Lesson 3: Configuring Computers with Multiple Processors and Monitoring System Performance

This lesson explains how to use Device Manager to upgrade your computer from a single processor to a multiprocessor system. It also introduces Performance Console and explains how to use it to monitor system performance.

After this lesson, you will be able to

Use Device Manager to update drivers.

Use Device Manager to upgrade your computer from a single processor to a multiprocessor computer.

Use Performance Console to monitor your system.

Estimated lesson time: 20 minutes

Scaling

Adding processors to your system to improve performance is called scaling. This is really more of a Windows 2000 Server family of products issue than it is a Windows 2000 Professional issue because multiprocessor configurations are typically used for processor-intensive applications, such as those found on database servers or Web servers. However, any computer that runs applications that perform heavy computation such as scientific or financial applications, and complex graphics rendering, such as computer aided design (CAD) programs, also benefit from multiprocessor systems.

Updating Drivers

You use Device Manager to upgrade drivers. You upgrade a driver whenever a newer version of the driver is released. You also update drivers to convert your computer from a single processor system to one that supports multiple processors, for example.

Use the following steps to upgrade the drivers loaded on a computer so that it can function as a multiple processor computer.

CAUTIONThis procedure upgrades only the driver on your computer. If your computer has only a single processor, upgrading the driver isn't going to make it a multiple processor computer. In fact, a computer with only one processor can no longer function if you upgrade the driver to one that supports multiple processors.

Open Device Manager, and double-click Computer.

Right-click the appropriate model, and then click Properties.

On the Driver tab, click Update Driver.

The Welcome To The Upgrade Device Driver Wizard page appears.

Click Next.

The Install Hardware Device Drivers page appears.

Click Display A List Of The Known Drivers For This Device So That I Can Choose A Specific Driver, and then click Next.

The Select A Device Driver page appears.

Click Show All Hardware Of This Device Class.

Under Manufacturers, click the appropriate manufacturer.

Under Models, click the appropriate computer model, and then click Next.

An Update Driver Warning might appear indicating that Windows cannot verify that the driver you want to install is compatible with your hardware, and installing it might cause your computer to become unstable or stop working. If you are sure you want to continue, click Yes. Otherwise, click No.

Click Next, and then click Finish.

Using Performance Console to Monitor System Performance

You can monitor the activity of your symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) system by using Performance Console and its counters. Performance Console helps you to gauge a computer's efficiency and locate and resolve current or potential problems. In Performance Console, a set of counters exists for each object. Table 25.4 describes a few of the available objects.

Table 25.4 Performance Console Objects

Adding Counters

Adding counters to an object, such as the ones described in Table 25.4, allows you to track certain aspects of the objects. You can use the following steps to add counters to an object in Performance Console.

Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Performance.

Performance Console starts.

At the bottom of the console, right-click Counters and click Add Counters.

The Add Counters dialog box appears.

In the Performance Object box, select the object for which you want to add counters.

Ensure that Select Counters From List is selected.

You can add all counters, but that usually provides more information than you need or can interpret.

Select a counter from the list and click Add.

For an explanation of a counter, select it and then click Explain.

NOTEIf you want to add several counters at the same time, you can hold the Ctrl key down to allow you to select individual counters from the list. You can hold down the Shift key if you want to select several counters in a row, and click the first in the list that you want and then click the last in the list that you want to select. All counters listed between the first and last you clicked will automatically be selected.

When you have completed your selection of objects and counters, click Close to return to Performance Console.

Table 25.5 explains a few of the counters you might find useful in evaluating your system's performance.

Table 25.5 Performance Counters

NOTEUpgrading to multiple processors can increase the load on other system
resources. You might need to increase other resources such as disks, memory, and network components to get the maximum benefit out of scaling.

Lesson Summary

In this lesson you learned about scaling, which means adding processors to your system to improve performance. Scaling tends to be more of an issue for the Windows 2000 Server family of products than it is for Windows 2000 Professional because multiprocessor configurations are typically used for processor-intensive applications, such as those on database servers or Web servers.

You also learned to use Device Manager to upgrade drivers whenever a newer version of the driver is released. You can also update drivers to convert your computer from a single processor system to one that supports multiple processors.

You learned as well that you can use Performance Console and its counters to monitor the activity of your symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) system. Performance Console helps you to gauge a computer's efficiency and locate and resolve current or potential problems. Adding counters to an object allows you to track certain aspects of the objects.