Chapter 14 Optimizing Windows 2000 MICROSOFT EXAM OBJECTIVES COVERED IN THIS CHAPTER  Deploy service packs.  Optimize and troubleshoot performance of the Windows 2000 Professional desktop.  Optimize and troubleshoot memory performance.  Optimize and troubleshoot processor utilization.  Optimize and troubleshoot disk performance.  Optimize and troubleshoot network performance.  Optimize and troubleshoot application performance.  Configure, manage, and troubleshoot the Task Scheduler. Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA. www.sybex.com T o have an optimized system, you must monitor its perfor- mance. The two tools for monitoring Windows 2000 Professional are Sys- tem Monitor and Performance Logs and Alerts. With these tools, you can track memory, processor activity, the disk subsystem, the network sub- system, and other computer subsystems. You can make your administrative tasks easier by automating some of them. You can schedule system tasks by using the Scheduled Task Wizard. This chapter begins with discussions of the Windows Update utility and ser- vice packs. Then you will learn how to monitor and optimize Windows 2000 Professional using the System Monitor, Performance Logs and Alerts, and Task Manager utilities. You will also learn how to optimize application performance. Keeping Windows 2000 Up-to-Date A n optimal operating system is one that is running the most up-to-date software and has had the most recent service pack installed. Microsoft pro- vides the Windows Update utility to help you obtain updated Windows 2000 software. Microsoft issues service packs as necessary to update the operating system with bug fixes and new features. Using the Windows Update Utility The Windows Update utility connects your computer to Microsoft’s Web site and checks your files to make sure that you have all of the latest and greatest updates. Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA. www.sybex.com Keeping Windows 2000 Up-to-Date 657 To use Windows Update, you must first have a valid Internet connection. Then simply choose Start  Windows Update to go to the correct URL for updates. For product updates, click the Product Updates option on the home page and follow the directions to choose which files you want to update. The files in the update section are arranged by the following categories:  Critical updates  Picks of the month  Recommended updates  Additional Windows features  Device drivers Within each category, you will see the available updates, along with a description, file size, and download time estimate for each update. Just check the files you want to update and click the Download icon to download your selections. Using Windows Service Packs Service packs are used to deliver bug fixes (and sometimes new features) to Windows operating systems. Windows 2000 offers a new technology for service packs called slipstream . With slipstream technology, service packs are applied once, and they are not overwritten as new services are added to the computer. This means that you should not need to reapply service packs after new services are added, which sometimes was required when Windows NT 4 service packs were applied. You can determine if any service packs have been installed on your com- puter by using the WINVER command. To issue this command, select Start  Programs  Accessories  Command Prompt. In the Command Prompt dia- log box, type WINVER and press Enter. You will see a dialog box that shows which service packs are currently installed.  Microsoft Exam Objective Deploy service packs. Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA. www.sybex.com 658 Chapter 14  Optimizing Windows 2000 Using System Monitoring Tools B efore you can optimize the performance of Windows 2000 Profes- sional, you must monitor critical subsystems to determine how your system is currently performing and what (if anything) is causing system bottlenecks. Windows 2000 Professional ships with two tools that you can use to track and monitor system performance: the System Monitor utility and the Perfor- mance Logs and Alerts utility. You can access the monitoring tools by adding the System Monitor snap-in and the Performance Logs and Alerts snap-in to the MMC. The System Monitor snap-in is added as an ActiveX control. In Exercise 14.1, you will create a management console for monitoring system performance.  Microsoft Exam Objective Optimize and troubleshoot performance of the Windows 2000 Professional desktop.  Optimize and troubleshoot memory performance.  Optimize and troubleshoot processor utilization.  Optimize and troubleshoot disk performance.  Optimize and troubleshoot network performance. EXERCISE 14.1 Creating a Management Console for Monitoring System Performance 1. Select Start  Run, type MMC in the Run dialog box, and click the OK button. 2. Select Console  Add/Remove Snap-in. 3. In the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box, click the Add button. In the Add Standalone Snap-in dialog box, select ActiveX Control and click the Add button. 4. In the Insert ActiveX Control dialog box, click the Next button. Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA. www.sybex.com Using System Monitoring Tools 659 In Windows NT 4, the functions of the System Monitor utility and the Perfor- mance Logs and Alerts utility were implemented in the Performance Monitor utility. Now that you’ve added the monitoring tools to the MMC, you can use them to monitor and optimize Windows 2000. The following sections describe how to evaluate your system’s current performance; how to use Sys- tem Monitor and Performance Logs and Alerts; and how to monitor and optimize the system memory, processor, disk subsystem, and network sub- system. Determining System Performance The monitoring tools allow you to assess your server’s current health and determine what it requires to improve its present condition. With System Monitor and Performance Logs and Alerts, you can perform the following tasks:  Create baselines.  Identify system bottlenecks. 5. In the Insert ActiveX Control dialog box, select System Monitor Control and click the Next button. Click the Finish button. 6. In the Add Standalone Snap-in dialog box, click the Close button. 7. In the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box, click the Add button. In the Add Standalone Snap-in dialog box, select Performance Logs and Alerts and click the Add button, then click the Close button. 