance baseline

A baseline is the level of system performance that you decide is acceptable

Guidelines for Establishing a Baseline

Baseline is data collected over time during varying but typical types of workloads and user connections
When determining your baseline, understand the types of work being done and the days and times when the work is being done

Establish a baseline early in deployment, and then measure actual performance against the baseline during deployment
Establishing a baseline early helps to quickly identify and resolve system bottlenecks

Lesson: Performing Real-Time and Logged Monitoring

What Is Real-Time and Logged Monitoring? What Is Task Manager? What Is the Performance Console? How to Perform Real-Time Monitoring How to Perform Logged Monitoring Why Monitor Servers Remotely How to Monitor a Remote Server

What Is Real-Time and Logged Monitoring?

Real-Time Monitoring Involves processing and updating data counters as soon as data is received from the operating system Establishes the current state of the four subsystems: memory, processor, disk, and network Tool used is System Monitor Logged Monitoring Involves collecting and storing data over time for analysis later Detects bottlenecks and determines whether the system changes Use Performance Logs and Alerts

What Is Task Manager?

Displays information about:

Programs and processes running on your computer

Status of running programs

Your computers performance a dynamic overview

Network status

Number of users connected to the computer, what they are working on, and allows administrators to send a message

What Is the Performance Console?

The Performance console contains System Monitor and Performance Logs and Alerts With System Monitor: You can collect and view real-time data of a local computer or several remote computers You can create graphs, histograms, and reports of the performance counter data Performance Logs and Alerts: Provides logging and alert capabilities Defines settings for counter logs, trace logs, and alerts

How to Perform Real-Time Monitoring

Your instructor will demonstrate how to perform realtime monitoring by using:

Task Manager Performance

How to Perform Logged Monitoring

Your instructor will demonstrate how to perform logged monitoring

Why Monitor Servers Remotely?

To prevent Task Manager and Performance from adding to the load on the server, which can misrepresent the collected data Also, administrators are often responsible for hundreds of servers, which makes it impractical to monitor each server individually

How to Monitor a Remote Server

Your instructor will demonstrate how to monitor a remote server

Practice: Performing Real-Time and Logged Monitoring

In this practice, you will perform real-time and remote monitoring

Lesson: Configuring and Managing Counter Logs

What Is a Counter Log?
How to Create a Counter Log Counter Log File Formats How to Set File Parameters for a Counter Log Why Schedule Counter Logs? How to Schedule a Counter Log

What Is a Counter Log?

Each performance object provides performance counters that represent data about specific aspects of a sytem or server Counter logs define what data is stored in the log file

How to Create a Counter Log

Your instructor will demonstrate how to:

Create a counter log Delete a counter log Create a counter log using the Logman command line tool

Counter Log File Formats

Log File Format Text File (Comma delimited) Text File (Tab delimited) Binary File Description When to use Comma-delimited log file (with a .csv To export log data into a extension) spreadsheet program Tab-delimited log file (with a .tsv extension) Sequential, binary-format log file (with a .blg extension) To export log data into a spreadsheet program To record data instances that are intermittent

Binary Circular File Circular, binary-format log file (with a To record data continuously to .blg extension) same log file

SQL Database

Name of an existing SQL database and log set within the database where performance data will be read or written

To collect performance data at an enterprise level rather than a per-computer basis

How to Set File Parameters for a Counter Log

Your instructor will demonstrate how to set file parameters for a counter log

Why Schedule Counter Logs?

Schedule counter logs to:
Create a performance baseline Determine the overall system impact when replication occurs between domain controllers Determine whether a bottleneck occurs when users log on in the morning or when users connect remotely in the evening Determine whether backup causes a bottleneck when it runs in the evening Determine whether a bottleneck is causing the network to slow down during certain times of the day

How to Schedule a Counter Log

Your instructor will demonstrate how to:

Define start and stop parameters for a counter log Start and stop counter logs manually

Practice: Configuring and Managing Counter Logs

In this practice, you will configure and manage a counter log

Lesson: Configuring Alerts

What Is an Alert? How to Create an Alert How to Configure an Alert

What Is an Alert?
Feature that detects when a predefined counter value rises above or falls below a specified setting Specified setting on the counter is called alert threshold Set an alert on a counter when: Entry is made in application event log Selected counters value exceeds or falls below alert threshold

Message is sent
Program runs Set alerts based on established performance baseline values

Use alerts to be notified when a counter threshold value exceeds or falls below a specified value

How to Create an Alert

Your instructor will demonstrate how to:

Create an alert Delete an alert

How to Configure an Alert

Your instructor will demonstrate how to configure an alert

Practice: Configuring an Alert

In this practice, you will configure an alert

Lab A: Preparing to Monitor Server Performance

In this lab, you will select the appropriate monitoring technique (such as real-time and counter log)