HP ProLiant Essentials Workload Management Pack

WMP provides the tools you need to consolidate applications and take advantage of any underutilized server assets. Resource Partitioning Manager (RPM), the featured software within WMP, is a software solution that controls and dynamically allocates system resources to enable application consolidation and performance optimization on Windows server platforms. WMP enables maximizing server utilization for lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and improved availability. This section provides information on how to use RPM to create resource partitions, limit each partition to specific resource quantities , and establish rules that allow for the dynamic reallocation of processors and memory. It also explains new features for v2.0, such as system overview charts , event logging, data trending, and process metering and reporting.

WMP Product Features

WMP offers users a variety of powerful features. Some of the more popular ones are listed here:

• Partition Configuration Wizard

• Dynamic Rules Engine

• Resource Allocation Graphs

• System and Partition Performance Graphs

• Easy-to-use Graphical User Interface (GUI)

RPM's Partition Configuration Wizard quickly groups processes, allocates resources, and assigns applications to resource partitions to simplify setup. RPM utilizes OS-native Microsoft job objects to create resource partitions that contain processes within a CPU and memory context; the partition eliminates system crashes due to runaway processes and memory leaks enabling application stacking and server consolidation.

RPM also includes a Dynamic Rules Engine that dynamically scales resource partitions up or down based on schedule, events, or demand. These rules provide flexibility to automatically add or remove resources without user intervention.

The easy-to-use GUI minimizes the time needed to train Administrators and staff on how to manage workloads and configure the server. RPM's easy-to-follow graphing capabilities provide

• Resource Allocation Graphs : Quickly view resource allocation and utilization.

• System and Partition Performance Graphs : Quickly view processor, memory, and I/O performance data.

WMP also understands Hyper Threading Technology (virtual processors) is appropriate for one to eight processor systems and beyond, and is licensed per system not per CPU.

In addition to creating resource partitions, RPM enables you to do the following:

• Activate or deactivate a resource partition

• Activate processes inside resource partitions

• Change the configuration of an available resource partition

• Change the configuration of an active resource partition

• Use RPM to manage resources on other systems on the network that are running RPM

• Use RPM in a clustered environment without interfering with normal cluster operations

Microsoft Windows System Resource Manager (WSRM)

Windows Server 2003 Enterprise and Datacenter Editions have a tool similar in functionality to WMP, called the Windows System Resource Manager (WSRM). However, whereas WSRM is not integrated with the OS and is only licensed with Windows Server 2003 Enterprise and Datacenter Editions, WMP can be used with all versions of Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, including Web Edition (and even Windows XP). In addition, customers can use WMP on Windows 2000 without migrating to Windows Server 2003; as migration begins, they can continue to use the same tool. Besides being less expensive than WSRM, WMP has an easier-to-use interface, covers more application scenarios, and contains a sophisticated rules engine that WSRM lacks.

What's New in WMP v2.0?

The WMP features RPM v2.0 and contains all the functionality offered in v1.1 of RPM. In addition, it offers the following features, which provide more automation, more performance and utilization data, and greater configuration flexibility:

• Automated partition reboot : Manual reboot is no longer required for memory-leaking applications. RPM v2.0 can be configured to automatically reboot partitions when memory utilization exceeds a predefined threshold.

• Partition based charting : Key processor, memory, disk, and I/O data is now presented in an easy-to-view graphical format.

• Usage and performance reporting : RPM continually captures and stores information on the resource utilization and performance of your partitions. Export the data to your favorite reporting tool for departmental billing or print reports directly from RPM.

• Trending : RPM v2.0 now analyzes utilization data over time to characterize partition performance trends.

• Command-line interface (CLI) : A new CLI can be used to customize functions such as partition activation/deactivation, target server selection, or activation/ deactivation of the RPM service itself.

• Time-based rules : With RPM v2.0, the Dynamic Rules Engine can make automatic changes to partition configurations based on either utilization or specific dates and times

Typical Uses for WMP

You can use WMP for a variety of applications. Some of the more typical uses are listed here:

• Server consolidation : ProLiant customers who are currently deploying one application instance per server can consolidate multiple applications onto a single server running Windows 2000/2003, consolidating the computing environment and reducing management costs.

• Enhanced clustering : Customers whose environments include active-passive cluster configurations can use RPM Landing Zones to reserve resources for application failover on an active target server.

• Improved availability : RPM can protect against memory leaks or other faults that might occur in a Windows 2000/2003 environment by allowing customers to place applications in their own independent resource partitions and automatically restart the application after a fault without rebooting the server.