8. In the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box, click the OK button. 9. Select Console  Save As. 10. In the Save As dialog box, select Save in Administrative Tools (the default selection) and save the file as Monitor . You can now access this console by selecting Start  Programs  Administrative Tools  Monitor. EXERCISE 14.1 (continued) Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA. www.sybex.com 660 Chapter 14  Optimizing Windows 2000  Determine trends.  Create alert thresholds. Each of these tasks is discussed in the following sections. Creating Baselines A baseline is a snapshot of how your system is currently performing. Sup- pose that your computer’s hardware has not changed over the last six months, but the computer seems to be performing more slowly now than it did six months ago. If you have been using the Performance Logs and Alerts utility and taking baseline logs, as well as noting the changes in your workload, you can more easily determine what resources are causing the system to slow down. You should create baselines at the following times:  When the system is first configured without any load  At regular intervals of typical usage  Whenever any changes are made to the system’s hardware or software configuration Baselines are particularly useful for determining the effect of changes that you make to your computer. For example, if you are adding more memory to your computer, you should take baselines before and after you install the memory to determine the effect of the change. Along with hardware changes, system configuration modifications also can affect your computer’s perfor- mance, so you should create baselines before and after you make any changes to your Windows 2000 Professional configuration. For the most part, Windows 2000 Professional is a self-tuning operating sys- tem. If you decide to tweak the operating system, you should take baselines before and after each change. If you do not notice a performance gain after the tweak, you should consider returning the computer to its original configura- tion, because some tweaks may cause more problems than they solve. You create baselines by using the Performance Logs and Alerts utility to create a baseline counters log file. This process is described in the “Creating Baseline Reports” section later in this chapter. Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA. www.sybex.com Using System Monitoring Tools 661 Identifying System Bottlenecks A bottleneck is a system resource that is inefficient compared with the rest of the computer system as a whole. The bottleneck can cause the rest of the sys- tem to run slowly. You need to pinpoint the cause of a bottleneck in order to correct it. Con- sider a system that has a Pentium 166 processor with 64MB of RAM. If your applications are memory-intensive, and lack of memory is your bottleneck, then upgrading your processor will not eliminate the bottleneck. By using System Monitor, you can measure the performance of the vari- ous parts of your system, which allows you to identify system bottlenecks in a scientific manner. You will learn how to set counters to monitor your net- work and spot bottlenecks in the “Using System Monitor” section later in this chapter. Determining Trends Many of us tend to manage situations reactively instead of proactively. With reactive management, you focus on a problem when it occurs. With proac- tive management, you take steps to avoid the problem before it happens. In a perfect world, all management would be proactive. System Monitor and Performance Logs and Alerts are great tools for pro- active network management. If you are creating baselines on a regular basis, you can identify system trends. For example, if you notice average CPU uti- lization increasing 5 percent every month, you can assume that within the next six months, you’re going to have a problem. Before performance becomes so slow that your system is not responding, you can upgrade the hardware. Using Alerts for Problem Notification The Performance Logs and Alerts utility provides another tool for proactive management in the form of alerts. Through Performance Logs and Alerts, you can specify alert thresholds (when a counter reaches a specified value) and have the utility notify you when these thresholds are reached. For example, you could specify that if your logical disk has less than 10 percent of free space, you want to be notified. Once alerted, you can add more disk space or delete unneeded files before you run out of disk space. You will learn how to create alerts in the “Using Performance Logs and Alerts” section later in this chapter. Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA. www.sybex.com 662 Chapter 14  Optimizing Windows 2000 Using System Monitor Through System Monitor, you can view current data or data from a log file. When you view current activity, you are monitoring real-time activity. When you view data from a log file, you are importing a log file from a previous session. After you’ve added the System Monitor snap-in to the MMC (see Exer- cise 14.1), you can open it by selecting Start  Programs  Administrative Tools  Monitor. Figure 14.1 shows the main System Monitor window when you first open it. FIGURE 14.1 The main System Monitor window The System Monitor toolbar, shown below, provides access to all of the System Monitor functions. New Counter Set Clear Display View Log File Data View Current Activity View Chart View Histogram View Report Add Delete Copy Properties Paste Counter List Properties Freeze Display Update Data Help Highlight Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA. www.sybex.com Using System Monitoring Tools 663 When you first start System Monitor, you will notice that nothing is tracked by default. In order for System Monitor to be useful, you must con- figure it to track some type of system activity, which is done by adding counters, as described shortly. After you’ve added counters, they will be listed at the bottom of the System Monitor window. The fields just above the counter list will contain data, based on the counter that is highlighted in the list, as follows:  The Last field displays the most current data.  The Average field shows the average of the counter.  