Monitoring Performance

Monitoring Performance

Windows NT’s Performance Monitor tool lets you monitor important system parameters for the computers on your network. Performance Monitor can keep an eye on a large number of system parameters, providing a graphical or tabular profile of system and network trends. Performance Monitor also can save performance data in a log for later reference. You can use Performance Monitor to track statistical measurements (called counters) for any of several hardware or software components (called objects). Some Performance Monitor objects that relate to network behavior are as follows:

Network segment
Server
Server work queues
Protocol-related objects, such as NetBEUI, NWLink, and NetBIOS
Service-related objects, such as Browser and Gateway Services for NetWare

Of course, any system counter on a server machine—such as those classified under the Processor, Memory, or PhysicalDisk objects—could have implications for the network.

You should use Performance Monitor if you are experiencing problems, but you also should use Performance Monitor to log network activity when things are running smoothly. Logging normal network activity helps you establish a baseline, to which later measurements can be compared.

Exercises 12.2 and 12.3 at the end of this chapter provide you with a guided tour of Windows NT’s Performance Monitor application.