Performance monitoring and scalability tools (IIS, operating system)

Document directory

• Performance bottleneck
• Performance counters

Monitoring servers are a key part of server management..By using appropriate monitoring tools, you can detect server problems, evaluate the results of website content changes, and plan upgrades to facilitate your access to the site. Select an appropriate monitoring tool and method based on the information you need.

You can also monitor the server by checking the logs generated by IIS. These logs extend the logs generated by Microsoft Windows. For more information about logging, seeRecord site activities.

This topic includes information about the following monitoring tools:

• System Monitor
• Performance Logs and alarms
• Event Viewer
• Task Manager
• Network Monitor
• Log Manager
• Web application stress tools
• Application Center Test Tool

System Monitor

Windows performance monitoring tool, system monitor (formerly known as Performance Monitor), is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) management unit that can be used to monitor server activity, and summarize the performance at the selected time interval. With this tool, you can display performance data, collect data in files, and generate warnings in the event of critical events in real-time charts or reports. Data can be used to identify the cause of system bottlenecks and adjust system and application performance.

Performance bottleneck

The bottleneck is the slow data transmission speed in the server environment. Bottlenecks are often caused by insufficient resources (such as memory or CPU) or improper configuration of software, hardware, and network resources. For example, a processor bottleneck occurs when a process starts a backup because the server does not have enough processor cycles to effectively complete a certain number of requests. Poor application design is also a common cause of bottlenecks. Poorly designed applications may affect servers such as IIS (which can process thousands of requests per second) and reduce the processing capability to a fraction of the server's capacity.

To solve the bottleneck, you must use performance counters and monitoring tools (such as system monitors) to monitor the server environment, collect data about specific components and resources (such as CPU, memory, applications, and hardware. Analysis of monitoring data may cause some problems. For example, excessive demand for certain resources or components may lead to bottlenecks.

Performance counters

The system monitor can check the output of the performance counter. Performance counters can monitor the activity of specific performance objects. In other words, performance counters monitor specific services or mechanisms that control server resources. For example, if you click "add" (plus sign) on the system monitor toolbar, you can view the list of performance objects from the "performance objects" list. Click the "processor" object to view the corresponding counters (such% Processor timeThe list of counters. You can add or delete counters in the graphic display of the system monitor in this window, or configure the counters for logging in a specific way. Running many counters at the same time may reduce the performance slightly, so you can also choose.

The Microsoft Windows Server 2003 family includes hundreds of counters. IIS installs its own counters, including the World Wide Web Publishing Service (WWW Service), WWW Service cache, FTP service, and Microsoft Active Server Page (ASP ). WWW Service Counters, FTP service counters, and ASP object counters can monitor script connection activities. For a detailed list of performance-related counters, seePerformance Counter reference.

System monitors are used to provide short-term and long-term information about server and site loads. The following table lists some useful counters and provides an ideal average value for each counter. The system monitor chart is drawn from a scale of 0 to 100 (by default), so you may need to change the scale of a single counter that records smaller values.

Object \ counter	Ideal Value
Memory \Pages/sec	0-20 (if it is greater than 80, it indicates a problem ).
Memory \Available bytes	At least 20 mb.
Memory \Committed bytes	No more than 75% of the physical memory size
Memory \Pool nonpaged bytes	Stable (slow growth indicates Memory leakage)
Processor \% Processor time	75% or less
Processor \System Processor Queue Length	4 or less than 4
(Logical or physical) disk \% Disk Time	As low as possible
(Logical or physical) disk \ avg. Disk Queue Length	Less than 4
(Logical or physical) disk \AVG disk Bytes/Transfer	As high as possible
System \Context switches/sec	Monitor and ensure that this number is low (relative to the value of system CILS/sec ).
System \System CILS/sec	As low as possible
WWW Service \Bytes total/sec	As high as possible
WWW Service cache \File Cache hits %	As high as possible (static content) Note:If the kernel URI cache hits % is high, this value may be low.
WWW Service cache \Kernel: URI cache flushes	Monitor and ensure that this number is low (relative to the number of requests ). Note:Each time from HTTP. when sys responds to the cache to refresh the file, this number will become larger (HTTP. sys is the kernel-mode device driver in IIS 6.0), which means that this content was not accessed in the last 2 to 4 minutes. The only way to downgrade this counter is not to refresh the cache too frequently, although this may mean that HTTP. sys uses more memory for unaccessed or outdated content.
WWW Service cache \Kernel: URI cache misses	As low as possible
WWW Service cache \Kernel: URI cache hits %	As high as possible (static content)
Active Server Pages \Request wait time	As low as possible
Active Server Pages \Requests queued	As low as possible
Active Server Pages \Transactions/sec	As high as possible Note:ASP transactions reduce the overall server performance because each transaction needs to interact with the database. If you focus on computer performance, ASP transactions should be used less.

