1. MCDST 70-271: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System Chapter 10: Collect and Analyze Performance Data

2. Guide to MCDST 70-2712 Objectives Create a performance baseline Understand the performance and monitoring tools found in Windows XP Professional Set up Counter logs on your system

3. Guide to MCDST 70-2713 Objectives (continued) Set up alerts and work with Event Viewer Optimize performance Recognize and troubleshoot bottlenecks

4. Guide to MCDST 70-2714 Establishing a Baseline Baseline –Provides a point of comparison against which you can measure future system behavior –Should be taken across all hours of operation Objects –Self contained entities that have properties

5. Guide to MCDST 70-2715 Monitoring and Performance Tuning Monitoring –Requires a thorough understanding of system components, their behavior, and how they interact Performance tuning –Consists of changing a system’s configuration systematically

6. Guide to MCDST 70-2716 Task Manager Three ways to access Task Manager –Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and then click the Task Manager button –Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc –Right-click any unoccupied area on the Windows XP taskbar and select Task Manager Process –Environment that defines the resources available to threads

7. Guide to MCDST 70-2717 Task Manager (continued)

8. Guide to MCDST 70-2718 System Monitor Used to monitor and record the same system measurements Events –System occurrences that are logged to a file

9. Guide to MCDST 70-2719 System Monitor (continued)

10. Guide to MCDST 70-27110 Real-time Monitoring Process of viewing the measured data from one or more counters in System Monitor display area Performance object –Can register with System Monitor for tracking Instance –A selection of a specific performance object when more than one is present

11. Guide to MCDST 70-27111 Setting up Counter Logs on Your System Counter log –Records data from selected counters at regular, defined intervals Trace log –Records nonconfigurable data from a designated provider only when an event occurs –Operating system environment status dumps

12. Guide to MCDST 70-27112 Setting up Counter Logs on Your System (continued)

13. Guide to MCDST 70-27113 Alerts Automated watchdog –Informs you when a counter crosses a defined threshold, high or low Objects –Can consist of one or more counter/instance- based alert definitions Each definition is assigned a threshold

14. Guide to MCDST 70-27114 Alerts (continued)

15. Guide to MCDST 70-27115 Event Viewer Useful tool for examining the performance and activities on a system Found in the Administrative Tools section of the Control Panel All Event log entries include –Event’s date and time –Source –Category (such as Logon or Logoff) –Event number

16. Guide to MCDST 70-27116 Event Viewer (continued)

17. Guide to MCDST 70-27117 System Log Events System log –Primary log file for most system services, drivers, and processes Events –Error –Information –Warning

18. Guide to MCDST 70-27118 Application Log Events Contains event messages that –Can be generated by Windows XP Professional native applications or services Events –Error –Information –Warning

19. Guide to MCDST 70-27119 Security Log Events Place where all event details generated by auditing are recorded Events –Success Audit –Failure Audit

20. Guide to MCDST 70-27120 Performance Options Used to adjust system performance based on applications and virtual memory Paging file –Portion of disk space where the operating system stores memory pages not in active use

21. Guide to MCDST 70-27121 Performance Options (continued)

22. Guide to MCDST 70-27122 Setting Application Priority Priority levels –0–15: User-accessible process priorities –16–31: System-accessible process priorities –0–6: Low user range –4: Low value –5: BelowNormal value (as set in Task Manager) –7: Normal (default setting for user processes) –8–15: High user range

23. Guide to MCDST 70-27123 Setting Application Priority (continued) Priority levels (continued) –10: AboveNormal value –13: High value –16–24: Realtime values accessible to Administrator-level accounts –24: Realtime value –25–31: Realtime values accessible to operating system only

24. Guide to MCDST 70-27124 Recognizing and Troubleshooting Bottlenecks Bottlenecks –Occur when a limitation in a single component slows down an entire system –Always exist in any computer –No single monitor that can easily identify all possible problems

25. Guide to MCDST 70-27125 Common System Bottlenecks Disk bottlenecks –Most likely problem when disk-related counters increase more dramatically than others Memory bottlenecks –System bottleneck caused by a lack of available physical or virtual memory Processor bottlenecks –Occur when demands for CPU cycles from active processes and operating system cannot be met

26. Guide to MCDST 70-27126 Common Network Bottlenecks Network bottlenecks –Caused by excessive traffic on the network medium to which computer is attached –Not typical on most Windows XP Professional machines

27. Guide to MCDST 70-27127 Eight ways to Boost Windows XP Professional Performance Buy a faster machine Upgrade an existing machine Install a faster CPU Add more L2 cache

28. Guide to MCDST 70-27128 Eight ways to Boost Windows XP Professional Performance (continued) Add more RAM Replace the disk subsystem Increase paging file size Increase application priority

29. Guide to MCDST 70-27129 Optimizing Performance for Mobile Windows XP Users Make sure –Network interface appears higher in the binding order –File synchronization settings for folder redirection and Offline Files do not require machines to synchronize when running on battery –Mobile users understand how to use hibernate and standby modes on their battery-powered machines –Offline Files are copied to user machines before they leave the network environment

30. Guide to MCDST 70-27130 Optimizing Performance for Mobile Windows XP Users (continued) Refresh rates should be extended to avoid unnecessary network access Configure group policy’s Configure Slow link speed control to define threshold at which a link is considered slow as opposed to fast

31. Guide to MCDST 70-27131 Utilizing Performance Maintenance Tools Disk Cleanup –Tool used to free up space on hard drives Check Disk –Inspection utility used to: Examine disk integrity Locate both logical and physical errors on a hard drive

32. Guide to MCDST 70-27132 Disk Defragmenter Fragmentation –Division of a file into two or more parts Defragmentation –Process of reorganizing files so they are stored contiguously Defragmentation utility –Designed for FAT, FAT32, and NTFS volumes

33. Guide to MCDST 70-27133 Disk Defragmenter (continued)

34. Guide to MCDST 70-27134 Summary Windows XP Professional –Provides tools to monitor system performance Task Manager can be used to –View applications, processes, and overall system performance –Stop applications and processes Performance console –Collection of tools that includes System Monitor, log files, and alerts

35. Guide to MCDST 70-27135 Summary (continued) Event Viewer –Tracks logs generated by the system Isolate any bottlenecks that occur in the system Other performance improvement tools –Disk Cleanup, Check Disk, and Disk Defragmenter