How to use the Windows Performance Monitor to trace the CPU and memory usage?

Enclosed you'll find an explanation how to configure the Windows performance monitor.

The application can be launched via the Windows startmenu --> All programs --> Control Panel --> Administrative Tools --> Performance Monitor.

To collect data you have to create a "Data Collector Set".

This can be done with the given procedure

-- Click on "Data Collector Sets"

-- Make right click on "User Defined"

-- Select "New" and "Data Collector Set"

-- Enter a Name for the Data Collector Set

If you are working for the first time with the Performance Monitor you have to perform the following steps

-- Select "Create manually (Advanced)"

-- Click on "Next"

-- Select "Create data logs" and the option "Performance counter"

-- Click on "Next"

-- Choose the required "Performance counters" be clicking on "Add"

A dialog is opened where you can select the counters which shall be recorded in the protocol file.

To trace the CPU and memory usage for WinCC OA processes the following counters are selected normally:

Process --> % Processor Time

Process --> Working Set

Process --> Working Set - Private

From the list "Instances of selected object" you have to choose those processes the information shall be saved for. The list shows those processes currently running. Therefore you have to start the WinCC OA project first to be able to select the WinCC OA processes.

Please note that there is no need to select all the processes shown in the list. Only choosing the required information will make the analysis easier due to a smaller amount of information.

Normally the data manager and event manager is selected in all cases as these are the main processes in a WinCC OA system. The other processes are selected on demand, e.g. the UI managers if you want to analyze a UI performance issue, the archive managers if you want to see how the react on saving information in the database.

To get also information for the complete system you can also select the following counters:

Processor --> % Idle Time

Memory --> Available MBytes

After selecting the performance counters the dialog is closed with the "OK" button.

The selected counters will be shown in the configuration dialog.

-- Choose a appropriate "Sample interval".

The sample interval should fit the time how long your tests will run. For a long term test a longer sample interval can be chosen to reduce the amount of data. E.g. long term test for 3 days with a sample interval of 5 minutes.

If you want to record only a short period of time a shorter sample interval is selected.

-- Click on "Next"

-- Choose a directory where the collected data shall be saved

-- Click on "Next"

-- Choose the option "Save and close"

-- Click on "Finish"

The first configuration is now done. Some options need to be set too before starting to collect information.

-- Click on "Data Collector Sets" --> "User Defined" --> "<your data collector set>"

-- In the right table an entry "DataCollector01" is shown

-- Make right click on "DataCollector01"

-- Choose the option "Properties"

In the dialog you can add/remove performance counters or change the sample interval.

Also the file format can be chosen.

It is recommended to use the format "Comma Seperated" or "Tab Seperated". If the information is stored in one of these formats you can make the analysis with a spread sheet application, e.g. Excel.

When using the format "Binary" you can only show the information with the Windows Performance Monitor.

In the tab "File" you can select additional options for the filename.

-- Save the information by clicking the "OK" button

-- Make a right click on "Data Collector Sets" --> "User Defined" --> "<your data collector set>"

-- Choose the option "Properties"

In the dialog additional options can be selected.

At the tab "Directory" you can make additional settings for the directory name where the information is written to.

If you want to stop recording automatically you can make the settings in the tab "Stop condition".

The configuration is now finished.

Collecting information can be stopped/started from the context menu when making a right click on Data Collector Sets" --> "User Defined" --> "<your data collector set>".

If you want to use the same configuration several times you can save it as a template.

-- Make a right click on "Data Collector Sets" --> "User Defined" --> "<your data collector set>"

-- Choose the option "Save Template ..."

The information is stored in an xml-file.

When this template shall be used for a new Data Collector Set you have to use the given procedure.

-- Click on "Data Collector Sets"

-- Make right click on "User Defined"

-- Select "New" and "Data Collector Set"

-- Enter a Name for the Data Collector Set

-- Choose the option "Create from a template (Recommended)"

-- Click on "Next"

-- Select the option "System Performance"

-- Click on "Browse..."

-- Select the template file and confirm your selection

-- Click on "Finish" to save the settings for the Data Collector Set