• Enhanced performance : Resource partitions can be used to ensure that resources are available to applications when they need them, ensuring that applications continue to perform, maintaining the service levels that customers expect.

HP Resource Partition Manager

HP RPM, the featured software within the WMP, is a software solution that controls and dynamically allocates system resources to enable application consolidation and performance optimization on Windows server platforms.

A resource partition is a defined set of processor and memory resources assigned to a Windows job object. A job object is a feature of Windows 2003 and 2000 that allows a user to group processes together. These job objects can be thought of as containers that hold user-defined applications, services, and other processes. RPM creates and manages resource partitions whose boundaries can be dynamically reallocated based on the resource needs of the objects.

Some applications can create job objects outside of RPM. This book refers to this type of job object as a non- RPM job object . To ensure that the allocation of all system resources is monitored , RPM has the capability to "capture" these non-RPM job objects in a resource partition using the Capture function under the Partition option on the RPM menu bar.

Installing RPM

Before installing RPM, make sure your system meets the following necessary requirements:

• Windows Server 2003 (all 32-bit editions including Web Edition, Standard Edition, Enterprise Edition, and Datacenter Edition) or any edition of Windows 2000 Server

• 800 x 600 resolution or higher on the server running the RPM GUI

• A network containing one or more ProLiant servers

• An administrative user account on each target system

Also, note that HP lists the following restrictions and recommendations when running RPM:

• Running Microsoft SQL Server from within a resource partition is not recommended.

• Running RPM remotely on a system using Microsoft Terminal Server is not recommended.

• If the RPM GUI is shut down, the partitions that have already been created will remain .

• Some products, such as Microsoft Exchange Server, Internet Information Server (IIS), and Terminal Server, do not support multiple instances to be run under a single OS instance. Use of RPM will not overcome these product-specific limitations. For example, you can run Exchange Server from within a resource partition on the same computer that is running IIS from within another resource partition, but you cannot simultaneously run two copies of Exchange Server from within two resource partitions on the same OS instance.

• Using the Autolaunch feature, RPM (RPM) can be configured to automatically launch processes whenever a resource partition is activated. In this case, when the partition is activated, RPM will launch the process(es) configured to autolaunch and begin to manage their resource allocations . Although RPM will capture the child processes of any process that has been autolaunched, a period of time must elapse for this to occur. In some cases, a batch file might be executed and closed in less time than RPM requires to query for child processes. In this instance, RPM might not successfully capture all processes launched from the batch file. If you choose to autolaunch a batch file which then launches other process(es), include a wait time of five seconds before closing the batch file to allow RPM the time to properly capture all the child processes.

• Microsoft has enhanced the security features for remote logins in Windows Server 2003. The Windows Server 2003 Local Security Policy is enabled by default, preventing users from remotely logging in to a Windows Server 2003 server using an Administrator account with a blank password. Therefore, the Local Security Policy on the server running Windows Server 2003 must be manually set to Disable before RPM will accept a connection from a remote system using a blank Administrator password. The security policy is refreshed every 90 minutes, or you can reboot the server for the change to take place immediately. To disable the Local Security Policy, follow these steps:

  1. Click Start, Programs.
  
  

  2. Select Administrative Tools.
  
  

  3. Select Local Security Policy, Security Options, Accounts.
  
  

  4. Select Limit Local Account Use of Blank Passwords to Console Logon Only.
  
  

  5. Check Disable.
  
  

  6. Click OK or Apply to confirm the new settings.
  
  

tip

Refer to the troubleshooting section of the RPM User Guide v2.0 for more information about running multiple instances of the same application.

Installation Instructions

Use the following instructions to install RPM on the ProLiant server:

1. Insert the Workload Management Pack CD.

2. On most systems, the RPM installer automatically runs. If autorun is enabled, skip to step 4. Otherwise , proceed to step 3.

3. Use Windows Explorer to locate the SETUP.EXE file on the Workload Management Pack CD and double-click to launch the file.

4. The RPM installation program begins. Follow the program instructions to install the software successfully.

5. When prompted, enter the license key number from the back of the package.

After installation is complete, a shortcut to RPM is added to the desktop.

note

A system reboot is not required following the installation of RPM.

Upgrade Instructions

Use the following instructions to upgrade from an earlier version of RPM:

1. Shut down any active resource partitions. Refer to the "Deactivating a Resource Partition" section in Chapter 3, "Migration Planning: Business and Technical," for information on how to do this.

2. Follow steps 1 through 5 in the preceding "Installation Instructions" section.

The upgrade process shuts down the RPM service if it's active, and then overwrites it with the new version of the software. After installation is complete, a shortcut to RPM 2.0 is added to the desktop.

note

Partitions created in an older version of RPM remain intact after an upgrade. Also, a system reboot is not required following an upgrade of RPM.

