To start logging information:
1. Expand
Performance Logs And Alerts.
2. Highlight
Counter Logs.
3. Right-click
on Counter Logs and select New Log Settings, as shown in Figure C.
1. Enter
a name and click OK.
2. In
the General tab, add your counters, as shown in Figure D.
1. Click
the Log Files tab to set the specific log file information. This could include
location and/or file size limit.
2. Click
the Schedule tab to schedule your Performance monitoring. If you do not
configure a time, the log file will continue to record information until you
manually stop it.
3. Click
OK.
To analyze the data you have logged, you must open the log file and specify the
appropriate attributes. To load your logged data:
1. Open
System Monitor.
2. Click
the View Log File Data button to open the dialog box shown in Figure E.
Figure E.
1. Click
the Add button to add your log file. This file is located in the Perflogs
folder in the root directory (usually C:\Perflogs).
2. Use
the Time Range slider to set your Performance monitor to a specific time.
3. In
the Data tab, choose the counters you want to view. (You can choose only
counters that you recorded in the logged operation.)
4. In
the Graph and Appearance tabs, choose your type of grid and colors. Click OK.
After loading the data, you can view a report of your findings or adjust the
Time Range to fit your needs. You can even open the data in Excel and create
graphs to track database growth or to produce any other report you need.
The Performance monitor gives you full control of your system by allowing you
to monitor and forecast SQL Server performance. By using this tool on a regular
basis, you will ensure that your database server is tuned, lubed, and ready to
go.
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