Getting Started with Performance Manager

In this section:

Introduction

Performance Manager has several key tools to enable administrators to manage the performance of the devices in their estate. Since the use of Performance Manager is mainly self-explanatory, we have included more information below about features to help a new user get started. The order in which Performance Manager is implemented depends on what you want to accomplish.

Application and Process Discovery

Application Discovery allows you to automatically populate Application Groups with Desktop Applications, Services or 16-bit Applications. You can select items to include in an Application Group from the results of a discovery, which are displayed in categories based on application type:

  • Desktop Applications discovers Installed Applications, Running Processes and File Types.
  • Services discovers Installed Applications and Services.
  • 16-bit Applications discovers 16-bit Applications by searching running NTVDM services for the specified 16-bit applications to run as if they were executed on a DOS machine) services for the specified 16-bit applications.

    NT Virtual DOS Machine. Allows 16-bit applications to run as if they were being executed on a DOS machine.

64-bit Windows operating systems do not support 16-bit applications.

Application Groups

Application Groups are groups of Desktop Applications, Services or 16-bit Applications. You can define Application Groups to create custom lists of applications which you assign to rules for managing the demand on CPU, memory or resources. The groups indicate specific files or folder names, and path and command line attributes with pattern matching, using wildcards and regular expressions.

Desktop Applications, services or 16-bit applications can be collated to create Application Groups which can be automatically populated using the Application Discovery function.

User Groups

User Groups are a generic way to refer to a single Windows user account or Windows Group within the Performance Manager console. As an Administrator you can use one or more User Groups to customize the way Performance Manager is deployed across your network.

Conditions

Use Conditions to define criteria for when resources are allocated to applications or users. Conditions depend on a match with the state of the window, session or desktop, or combinations of each.

CPU Resource Management

CPU Management controls the distribution of CPU resources to applications and users on the system, and includes the following:

  • Share Factors – Allocate relative proportions of the CPU resources to applications and users. Share factors ensure optimum performance at peak load and continuously regulate the fair distribution of available processor resources.
  • Reservations – Ensure that certain applications and users are guaranteed specific levels of CPU resources, as the need arises. At times of peak demand on the system, the minimum reserved resources are obtained and the remaining resources are reallocated according to share factors allocated to other applications.
  • Limits – Prevent certain applications and users exceeding specific levels of CPU capacity when others demand their share. CPU intensive use can be managed by Hard Limits or Soft Limits. Hard limits are fixed proportions of the processor load beyond which applications and users cannot exceed even when spare capacity is available. Soft limits are more flexible and only confine applications and users within certain levels during peak load to free up resources. When general demand falls back again and resources are released, controlled applications and users can exceed limits and resume more CPU intensive activity.
  • CPU Affinity – Assigns Application Groups and User Groups to specific CPUs when operating on multiprocessor servers.
  • Thread Throttling – Patented technology which dynamically clamps processor intensive tasks when CPU load is too heavy whilst including flexible settings for modifying thresholds and ranges.

Memory Management

Memory Management controls the distribution of memory resources on the system and includes the following:

  • Hard Limits - Are always imposed and used to define proportions of the processor load beyond which applications cannot exceed even when spare capacity is available.
  • Soft Limits - Are less rigid then Hard Limits and only confine applications within certain levels during peak load to free up resources.
  • Application (Virtual) Memory Limits – Sets limits on memory use on a per application basis and allows you to close or terminate applications when allocated memory limits are exceeded. The Close option generates a prompt to the user to close an application after the specified period. The Terminate option forces the application to stop after the specified period.

    The Terminate option will result in the loss of data for the application being terminated.

  • Physical Memory Limits – Sets limits on the use of physical memory by applications. Minimum limits guarantee adequate resources are available ensuring applications function correctly. Maximum limits prevent resource intensive applications from causing congestion on the system.

    You can also select application memory trimming to reduce unnecessary consumption at process startup and when the state of the application window, user session or desktop changes.

Licensing

Use the UWM Licensing console to manage the licenses for your Performance Manager installation.

Auditing

The Auditing node is used to configure event logging. Settings allow you to specify where to log events and which events to include in the audit. Auditing can also be managed in the Management Center.

Configuration Profiler

The Home tab includes the Configuration Profiler option for displaying a summary report of the Performance Manager configuration rules. The reports can be used to analyze configurations before implementing them on a live system.

The Configuration Profiler report includes the details of Feature Options, Application Groups, Resource Planning, and Thread Throttling.

Working in Passive Mode

Each of the Performance Manager configuration settings can be optionally set to monitor performance control actions affecting processor and memory utilization before you commit to the policies for taking corrective action.

In Passive mode, auditing data continues being recorded, when enabled in the configuration, except for CPU Share Factors, Reservations and Soft limits.

You can apply Passive Mode to each feature using the Feature Options dialog which you access by selecting Options on the Resources Setup ribbon. You can also include or exclude system processes for certain features in this dialog.