Using RPM

When RPM is launched, the user interface (UI) is displayed. The UI serves as the control point for all RPM functions. However, because RPM controls resources using the RPM service, the UI does not need to be active at all times. The UI window can be closed at any time without affecting the configurations, rules, or execution of any resource partition.

When you have finished creating and activating resource partitions, you can keep RPM visible, minimize RPM, or close the UI window completely and move on to other activities while RPM manages your resources in the background.

The main screen of the UI, shown in Figure 8.4, is used to create, edit, activate, deactivate, or delete resource partitions. The graphics displayed on the main screen can be used to view existing resource partitions, as well as processor and memory details for the server. The main screen consists of four elements: a menu bar, a toolbar, resource partition panels, and processor and memory graphs.

Figure 8.4. RPM main UI.

The RPM menu bar contains the following menus :

• RPM : Basic commands for using RPM.

• Partition : Options for creating and managing partitions.

• Tools : Additional tools for event logging, trending, metering, and reporting.

• Help : Help on RPM topics.

Table 8.1 describes the icons and functions of the RPM toolbar found at the top of the main screen.

Table 8.1. RPM Main Screen toolbar

Icon	Function	Description
	Select computer	Opens a dialog box for accessing other systems in the network.
	Service properties	Allows management of the RPM service. The General tab can be used for maintenance of the RPM service, which can be started, stopped , or updated. The Logon tab can be used to assign a logon user account to the RPM service to enable access to resources such as files and folders protected by Windows 2000. When a resource partition is active, you can view this icon and menu item but you cannot modify it.
	System overview	Provides a graphical overview of a server: its processors, its memory, its physical disks, and its networks.
	Refresh views	Provides the user with the ability to refresh the data in RPM.
	Create resource partition	Launches the Create Resource Partition process.
	Help	Offers context-sensitive help about the current pages and opens the Help view for further searching of the help contents.

The main window of the UI includes the Available Resource Partitions panel and the Active Resource Partitions panel. The Available Resource Partitions panel, shown in Figure 8.5, contains inactive resource partitions that have been previously defined.

Figure 8.5. Available resource partitions.

The Active Resource Partitions panel, shown in Figure 8.6, contains all resource partitions currently active on the server.

Figure 8.6. Active resource partitions.

The bottom section of the main window displays processor and memory utilization and allocation graphs. The Processor Utilization tab, shown in Figure 8.7, displays the current processor utilization for all system activity.

Figure 8.7. The Processor Utilization tab.

The Processor Allocation tab, shown in Figure 8.8, displays which processors are assigned to which partitions.

Figure 8.8. The Processor Allocation tab.

The Physical Memory tab, shown in Figure 8.9, displays the current amount of physical memory in use by each active resource partition.

Figure 8.9. The Physical Memory tab.

The Virtual Memory tab, shown in Figure 8.10, displays the amount of virtual memory in use for each active resource partition.

Figure 8.10. The Virtual Memory tab.

Using Resource Partitions

The core purpose of the RPM is to contain processes within defined resource partitions and to have those processes obey the configured boundaries of their associated partitions. These boundaries are defined during the process of creating a resource partition.

Creating a Resource Partition

This section explains how to create a resource partition on a local system. For instructions on creating a resource partition on a remote system, refer to the "Using Resource Partitioning Manager on a Target Machine" section of the RPM User Guide v2.0.

Following is an overview of the three steps required to create a resource partition on a local system:

1. Set the resource partition properties by defining the processor and memory resources available to the partition.

2. Identify the resource partition processes to be contained within the resource partition.

3. Create resource partition rules to dynamically modify the processor and memory resources available to the partition based on resource utilization.

note

For in-depth details and descriptions for these processes, see the RPM User Guide v2.0.

The first step in creating a resource partition is to set the basic properties for the partition. Click the Create Resource Partition icon on the toolbar or select Partition, Create from the main menu to launch the Resource Partition Creation Wizard. The Resource Partition Properties dialog box is displayed (see Figure 8.11).

Figure 8.11. The Resource Partition Properties dialog box.

The Resource Partition Properties dialog box allows you to name a partition, assign an owner to the partition, define the basic processor and memory resources available to the partition, and assign other partition attributes to the target system.

To create a resource partition, follow these steps:

1. Enter a name for the partition in the Resource Partition Name text box.

note

The Next and Finish buttons will be disabled until you have named the resource partition.

2. If desired, enter text in the Resource Partition Owner text box to assign an owner to the partition. This field can be used to associate the partition with a specific organizational entity or to provide additional information about the partition.

