CHAPTER 8 (V)

NOTE

STORING VIRTUAL MEMORY ON A SEPARATE DISK

Although you can achieve performance benefits by storing virtual memory on a separate hard disk, you will not see any benefits by storing virtual memory on a different volume or partition of a single hard disk. For best performance with multiple disks, configure the disks in a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) array, and store all data on that RAID array.

To configure which disk Windows stores virtual memory on, perform these steps:

1. Click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Properties.

2. Click Advanced System Settings.

3. On the Advanced tab of the System Properties dialog box, click Settings in the Performance group.

4. On the Advanced tab of the Performance Options dialog box, click Change.

5. Clear the Automatically Manage Paging File Size For All Drives check box.

6. Select the drive that you want to use to store virtual memory (also known as a paging file). Click System Managed Size, and then click OK.

7. Select the system drive which currently has the paging file assigned to it. Click No Paging File, and then click Set. Figure 8-11 shows a computer that has had virtual memory assigned to the G: drive and removed from the default C: drive. Click Yes when prompted.

8. Click OK four times, and then click Restart Now to restart your computer.

 FIGURE 8-11 Configuring virtual memory storage

Configuring Power Settings

Some aspects of a computer are a compromise between performance and power usage. For ile computers running on battery power, the greater the power usage, the shorter the battery life. To maximize battery life, Windows 7 provides different power plans and switches between them automatically when a computer is plugged in or running on battery.

However, the default battery power plan can reduce performance. To set the power plan manually, perform these steps:

1. Click the power icon in the system tray, and then click More Power Options.

2. Click Change Plan Settings.

3. Click Change Settings That Are Currently Unavailable.

4. Change the display and sleep settings for times when the computer is plugged in or running on battery.

5. To change other settings, click Change Advanced Power Settings. Adjust the settings, and then click OK. Some of the more useful performance-related settings include:

■ Turn Off Hard Disk After

Windows can turn the hard disk off to save power if it is not used for a specific amount of time. Realistically, though, applications continue to use the hard disk even if the user is not actively working with the computer.

■ Wireless Adapter Settings

Wireless adapters can use a significant amount of battery power because they must transmit and receive radio signals. By default, Windows 7 enables power saving for wireless connections when running on battery power. If wireless performance significantly decreases while on battery power, you can change the power saving mode to Maximum  Performance while on battery power.

■ Sleep

In Windows Vista and Windows 7, Sleep is a power-saving mode that combines both Standby (a low-power state that allows the computer to recover in a few seconds) and Hibernation (a zero-power state that stores the computer’s memory to disk, but takes longer to recover). By default, Sleep in Windows 7 initially enters Standby mode and then enters Hibernation 20 minutes later. Adjust this setting to change that default.

■ USB Settings

USB devices draw power from a computer. With USB selective suspend, Windows 7 can reduce the power usage of some USB devices. By default, USB selective suspend is enabled while Windows 7 is on battery power.

■ Power Buttons And Lid

By default, Windows 7 automatically enters sleep mode when the lid of a mobile computer is closed. You can change this setting and configure how the power button functions.

■ PCI Express

Some mobile computers have a PCI Express interface. This setting configures the power savings mode used for the PCI Express interface when on battery power or plugged in.

■ Processor Power Management

Most modern processors can run at different speeds depending on the current processing requirements. When less processor time is needed, the processor runs slower, requiring less power. You can use these settings to change the minimum and maximum speed of the processor.

■ Multimedia Settings

You can use this setting to adjust video quality when on battery power. Enabling a higher video quality increases battery usage.

■ Battery

Adjust how Windows responds when a battery begins to run out of power.

6. Click Save Changes.

System Configuration

Troubleshooting often involves experimentation. For example, when troubleshooting a performance problem, you might stop a program or service from starting automatically and then test the computer to determine if the performance problem has been resolved. The challenge with this, however, is that you might disable useful applications and services not related to the problem.

The System Configuration Utility (Msconfig.exe) allows you to disable startup programs and system services individually or several at a time. Once you identify the source of the problem, you can easily re-enable the startup programs and services. To disable a startup program or service by using the System Configuration Utility, use these steps:

1. Click Start, type msconfig, and then press Enter.

2. To disable a service at startup, select the Services tab and clear the check box for the service.

3. To disable a startup program, select the Startup tab and clear the check box for the application.

4. Click OK. When prompted, click Restart. When Windows restarts, the changes you have made take effect.

5. When the computer restarts, determine whether your changes improved the computer’s performance. If disabling the startup program or service did solve the problem, you can investigate it further. If there was no benefit, use the System Configuration utility to re-enable the startup program or service.

You can remove a startup program permanently using Control Panel. To prevent a service from starting automatically, use the Services console.

Quick Check

1. Which tool would you use to adjust the processor affinity of a process, and why would you adjust it?

2. On which volume does Windows 7 store virtual memory by default?

Quick Check Answers

1. Task Manager. You would adjust processor affinity to limit the processor cores a process can run on.

2. On the system volume.

PRACTICE Collect and Analyze Performance Data

In this practice, you collect performance data using a data collector set and then analyze it using a report and Performance Monitor.