The Minimum field shows the lowest value that has been recorded for the counter.  The Maximum field shows the highest value that has been recorded for the counter.  The Duration field shows how long the counter has been tracking data. The following sections describe the three System Monitor views, how to add counters to track data, and how to configure System Monitor properties. Selecting the Appropriate View By clicking the appropriate button on the System Monitor toolbar, you can see your data in three views: Chart view The chart view, shown in Figure 14.2, is the default view used with System Monitor. This view is useful for viewing a small number of counters in a graphical format. The main advantage of chart view is that you can see how the data has been tracked during the defined time period. When you start to track a large number of counters, it can be dif- ficult to view the data in chart form. Histogram view The histogram view, shown in Figure 14.3, shows Sys- tem Monitor data in bar graph form. This view is useful for viewing large amounts of data. However, it only shows performance for the current period. You do not see a record of performance over time, as you do with the chart view. Report view The report view, shown in Figure 14.4, is used to list all of the counters that are being tracked through System Monitor in a logical report. The data that is displayed is for the current session. Watching these numbers in real time is like watching someone on a pogo stick, because the numbers are constantly jumping up and down. The advantage Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA. www.sybex.com 664 Chapter 14  Optimizing Windows 2000 of this view is that it allows you to easily track large numbers of counters in a real-time manner. FIGURE 14.2 The chart view in System Monitor FIGURE 14.3 The histogram view in System Monitor Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA. www.sybex.com [...]... Space on your C: drive is under 10% Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com Using System Monitoring Tools 685 Monitoring and Optimizing the Network Subsystem Windows 2000 Professional does not have a built-in mechanism for monitoring the entire network However, you can monitor and optimize the traffic that is generated on the specific Windows 2000 computer You can monitor the network interface... you have defined will start and stop FIGURE 14.21 The Schedule tab of the alert Properties dialog box Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com 678 Chapter 14 Optimizing Windows 2000 4 When you are finished configuring the alert properties, click the OK button Monitoring and Optimizing Memory When a program or process is required by the operating system, the first place it looks is physical... axis label Whether you will show a vertical grid, a horizontal grid, and/or vertical scale numbers The minimum and maximum numbers for the vertical scale Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com 670 Chapter 14 Optimizing Windows 2000 FIGURE 14.9 The Graph tab of the System Monitor Properties dialog box Color and Font Properties The Colors and Fonts tabs of the System Monitor Properties dialog... you might give the log a name that indicates its type and the date (Countermmddyy) Then click the OK button FIGURE 14.11 The New Log Settings dialog box Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com 672 Chapter 14 Optimizing Windows 2000 3 The counter log file Properties dialog box appears You can configure counter log properties as follows: In the General tab, shown in Figure 14.12, you can... the date (Tracemmddyy), and click the OK button 3 The trace log file Properties dialog box appears You can configure trace log properties as follows: Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com 674 Chapter 14 Optimizing Windows 2000 In the General tab, shown in Figure 14.15, you can select which system events you want to track For example, you can check the Process Creations/Deletions and... will save the trace file to memory and then transfer the data to the log file FIGURE 14.18 The Advanced tab of the trace log file Properties dialog box Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com 676 Chapter 14 Optimizing Windows 2000 4 When you are finished configuring the trace file properties, click the OK button The log will be created and will record the activity for the system events... upper-right corner of the Add Counters dialog box System Monitor will display text regarding the highlighted counter FIGURE 14.5 The Add Counters dialog box Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com 666 Chapter 14 Optimizing Windows 2000 2 In the Add Counters dialog box, select the Use Local Computer Counters (the default) radio button to monitor the local computer Alternatively, select the Select... objects and counters: Select Memory from the performance object drop-down list, select Available MBytes in the counter list box, and click the Add button Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com 680 Chapter 14 Optimizing Windows 2000 EXERCISE 14.2 (continued) Select Memory from the performance object drop-down list, select Pages/Sec in the counter list box, and click the Add button Select... list, select Interrupts/Sec in the counter list box, and click the Add button 4 Click the Close button You should see these counters added to your chart Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com 682 Chapter 14 Optimizing Windows 2000 EXERCISE 14.3 (continued) 5 To generate some activity, select Start Settings Control Panel Display Click the Screen Saver tab Select 3D FlowerBox (OpenGL) and... box and restart your computer 6 Select Start Programs Administrative Tools Monitor 7 In the System Monitor window, click the Add button on the toolbar Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com 684 Chapter 14 Optimizing Windows 2000 EXERCISE 14.4 (continued) 8 In the Add Counters dialog box, select the following performance objects and counters: Select PhysicalDisk from the performance object . 14 Optimizing Windows 2000 MICROSOFT EXAM OBJECTIVES COVERED IN THIS CHAPTER  Deploy service packs.  Optimize and troubleshoot performance of the Windows. and greatest updates. Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., Alameda, CA. www.sybex.com Keeping Windows 2000 Up-to-Date 657 To use Windows Update, you must first have