3. Using the following guidelines, select or unselect individual processors in the Processors area of the Basic tab to allocate processor resources to the resource partition.

• Selected boxes represent processors to be used by the current resource partition.

• White boxes represent other available processors.

• Gray boxes represent processors that are not physically present.

When creating a new partition, RPM selects all available processors by default.

4. Select Auto Start Resource Partition to automatically activate the resource partition after subsequent server restarts.

note

For information about how associated processes can be started when the resource partition is activated, refer to the "Adding an Active Process Using the Capture Method" section in the RPM User Guide v2.0.

To set the amount of total virtual memory available to a partition, enter the desired maximum value (in megabytes) in the Maximum Size (MB) text box. A partition must be allocated a minimum of 16MB of virtual memory, with the maximum possible value determined by the machine configuration (and displayed next to the Virtual Memory Maximum label).

The Processors Tab and the Virtual Memory Tab

As you saw previously in Figure 8.11, the lower part of the Resource Partitions Properties dialog box contains a Processors tab and a Virtual Memory tab. The Processors tab graphs the number of resource partitions that are allocated to each processor. The Virtual Memory tab graphs the maximum virtual memory for each resource partition. The allocation bars on both tabs are color -coded by resource partition.

note

A single processor can be assigned to multiple resource partitions; however, this can impact performance.

The Display Active Partitions button controls the display of the processor allocation chart. If you click the Display Active Partitions button, the chart shows only objects that are currently active, and the text on the button changes to Display All Partitions. If you click the Display All Partitions button, all objects (both active and inactive) are displayed.

Advanced Features

RPM offers several advanced features. To modify these advanced features, click the Advanced tab in the Resource Partitions Properties dialog box, as shown in Figure 8.12.

Figure 8.12. The Advanced tab in the Resource Partition Properties dialog box.

warning

You should fully understand the implications of each of the settings on the Advanced tab before using them. If you are unfamiliar with the significance of Advanced tab settings within the Windows OS, you should avoid their use.

Here is a list of the features you'll find on the Advanced tab settings, along with a description of what these features do:

• The Partition Priority text box supports three levels of prioritization that can be assigned to a partition to guarantee that a lower priority partition does not use all system resources when higher priority partitions ( tasks ) are initiated. The default option is Normal.

• The Active Process Limit text box sets the maximum number of processes that can be activated within a given resource partition. Windows 2000/2003 will not start processes beyond this limit. Processes are activated in the same order they were entered. The default limit is 0. Leaving the Active Process Limit text box at 0 indicates that unlimited processes can be activated within a given resource partition.

• The Priority Class text box sets the Windows 2000/2003 priority class for all threads within each process in the resource partition. The default option is Normal.

• The Scheduling Class text box sets the length of time allocated for all threads within each process in the resource partition. The default option is 5-Normal.

• The Physical Memory Per Process section sets the maximum amount of physical memory available to any individual process contained within the resource partition. The entered amount cannot exceed the total physical memory shown.

  note

  For both the Physical and Virtual Memory Per Process settings, the allocation is the same for each process in the resource partition. You cannot set a different limit for individual processes.

  
  

• The Virtual Memory Per Process section is the amount of virtual memory available to any individual process within the resource partition. The entered amount cannot exceed the total virtual memory shown.

note

By default, each user process on the 32-bit version of Windows 2000/2003 can have up to a 4GB private address space, where 2GB are allocated to the private address, and the remaining 2GB are used by the OS. Windows 2000/2003 Advanced Server and Windows 2000/2003 Datacenter Server support a boot-time option that allows 3GB user address spaces. RPM automatically recognizes that the system is running in this configuration and adjusts the value for Virtual Memory Maximum accordingly .

The Resource Partition Processes Dialog Box

After you finish reviewing the settings for Resource Partition Properties, click Next. The Resource Partition Processes dialog box is displayed (see Figure 8.13). The Resource Partition Processes dialog box is the starting point for adding any process to a resource partition.

Figure 8.13. The Resource Partition Processes dialog box.

There are three methods for adding a process into a resource partition: Add Active Process, Add Process by Path , and Add Process by Name.

The Add Active Process method captures the process information from a running process by selecting it from a Task Manager style list. This method provides a simple way to add a running process to the resource partition. To use this method, from the Resource Partition Processes dialog box (refer to Figure 8.13) click the Add Active Process button. The Add Active Process dialog box is displayed (see Figure 8.14).

Figure 8.14. The Add Active Process dialog box.

