Using Performance Monitor to Monitor SMS Executive Threads

• Microsoft Systems Management Server versions 1.0, 1.1 and 1.20

SUMMARY

Because the Systems Management Server Executive is a wrapper containing the actual Systems Management Server services for many functions in the Site, they are run as threads and are, therefore, not subject to many of the convenient Performance Monitor (PERFMON.EXE) features available to process- level statistics.

This article describes how to monitor each thread for certain counters and how to isolate performance issues within the Executive.

MORE INFORMATION

To use Performance Monitor and the Windows NT Registry Editor to monitor and isolate Systems Management Server Executive performance issues to certain threads:

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.

1. Run Performance Monitor, and for the Object Thread, select %Processor Time, ID Thread, and all SMS_EXEC instances.

2. Monitor each thread's %Processor Time and identify the instance number in Performance Monitor for the thread that takes the most processor time.

3. Find the ID Thread item that has the same instance number as the thread you identified in step 2 and select this ID Thread with the mouse. Note that its Last and Average status indicators have the same value. This value is the decimal thread ID.

4. Convert the decimal thread ID to a hexadecimal (hex) number to get the Windows NT thread ID for that SMS Component thread of the Executive.

5. Start Registry Editor (REGEDT32.EXE).

   a. From the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree, go to the following subkey:

            \SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SMS\Components\SMS_EXECUTIVE\Threads
   
      b. Compare the thread ID of each component to the hex number from
         step 4.
   
         If they match, you have found the SMS Executive thread component
         responsible for the %Processor Time usage identified in Perfmon.
   
   

More Troubleshooting Tips

To watch each task the identified thread component performs and the associated %Processer Time usage, use the SMSTrace tool and monitor the component log file beside the Performance Monitor window. When the log file goes idle, expect the %Processer Time usage of the component's thread to go idle also.

To learn about other statistics of the thread, look at additional counters, for example, %User Time, etc.