CertiGuide to A+ (A+ 4 Real)  9  Chapter 1: What are Operating Systems and How Do They Work?       9  System Configuration Tools            9  Performance Logs and Alerts

Performance Logs and Alerts 1 Checking the System Monitor Log

To demonstrate this, we will create an alert that triggers when the CPU is less than 99% idle (which will allow us to see the result of the alert immediately).

First, right click on the “Alerts” item under “Performance Logs and Alerts” and select “New Alert Settings”. Type “Example Alert” into the dialog box that appears, and click OK. You are presented with Figure 119.

The next task is to add the counters we wish to monitor in this case, percentage processor time. Click the “Add” button to display the “Select Counters” dialog. Select “Processor” in the “Performance Object” drop down list, click on “% Processor Time” in the counters list and click on “_Total” in the instances list⁸.

As you can see, there is a large amount of counters available for monitoring. Before closing the dialog, click the “Explain” button. A helpful window appears with a complete description of the selected counter.

The “Explain” button is very useful to be aware of, as the counter names can often be obscure or misleading.

Click the “Add” button to select the counter and dismiss the selection dialog. The next task is to configure how the alert will behave. To trigger the alert at 99% idle CPU, select “Under” from the “Alert when value is” drop down list, and type “99” into the “Limit” edit box. No further configuration is required; however click through the “Action” and “Schedule” tabs to be aware of what options are available. “OK” the dialog and the newly configured alert will appear in the MMC window.

Performance Logs and Alerts 1 Checking the System Monitor Log