This screen displays two list boxes. The left list box shows all processes running on the system, with the exception of certain system and kernel processes that are excluded to avoid potential conflict issues. To capture a process within the resource partition, double-click the target image name in the left list box to move it to the Processes To Be Assigned list on the right, or highlight the target image name and click Add.

warning

Adding a running process to a resource partition causes that process to be terminated if the partition is later deactivated.

The Add Process by Path method indicates the exact file path (on your hard drive, for example) of an executable representing the process. With this method, a new process can be added to the resource partition by pointing to the location of the executable file that is associated with the process. To use this method from the Resource Partition Processes dialog box, click Add Process By Path. When the Add Process By Path dialog box is displayed (see Figure 8.15), enter the path directly or click the Browse button to browse to the target executable file.

Figure 8.15. The Add Process By Path dialog box.

For processes specified using this method, two additional options are available under the Advanced button, as shown in Figure 8.16:

• Autolaunch : The default is set to No. If Autolaunch is set to Yes, RPM attempts to launch this process whenever the associated resource partition is activated.

  warning

  Using the Autolaunch feature, you can configure RPM to launch a process or processes whenever the resource partition is activated, rather than waiting for the process to become active. This setting can be beneficial in certain situations, such as when using RPM to launch a process on a remote system over a network (refer to the "Using Resource Partitioning Manager on a Target Machine" section of the RPM User Guide v2.0) However, using the Autolaunch feature can cause unexpected behavior changes in certain applications, as well as require a change in the methods already used to launch applications on the system. For these reasons, HP recommends that Autolaunch be set to No for general system use. Also, RPM cannot launch system services and some other processes due to requirements of the Windows 2000/2003 OS. To manage these services with RPM, assign them to a resource partition by means of the capture method.

  
  

• Command-line parameters : Enter the command-line parameters for processes that are launched automatically.

Figure 8.16. The Advanced Process Properties dialog box.

After you specify the path name, click Finish to save the changes. The newly added process will appear in the Assigned processes list on the Resource Partition Processes dialog box.

note

RPM can be used to specify processes for executables accessed over a network. However, these executables must be accessible by means of a previously configured network share drive.

The third method by which you can add a process into a resource partition, the Add Process by Name method, indicates the image name that the process will run under when executed. The image name of a process can be viewed under Task Manager when that process is active. This method is useful where multiple instances of a specific application are running on the same system and might not be identifiable by the executable path. This method allows you to indicate an image name for a specific instance of an application.

To begin this method, click Add Process By Name on the Resource Partition Processes dialog box. When the Add Process By Name dialog box is displayed (see Figure 8.17), enter the exact image name that the process runs under and click Finish.

Figure 8.17. The Add Process By Name dialog box.

After creating the partitions, you can view the processes assigned to each partition through the Resource Partition Processes dialog box. Two different process views are available: Assigned and Active. Available resource partitions contain assigned processes. Active resource partitions show both assigned and active processes.

To view a list of processes that have been assigned to a resource partition, click the Assigned tab. Figure 8.18 shows an example of this view, which is the default view for the Resource Partition Processes dialog box.

Figure 8.18. The Assigned tab of the Resource Partition Processes dialog box.

The following information is provided about each assigned process:

• Image Name : The image name of the process (also shown in Task Manager).

• Status : The current assignment status of this process.

  • If the status is Assigned, the process is currently assigned to this partition.

  • If the status is Assigned (Pending), the process has been selected for assignment to this partition, but is pending until the Finish button is clicked.

  • If the status is Removed (Pending), the process has been selected for removal from this partition, but is pending until the Finish button is clicked.

• Autolaunch : Processes that are specified using the executable path method can be configured to automatically launch.

  • If Autolaunch is set to Yes, RPM attempts to launch this process when the resource partition is started.

  • If Autolaunch is set to No, starting the partition does not launch the process. Instead, the process is "pulled into" the partition whenever the process and the partition are both active.

  • If Autolaunch is set to N/A, the process cannot be configured to automatically launch.

• Command Line : Shows any command-line parameters configured for this partition.

The Active tab displays those processes that are running within the resource partition when it is active, including those processes that are called from the assigned process. Figure 8.19 shows an example of this view.

Figure 8.19. The Active tab of the Resource Partition Processes dialog box.

The following information is provided about each process:

• Image Name : The image name of the process (also shown in Task Manager).

• Status : The current status of this process (in the Active tab, this is usually Running).

• Process ID : The process identifier for the process.

• Creating ID : The creation identifier for the process.

• Priority : The priority class setting for the process.

Click the Refresh button to update the information in the process list.

