Chapter 20 - Monitoring Servers - Do I know this already?

Question 1

How do you create a Data Collector Set?

Answer 1

Step 1. In the Performance Monitor MMC, expand the Data Collector Sets
node.
Step 2. Right-click the User Defined node and choose New > Data Collector
Set.
Step 3. In the Create New Data Collector Set Wizard, name your Data Collector Set. You now have the option to choose one of the following options:
Create from a template (recommended)
Create manually (advanced)
Step 4. Select Create manually (advanced) and click Next.
Step 5. From the dialog box, select the type of data you want to include.
Step 6. Choose Performance Counter under Create Data Logs and click Next. Event trace data and system configuration information are for special use case scenarios.
Step 7. Select the performance counters you want to include by using the Add button, choose the sample interval and unit, and click Next.
Step 8. Select where you want Performance Monitor to save the data and click Next.
Step 9. On the Create the Data Collector Set page, select an account for running the collector from in the Run As drop-down and then select from the following:
Open Properties for This Data Collector Set Start This Data Collector Set Now
Save and Close

Question 2

What are the key Performance Monitor Counters?

Answer 2

LogicalDisk - % Free Space: Greater than 15%
PhysicalDisk - % Idle Time: Greater than 20%
PhysicalDisk - Avg. Disk Sec/Read: Less than 25 ms
PhysicalDisk - Avg. Disk Sec/Write: Less than 25 ms
PhysicalDisk - Avg. Disk Queue Length: Should not be larger than twice the number of physical disks
Memory - % Committed Bytes in Use: Less than 80%
Memory - Available Mbytes: Greater than 5% of total RAM
Processor - % Processor Time: Less than 85%
System - Processor Queue Length: Should be more than twice the number of CPUs
Network Interface - Output Queue Length: Less than 2

Question 3

What is Performance Monitor?

Answer 3

An MMC that permits careful analysis of server performance.

Question 4

What is Data Collector Set?

Answer 4

A tool that allows the collection of selected Performance Monitor data.

Question 5

What is an Alert?

Answer 5

A Data Collector Set feature that allows you to configure notifications when counters breach certain thresholds.

Question 6

What is Resource Monitor?

Answer 6

A basic tool for quick analysis of performance data on a Server system.

Question 7

Where in Performance Monitor do you create alerts?

Answer 7

Data Collector Sets

Question 8

What are the five tabs in Resource Monitor?

Answer 8

• Overview
• CPU
• Memory
• Disk
• Network