Perform System Diagnostics

In this exercise, you collect performance data by using a built-in data collector set.

3. Click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Manage. Respond to the UAC prompt that appears.

4. In the Computer Management console, expand System Tools, Reliability And Performance, Data Collector Sets, and then System.

5. Right-click System Diagnostics, and then click Start. Notice that a green arrow appears on the System Diagnostics icon.

6. While the System Diagnostics data collector set is running, click System Diagnostics. Browse through the various data collectors. In particular, view the properties of the following data collectors:

4. Performance Counter 5. NT Kernel

6. Operating System 7. UAC Settings

8. Windows Update Settings

7. The green arrow will disappear from the System Diagnostics icon after the data collector set has finished running in one minute. Now, right-click System Diagnostics, and click Latest Report.

8. Examine the Diagnostic Results section, and investigate any error or warning conditions that exist. Then, investigate each of the other sections of the report to identify the following pieces of information:

• Processor utilization

• The number of processors, and whether the processors are hyper-threaded or not

• Memory utilization • Total physical memory

• Whether the operating system architecture is 32-bit or 64-bit

• The name of the workgroup or domain the computer is a member of

• The name of the antispyware, antivirus, and firewall software installed, if any • Whether UAC is enabled

• Whether the Computer Browser, Server, Workstation, and Windows Update services are running

• Which service is using the most processor time • Whether IRQ 3 is in use

• The Windows Experience Index rating for the processor, memory, and hard disk

• BIOS type and version

• The IP address that is sending the most bytes to the local computer • The number of IPv4 and IPv6 connections

• The file causing the most disk I/O

• The application with the largest working set Exercise 2: Create a Performance Graph

In this exercise, use Performance Monitor to graphically analyze data gathered in Exercise 1.

9. In the Computer Management console, select the System Tools\Reliability And Performance\Monitoring Tools\Performance Monitor node.

10. Click the View Log Data button on the toolbar to open the Performance Monitor Properties dialog to the Source tab.

11. Click Log Files. Then, click Add. Select the

C:\Perflogs\System\Diagnostics\yyyymmdd-####\Performance Counter.blg file to open the performance counter log created when you ran the System

12. Click OK to return to Performance Monitor.

Now, you are viewing the logged performance data. However, because you have not added any counters to the chart, nothing is visible.

13. Click the Add button on the toolbar. Add the following counters to the chart: • IPv4\Datagrams/sec

• IPv6\Datagrams/sec

• Memory\% Committed Bytes In Use • PhysicalDisk\Disk Bytes/sec

• Processor\% Processor Time • System\Processes

14. Press Ctrl+H to highlight the selected counter. Browse through the available counters, and examine their performance during the one-minute log period. 15. Drag your mouse horizontally across the middle of the chart to select about 30

seconds of the chart. Then, right-click the chart, and click Zoom To. Notice that the chart displays a smaller period of time

16. Use the slider below the chart to select the entire chart time period. Then, right- click the chart, and click Zoom To.

Lesson Summary

* You can use Performance Monitor to analyze system statistics in real-time, or you can use it to analyze data logged using a data collector set.

* Data collector sets and reports gather performance and configuration data about a computer, and enable you to easily analyze that information using reports or Performance Monitor.

* Reliability Monitor tracks a computer’s stability over time, displays a summary of that stability, and displays factors that might contribute to stability problems, such as newly installed programs.

Lesson Review

You can use the following questions to test your knowledge of the information in Lesson 2. The questions are also available on the companion CD if you prefer to review them in electronic form.

Lesson Review Answers

Answers to these questions and explanations of why each answer choice is right or wrong are located in the Answers section at the end of the book.

Question ID 622L_3.3_01

Domain title Managing and Maintaining Systems That Run Windows Vista Objective title Troubleshoot performance and reliability issues.

1. How can you overlay two Performance Monitor windows?

A. Open Performance Monitor from within the Computer Management console. B. Run Perfmon /sys.

C. Open the Reliability And Performance Monitor from Administrative Tools. Then, click the control box in the upper-left corner, and select Compare. D. Open an elevated command prompt, and run Perfmon /compare.

Correct Answer: B

A. Incorrect: By default, the Performance Monitor snap-in does not support comparing two windows.

B. Correct: To compare two windows, you must run Perfmon.exe with the /sys parameter.

C. Incorrect: By default, the Performance Monitor snap-in within the Computer Management console does not support comparing two windows.

D. Incorrect: You should use the /sys parameter, not the /compare parameter. Question ID 622L_3.3_02

Domain title Managing and Maintaining Systems That Run Windows Vista Objective title Troubleshoot performance and reliability issues.

2. Which of the following built-in data collector sets could you use to monitor processor utilization? (Choose all that apply.)

A. LAN Diagnostics B. System Diagnostics C. System Performance D. Wireless Diagnostics Correct Answers: B and C

A. Incorrect: The LAN Diagnostics performance counter logs networking data, but does not log processor utilization.

B. Correct: The System Diagnostics data collector set includes performance counters for processor utilization.

C. Correct: The System Diagnostics data collector set includes performance counters for processor utilization.

D. Incorrect: The Wireless Diagnostics performance counter logs networking data, but does not log processor utilization.

Question ID 622L_3.3_03

Domain title Managing and Maintaining Systems That Run Windows Vista Objective title Troubleshoot performance and reliability issues.

3. Which of the following built-in data collector sets could you use to generate a report that detailed malfunctioning hardware devices?

A. LAN Diagnostics B. System Diagnostics C. System Performance D. Wireless Diagnostics Correct Answer: B

A. Incorrect: The LAN Diagnostics performance counter logs networking data, but does not gather information about hardware devices.

B. Correct: The System Diagnostics data collector set generates a report that includes a list of any devices that are currently experiencing errors.

C. Incorrect: The System Performance data collector set is focused on gathering performance data, and does not collect hardware information.

D. Incorrect: The Wireless Diagnostics performance counter is focused on diagnosing networking problems, and will not report on malfunctioning hardware.