To add more processes, repeat the steps for the desired method. Processes will be shown on the Assigned tab of the Resource Partition Processes dialog box as they are added to the resource partition. To remove a process from a partition, select the process image name in the list view under the Assigned tab and click Remove. You can remove processes from both available and active resource partitions.

After all desired processes are assigned to the partition, click Next to set the rules for the newly created resource partition, or click Finish to save the resource partition and return to the main screen.

Resource Partition Rules

After a process has been assigned to a resource partition, rules can be associated with that resource partition, enabling RPM to dynamically reallocate processors and memory.

The Resource Partition Rules dialog box enables you to modify these four types of rules:

• Processor

• Memory

• Time

• Event

Processor and memory rules dynamically adjust the resource allocations of a partition from the initial settings defined on the Resource Partitions Properties dialog box in order to optimize system performance. When a resource partition is activated for the first time, the initially allocated processors and memory are used. Thereafter, the rules take precedence over the initial settings.

note

For information about modifying Resource Partition Rules, refer to the "Resource Partition Rules" section in the RPM User Guide v2.0.

Capturing a Non-RPM Job Object

Some applications can create job objects outside of RPM. To ensure that the allocation of all system resources is monitored, RPM has the ability to capture these non-RPM job objects in a resource partition.

warning

RPM utilizes the Job Object Application Program Interface (API) available in Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003. In some cases, other applications may also create job objects using this technology. Job objects created by either the OS or applications other than RPM should not be captured by RPM unless a specific need to do so has been identified. Capturing those objects and modifying their properties could create conflict between RPM and the originating application

To capture a non-RPM job object, follow these steps:

1. Select Partition on the menu bar.

2. Select Capture. The Capture Non-RPM Job Object dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 8.20.

Figure 8.20. The Capture Non-RPM Job Object dialog box.

3. Select a non-RPM job object from the drop-down menu.

4. Select Finish. RPM creates a new resource partition for the job object you selected. The new partition appears in the Available Resource Partitions panel of the main RPM window.

note

You can modify the properties and rules for a non-RPM partition, but you cannot add or remove processes.

5. To activate the new partition, drag it from the Available Resource Partitions panel to the Active Resource Partitions panel. To deactivate the partition, drag it from the Active Resource Partitions panel to the Available Resource Partitions panel.

note

Unlike regular resource partitions, moving a partition created from a non-RPM job object from the panel to the Available Resource Partitions panel does not terminate the processes in the partition.

The System and Resource Partition Overview Dialog Boxes

The System and Resource Partition Overview dialog boxes provide two different ways to view and evaluate real-time performance on an RPM-managed server:

• System Overview : Charts provide a real-time, system-wide view of current system performance in the areas of processor, memory, disk, and network utilization. This information can be useful when configuring RPM resource partitions for maximum performance and optimization.

• Resource Partition Overview : Charts provide a real-time view of resource utilization at the resource partition level. Processor, memory, and combined disk and network I/O charts reflect how the applications and processes contained in a resource partition are utilizing the resources available to them.

Using the System Overview Charts

To use the System Overview, select RPM, System Overview from the menu bar, or click the System Overview icon on the toolbar. You will see several tabs, as described in the following sections.

The Overview Tab

The System Overview opens with the Overview tab, as shown in Figure 8.21. The Overview tab provides selected performance information for the following:

• Processors : Processor Utilization provides a measurement of how busy the processor is executing requests .

• Memory : Physical Memory Utilization is the percentage of memory currently being used by the system.

• Physical disk : Current Disk Utilization provides the percentage of time the disk is servicing read and/or write requests.

• Overall subsystem balance : Current Subsystem Utilization gives an overall view of subsystem utilization.

Figure 8.21. The Overview tab.

The Processor Tab

The Processor tab, shown in Figure 8.22, displays information about all processors recognized by Windows 2000/2003 OSs. The remainder of this section provides detailed information about each processor chart.

Figure 8.22. The Processor tab.

note

Processor numbering is consistent with Windows 2000/2003 Server processor numbering.

The Processor Utilization screen provides a measurement of how busy the processor is executing requests. Each request takes up a portion of the work capability of the processor. As more and more requests are made to the processor, the processor can become overburdened with requests, resulting in high processor utilization and slower response times. When the processor does not have requests to complete, an idle process is executed. A high processor utilization percentile means that the processor is always busy responding to requests, so the idle process is never executed. The overall processor utilization totals are divided into Kernal Mode and User Mode:

• Kernel Mode : The Windows 2000/2003 service layer, the Executive routines, and the Windows 2000/2003 kernel execute in Kernel Mode. Device drivers for most devices other than graphics adapters and printers also execute in Kernel Mode.