EXERCISE 1

Perform System Diagnostics

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

1. Click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Manage.

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

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

4. 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:

■ Performance Counter

■ NT Kernel

■ Operating System

■ UAC Settings

■ Windows Update Settings

5. The green arrow disappears 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.

6. Examine the Diagnostic Results section and investigate any error or warning conditions. 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 anti-spyware, antivirus, and firewall software installed, if any

■ Whether User Access Control (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

■ Basic input/output system (BIOS) type and version

■ The Internet Protocol (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 input/output (I/O)

■ The application with the largest working set

EXERCISE 2

Create a Performance Graph

In this exercise, you use Performance Monitor to analyze graphically the data you gathered in

Exercise 1.

1. In the Computer Management console, select the System Tools\Performance\ Monitoring Tools\Performance Monitor node.

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

3. Select Log Files. Then, click Add. Select the C:\Perfl ogs\System\Diagnostics\ <Computer_Name>_yyyymmdd-######\Performance Counter.blg file to open the performance counter log created when you ran the System Diagnostics data collector set. Click Open.

4. 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.

5. Click the Add button on the toolbar. Add the following counters to the chart, and then click OK:

■ IPv4\Datagrams/sec

■ IPv6\Datagrams/sec

■ Memory\% Committed Bytes In Use

■ Physical Disk\Disk Bytes/sec

■ Processor\% Processor Time

■ System\Processes

6. Press Ctrl+H to highlight the selected counter. Browse through the available counters and examine their performance during the one minute log period.

7. 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.

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

EXERCISE 3 Disable a Service Temporarily with the System Configuration Utility

In this exercise, you temporarily disable a service with the System Configuration utility.

1. Click Start, type msconfig, and then press Enter.

2. In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, on the Services tab, clear the check box next to the Computer Browser service.

3. Click OK.

4. In the System Configuration dialog box, click Restart. Windows restarts.

5. Log back on to Windows. Click Start, type msconfig, and then press Enter.

6. On the Services tab, is the Computer Browser service stopped or started? Stopped.

7. Select the check box next to the Computer Browser service, and then click OK.

8. In the System Configuration dialog box, click Restart.

Lesson Summary

■ Task Manager provides a quick way to examine a computer’s performance and solve some performance problems. With Task Manager, you can identify which processes are consuming the most resources and either lower the priority of those processes or end them.

■ 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 analyze that information easily using reports or Performance Monitor.

■ Disk performance problems are most often caused by low disk space and fragmentation. Windows 7 automatically defragments disks that need it, but if disk space is too low, some fragmentation occurs anyway. To free up wasted disk space, you can use the Disk Cleanup tool.

■ If a startup program is causing performance problems, you can use the System Configuration (Msconfig.exe) tool to prevent it from starting. The System Configuration tool provides a convenient way to re-enable applications if you later determine that they are not the source of the problem.

Lesson Review

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

NOTE

ANSWERS

Answers to these questions and explanations of why each answer choice is correct or incorrect are located in the “Answers” section at the end of the book.

1. You are a systems administrator for an enterprise company. A user calls to complain that his computer is responding very slowly, and that Microsoft Office Word is not responding. He has attempted to close Word, but it has not stopped. What can you do?

A. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and then click Start Task Manager. On the Applications tab, click Word, and then click End Task.

B. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and then click Start System Configuration Utility. On the Startup tab, click Microsoft Word, and then click OK.

C. Press Alt+Tab, and then click Start Task Manager. On the Applications tab, click Word, and then click End Task.

D. Press Alt+Tab, and then click Start System Configuration Utility. On the Startup tab, click Microsoft Word, and then click OK.

2. Which of the following factors most increases disk fragmentation?

A. Running from battery power

B. A large paging file

C. Low free disk space

D. Using a flash drive

3. Which of the following performance problems might occur on a mobile computer using battery power? (Choose all that apply.)

A. Increased use of virtual memory

B. Slower memory access

C. Slower wireless networking

D. Lower-quality video

Chapter Review

To further practice and reinforce the skills you learned in this chapter, you can perform the following tasks:

■ Review the chapter summary.

■ Review the list of key terms introduced in this chapter.

■ Complete the case scenarios. These scenarios set up real-world situations involving the topics of this chapter and ask you to create a solution.

■ Complete the suggested practices.

■ Take a practice test.

Chapter Summary

■ The Windows 7 event log contains a great deal of valuable information, including events that describe problems that have already occurred or might occur soon. By monitoring these events using event forwarding, you can respond to problems more quickly or prevent them from becoming critical.

■ Using Task Manager, Performance Monitor, and data collector sets, you can identify the cause of performance problems quickly. Task Manager can even solve some performance problems by changing the priority of a running process or closing an application. If a startup program or service seems to be causing the performance problem, use the System Configuration tool to disable different programs temporarily during troubleshooting.

Key Terms

Do you know what these key terms mean? You can check your answers by looking up the terms in the glossary at the end of the book.

