MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-270): Installing ...

19-32 Chapter 19 Monitoring and Optimizing System Performance
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4. Why do you need to determine a baseline when you monitor system resources
and system performance?
When you monitor system performance, you compare the current performance of the system
with the baseline. If the current system performance is worse than the baseline, you need to
check for bottlenecks. After you have resolved the problem, you again monitor system performance
so that you can verify that the action you took actually resolved the bottleneck and
improved system performance.
Case Scenario Exercise
1. You want to monitor memory, processor, and disk usage over the course of a normal
day’s activity on Pat’s computer. Which tool should you use to do this?
You should use the Performance Logs And Alerts snap-in. You should configure a performance
log by using key objects and counters. Ideally, you should configure the Performance Logs And
Alerts snap-in on a different computer from Pat’s and monitor her computer remotely. After completing
the log, you can view the results using System Monitor.
2. What objects and counters would you select?
Answers may vary, but you should consider monitoring at least the following objects and
counters: Processor: %Processor Time; Processor: %Interrupts; System: Processor Queue
Length; Memory: Pages/sec; Physical Disk: %Disk Time; and Physical Disk: Avg. Disk Queue
Length.
3. At the end of the day, you use System Monitor to view the log created on Pat’s
computer. You note the following key average counter values:
❑ Memory, Pages/sec: 92
❑ Processor, %Processor Time: 35 percent
❑ Physical Disk, %Disk Time: 73 percent
What do you suspect is causing the performance problem? How would you
resolve it?
These values indicate that the computer is experiencing a shortage of memory. The acceptable
level of Pages/sec is under 20. At the current average rate of 92 Pages/sec, the operating system
is spending too much time moving data in and out of physical memory and the paging file.
Also, the %Disk Time statistic indicates a potential hard disk performance issue (73 percent,
and the acceptable maximum value is 50 percent). The hard disk could be a problem, but it is
more likely that the increased paging is causing the hard disk to work much harder than it has
to. Increasing the amount of memory in the computer decreases the amount of paging
required, which in turn decreases the load on the hard disk, which will most likely cause the
%Disk Time counter to drop below the acceptable threshold.
Troubleshooting Lab
1. Do you notice any values that indicate a bottleneck? If so, list the values and
explain what you would do to troubleshoot the problem.
Answers will vary.