• User Mode : All application code and subsystem code execute in User Mode. The graphics engine, graphics device drivers, printer device drivers, and window manager also execute in User Mode.

This information helps you to discern between the application workload and the system processes workload.

The Processor Balance screen displays processor utilization data per processor. The location of the processor icon around the ring indicates the percentage of utilization for that processor.

The Processor Utilization screen shows the Total Processor Time versus deferred procedure calls deferred procedure calls (DPCs) Queued per Second, which is a current measurement of the outstanding DPCs. When a hardware device interrupts the processor, the Interrupt Handler may elect to execute the majority of its work in a DPC. DPCs run at lower priority than interrupts, and therefore permit interrupts to occur while DPCs are being executed.

The Total Processor Utilization screen displays an overall average of all processor utilization rates. This information gives a good indication of overall processor loading over a period of time.

The Memory Tab

The Memory tab, shown in Figure 8.23, displays information about all memory installed in the system and recognized by Windows 2000/2003 Server OSs. The rest of this section provides detailed information about each memory chart.

Figure 8.23. The Memory tab.

The Physical Memory Utilization screen displays the percentage of memory currently being used by the system. The percentage of memory in use is the ratio of available memory to total physical memory. The Physical Memory Utilization screen displays these utilization statistics:

• Available bytes : The amount of memory that is available for use by applications. This screen displays the size of the virtual memory currently on the Zeroed, Free, and Standby lists. Zeroed and Free memory is ready for use for application work.

• Cache bytes : The amount of memory currently assigned for disk buffering. This is the sum of the System Cache Resident Bytes, System Driver Resident Bytes, System Code Resident Bytes, and Pool Paged Resident Bytes counters.

• Process bytes : The amount of memory used by processors.

As more and more memory is being used by the system, less memory is available for other applications or to buffer disk requests. A low amount of available memory can impact system performance.

The Resident System Cache screen displays the number of bytes allocated for the file system cache resident in the physical memory. This value includes only current physical pages and does not include any virtual memory pages not currently resident in the physical memory.

The system cache is a temporary location for data that is otherwise resident in disk storage. Because accessing data in cache is significantly faster than accessing disk data, it is an advantage to have sufficient cache storage.

The Memory Page Faults screen displays the overall rate at which faulted pages are handled by the processor. Numerous page faults can be an indication that more memory is needed to sustain optimum performance.

The Memory Paging Activity screen displays pages input/pages output per second:

• Pages In/sec : The number of pages read from the disk to resolve hard page faults. Pages input per second is a primary indicator of faults that cause system-wide delays. It includes pages retrieved to satisfy faults in the file system cache (usually requested by applications) and in noncached mapped memory files.

• Pages Out/sec : The number of pages written to disk to free up space in physical memory. Pages are written back to the disk only if they are changed in physical memory, so they are likely to hold data, not code.

Windows 2000/2003 Server writes pages to disk to free up space when physical memory is in short supply. A high rate of paging (pages in or pages out) might indicate a memory shortage.

The Physical Disk Tab

The Physical Disk tab displays information about all physical disks attached to the system and recognized by Windows 2000/2003 Server OSs (see Figure 8.24). The remainder of this section provides detailed information about each physical disk chart.

Figure 8.24. The Physical Disk tab.

The Current Disk Utilization screen displays the percentage of time the disk is servicing read and/or write requests. This chart indicates how busy the disk is. Low processor utilization and high disk utilization could indicate a disk performance limitation.

The Average Disk Queue Length screen displays the length of outstanding read/write requests queued for the disk. This screen measures the length of time the controller takes to complete outstanding requests. A performance limitation might occur if the disk controller is not able to keep up with the number of requests being received.

The Average Disk Latency screen displays the time in milliseconds of the average disk transfer. When a request is received, a timer starts. When the request is completed, the timer stops, providing a measure of the time for disk transfer. This chart can indicate how well the disk is responding to transfers.

The Disk Transfer Rate screen displays the rate at which bytes are transferred to or from the disk during write/read operations. This chart measures data transfer rates over a period of time. Data transfer rates indicate how much work the controller is performing.

The Network Tab

The Network tab displays information about all network interfaces attached to the system and recognized by Windows 2000/2003 Server OSs (see Figure 8.25). The remainder of this section provides detailed information about each network chart.

Figure 8.25. The Network tab.

The Network Traffic (KB/Sec) screen displays the rate at which bytes of data are sent over the network. Over a period of time, this screen updates to indicate how many bytes have been transferred. A consistently high rate of network traffic could indicate performance limitations.

The Network Output Queue Length screen displays the number of packets in the output queue. This chart indicates the number of outstanding packets. An elevated queue length over an extended period of time could indicate a network performance problem.