■ Collecting computer

■ Event forwarding

■ Forwarding computer

■ Hibernation

■ Listener

■ Pull delivery mode

■ Push delivery mode

■ Standby

Case Scenarios

In the following case scenarios, you apply what you’ve learned about subjects of this chapter. You can find answers to these questions in the “Answers” section at the end of this book.

Case Scenario 1: Monitoring Kiosk Computers

You are a systems administrator at the Baldwin Museum of Science. In addition to managing computers used by internal staff, you manage several computers running Windows Vista that are configured as kiosks in the museum’s front lobby. Visitors to the museum can use these computers to browse a limited number of Web sites with science-related content. Desktop security restrictions limit the applications that users can run and the Web sites they can visit. The museum attracts a large audience of intelligent, computer-savvy visitors. Unfortunately, some of them have taken it as a challenge to break into the kiosk computers. For example, you recently happened upon an attacker using an internal wireless connection to attack a kiosk computer across the network. You noticed the attack because you happened to discover an event in the event log, as shown in Figure 8-12.

FIGURE 8-12 An event indicating an active attack in your organization

Questions

Answer the following questions for your manager:

1. You manage several kiosk computers. How can you monitor all their event logs easily to check for this particular event?

2. Which bandwidth optimization technique should you use for event forwarding?

3. If this event appears, you need to know about it immediately. How can you be actively notified of an attack?

Case Scenario 2: Troubleshooting a Performance Problem

You are the lead systems administrator at Wood grove Bank. Several times a day your organization’s IT support staff receives support requests from users who are experiencing a slow computer. However, the support staff has been unable to identify the cause of the performance problem, and resolves the problem by having the users restart their  computer.

Interviews

Following is a list of company personnel interviewed and their statements:

■ Stuart Railson, Desktop Support Technician “These users are so hard to help. This guy complained that his computer was slow, and he has this attitude like it’s my fault. I think the cause of the problem is that the computer is too old. We should upgrade the processor or memory or something. I just have the users restart the computer. I think more users experience the slowdowns than actually call us, but they’ve figured out that they should just restart the computer to fix it.”

■ Angela Barbariol, IT Manager “As you know, all our computers are running Windows 7 with modern, dual-core processors and at least 3 GB of RAM. For the types of applications these users run, that should be plenty. Proof of this is that the computers perform fi ne when they’re initially restarted. Frankly, I’m embarrassed that we’ve been solving the problem by restarting the computers because that interrupts user productivity. Let’s find the source of the performance problems so we can fix them.”

Questions

Answer the following questions for your manager:

1. Which tools would you use to identify the source of the problem? How would you use those tools?

2. What do you think the problem might be? Why would restarting the computer fix it temporarily?

Suggested Practices

To help you master the exam objectives presented in this chapter, complete the following tasks.

Identify and Resolve Performance Issues

For this task, you should complete at least Practices 1 and 2 to gain more experience with event forwarding. If you want a better understanding of how to configure event forwarding in an enterprise, complete Practice 3 as well. Completing these configuration tasks also helps you with your troubleshooting skills because problems are bound to arise when configuring non-default event forwarding.

Next, complete Practices 4 through 7 to get more experience monitoring computer performance. Finally, complete Practice 8 to get a better understanding of how much real-world disk space is wasted.

■ Practice 1 Configure a workgroup computer to forward events to another workgroup computer.

■ Practice 2 Configure a forwarding computer to send events to a collecting computer using each of the three standard bandwidth optimization techniques. Then, customize

the event forwarding configuration by reducing the time required to forward events by half.

■ Practice 3 Use Group Policy to configure multiple client computers to forward events to a collecting computer. For the greatest scalability, use logon scripts to configure

the forwarding computers—it would be too time-consuming to configure forwarding computers manually in an enterprise.

■ Practice 4 Run both standard data collector sets on several production computers. Analyze the report generated by each.

■ Practice 5 Leave the Performance of Task Manager open while you do other work on your computer. If you see utilization increase, use the Processes tab to identify the

process causing the extra utilization. Repeat this practice with the Networking tab.

■ Practice 6 Start an application, such as Notepad, and then end the process using the Processes tab of Task Manager.

■ Practice 7 In Performance Monitor, add the Network Interface\Bytes Total/sec counter for your primary network interface. Then, copy a file across the network. Make

note of the maximum bytes per second. Multiply that value times eight to determine the maximum bandwidth used in bits per second. What percentage of the total network bandwidth did the file transfer use?

■ Practice 8 Run the Disk Cleanup tool on several production computers. How much space are you able to free, on average?

Take a Practice Test

The practice tests on this book’s companion CD offer many options. For example, you can test yourself on just one exam objective, or you can test yourself on all the 70-685 certification exam content. You can set up the test so that it closely simulates the experience of taking a certification exam, or you can set it up in study mode so that you can look at the correct answers and explanations after you answer each question.

MORE INFO

PRACTICE TESTS

For details about all the practice test options available, see the section entitled “How to Use the Practice Tests,” in the Introduction of this book