For more information, search for "system monitor" in Windows Help ".

Performance Logs and alarms

Performance Logs and alarms include the ability to record counter and event tracking data, and the ability to generate performance alarms. Through counter logs, you can record data about hardware usage and system service activities from local or remote computers. Records can be manually performed as needed or automatically performed based on user-defined plans. Continuous records can also be used, which are restricted by the file size or duration. The recorded data can be viewed using the system monitor display, or exported to a spreadsheet program or database for analysis and report generation.

Tracking logs record data with the occurrence of certain activities (such as disk I/O or page errors. When an event occurs, the provider sends data to log service. For more information about this tool, seeCapacity plan tracking.

Event Viewer

The Event Log service records events such as errors or successful startup of the service. You can use Event Viewer to view event logs. You can also use the Event Viewer to monitor system, security, and Application Event Logs. You can use this information to better understand the sequence and type of events that cause specific performance problems. For more information about this tool, search for "Event Viewer" in Windows Help ".

Task Manager

The task manager displays the real-time network usage data (including CPU and memory usage) of various network interfaces on the computer ). You can use the task manager to view ongoing tasks and threads to change the priority assigned to the process and monitor network and user information. For details about this tool, search for "Task Manager" in Windows Help ".

Network Monitor

The Network Monitor captures network traffic information and provides detailed information about frames being sent and received. This tool helps you analyze complex network communication modes. Network Monitor can help you view the header information contained in HTTP and FTP requests. Generally, you need to design a "capture filter program". Its function is similar to database query. You can select the frame being transmitted. You can also use the capture trigger to respond to network events by starting an operation (such as starting an executable file. Windows Server 2003 family members include simplified versions of Network monitors. Microsoft Systems Management Server includes a full version of the network monitor. For more information about this tool, search for "network monitor" in Windows Help ".

Log Manager

When designing a website, it is important to consider future growth and understand which parts of the IIS subsystem in the Windows Server 2003 family may affect performance as the load increases. This is called a capacity plan ". For more information about how to use the log manager for capacity planning, seeCapacity plan tracking.

Web application stress tools

The Web application stress tool is used to simulate the situation where multiple browsers simultaneously request pages from the Web application. Web application stress tools can be used to generate custom loads on various Internet services. The Web application stress tool has a limit (about 100) on the number of URLs that can be put under pressure at the same time ). Therefore, when testing a large number of sites, web application stress tools may need to be used together with other tools (such as Microsoft Web capacity analysis tools. The Web application stress tool is provided in the CD attached to the latest Windows resource toolkit. You can alsoMicrosoft Web application stress ToolYou can find it on the website. The Microsoft website also provides information about test tools, including solutions and results. For more information, seePerformance testing with the Web application stress Tool.

Application Center Test

Microsoft Application Center Enterprise Edition includes a variety of high-end server monitoring tools, suchApplication Center Test.

 

--- Appendix Chinese counter description ---

Object \ counter	Recommended Value
Memory \ page number/second	00-20 (if it is greater than 80, it indicates a problem ).
Memory \ available bytes	At least 4 MB.
Memory \ number of submitted bytes	It cannot exceed 75% of the physical memory.
Memory \ non-Paging byte pool	Fixed (slow growth indicates Memory leakage ).
Processor \ % processor time	Less than 75%.
Processor/interrupt count/second	It depends on the processor. 486/66 processor up to 1,000; P90 is 3,500; P200 is greater than 7,000. The lower the value, the better.
Processor/processor Queue Length	Less than 2.
Disk (logical or physical disk) \ % disk Time	As low as possible.
Disk (logical or physical disk) \ queue length	Less than 2.
Disk (logical or physical disk) \ average disk Bytes/transmission	As high as possible.
Global Internet Information Service \ cache hits %	As high as possible.
Web service \ Total bytes per second	As high as possible.
Active Server Pages \ request wait time	As low as possible.
Active Server Pages \ queued requests	Zero.
Active Server Pages \ transactions/s	As high as possible.