The Network Traffic (Packets/Sec) screen displays the rate at which packets are sent over the interface. A consistently high rate of packets per second could indicate performance limitations.

The Network Maximum Configured Link Speed screen displays the currently configured maximum rate of the network interface. This data can be used to verify proper configuration of installed NICs.

note

The Network Maximum Configured Link Speed graph indicates system potential and can be expected to remain static.

Using the Resource Partition Overview Charts

The Resource Partition Overview charts provide a real-time view of resource utilization at the resource partition level. Processor, memory, and disk and network I/O charts reflect how the applications and processes contained in a resource partition are utilizing the resources available to them.

To use the Resource Partition Overview, follow these steps :

1. Select an active resource partition from the Active Resource Partitions pane.

2. Select Partition on the menu bar.

3. Select Overview.

Refer to the following sections for explanations of each tab and its contents.

The Processor Tab

The Processor tab displays information about the processors used by the resource partition (see Figure 8.26). The remainder of this section provides detailed information about each processor chart.

Figure 8.26. The Processor tab.

note

Processor numbering is consistent with Windows 2000/2003 Server processor numbering.

The Processor Utilization screen provides a measurement of how busy the processor is executing requests. Each request takes up a portion of the work capability of the processor. As more and more requests are made to the processor, the processor can become overburdened, resulting in high processor utilization and slower response times. When the processor does not have requests to complete, an idle process is executed. A high processor utilization percentile means that the processor is always busy responding to requests, so the idle process is never executed. The overall processor utilization totals are divided into Kernel Mode and User Mode:

• Kernel Mode : The Windows 2000/2003 service layer, the Executive routines, and the Windows 2000/2003 kernel execute in Kernel Mode. Device drivers for most devices other than graphics adapters and printers also execute in Kernel Mode.

• User Mode : All application code and subsystem code execute in User Mode. The graphics engine, graphics device drivers, printer device drivers, and the window manager also execute in User Mode. This utilization information helps you to discern between the application workload and the system processes workload.

The Total Processor Utilization screen displays the percentage of total available processor time used by this resource partition. This information gives a good indication of overall processor loading over a period of time.

The Partition Processor Time screen displays a running sampling of the raw amount of processor time utilized by the partition. This information provides a good indication of processor activity for the partition over time.

The Active Processes screen displays how many processes are currently active on the resource partition.

The Memory Tab

The Memory tab displays information about the memory used by the partition (see Figure 8.27). The remainder of this section provides detailed information about each memory chart.

Figure 8.27. The Memory tab.

The Physical Memory Utilization screen displays the percentage of memory currently being used by the resource partition. The percentage of memory in use is the ratio of utilized memory to total physical memory. As more and more memory is being used by the system, less memory is available for other applications or to buffer disk requests. A high rate of utilization can impact system performance.

The Virtual Memory Utilization screen displays the total amount of virtual memory currently being used by all processes within the resource partition.

The Memory Page Faults screen displays the overall rate at which faulted pages are handled by the processor. Numerous page faults can be an indication that more memory is needed to sustain optimum performance.

The Page File Utilization screen displays the amount of storage this partition is utilizing in the paging files. Paging files are shared by all processes, so lack of space in paging files can prevent other processes from allocating memory.

The I/O Tab

The I/O tab provides read and write information about network, file, and device I/O operations (see Figure 8.28). The remainder of this section provides detailed information about each I/O chart.

Figure 8.28. The I/O tab.

The Partition Read Operations screen indicates the rate at which processes in this resource partition are issuing read I/O operations.

The Partition Read Rate screen indicates the rate at which processes in this resource partition are reading data from I/O operations.

The Partition Write Operations screen indicates the rate at which processes in this resource partition are issuing write I/O operations.

The Partition Write Rate screen indicates the rate at which processes in this partition are writing data from I/O operations.

Additional Tools

A variety of additional tools provide methods for managing the RPM service, exporting and importing partition files, tracking system and resource partition data, accessing scripting capabilities, creating reports based on collected data, customizing charts, and setting partition defaults. Here is a list of the additional tools:

• Service Properties

• Exporting and Importing Partitions

• Event Logging

• Data Trending

• Metering

• Process Viewing

• Scripting

• Reporting

• System Data

• Partition Data

• Chart Properties

• Partition Defaults

note

For information about additional tools, refer to the "Additional Tools" section in the RPM User Guide v2.0.

For additional information on ProLiant Essentials WMP and Exchange Consolidation, Server Consolidation, and best practices see the HP Web site at http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliantessentials/wmpdocumentation.html .