Product Description
From the Inside Flap
Someone asked me what this book is about, and my response was surprisingly simple, "It is all about making computers go faster, specifically Windows 2000 solutions go faster." When someone feels that their application is running slowly, it doesn't matter why. Is it a network problem? Is it a Windows 2000 Server issue, or perhaps a troublesome desktop? In this book, we focus on making Windows 2000 Server, workstations, and networks operate at their very best, so together they can provide the maximum performance possible. What are the common performance questions that surround Windows 2000 systems today? Can Windows 2000 actually be tuned? Where do I start when sizing a new Windows 2000 system? What size system is required? Will it scale as needed? Why does system performance appear sluggish? How do you determine if Windows 2000 has a bottleneck from a lack of resources? How can we help our solution to scale? Anyone developing Windows 2000 solutions commonly runs into these questions. Performance related issues arise in many enterprises; this book will help you to resolve these questions and more. The concepts and recommendations in this book are experience based, not just regurgitation of available reference material.
Feedback from my first book Tuning and Sizing NT Server (Prentice Hall, 1998) has been excellent. Some of these responses are posted on TuningAndSizingNT, while others have been incorporated into this book. Although many of the core performance concepts have stayed the same from Windows NT to Windows 2000, the approaches have been enhanced through continued research, testing, benchmarking, and developing new solutions from the workgroup to the enterprise level. A tremendous amount of new information and proven techniques is incorporated in this book. Approximately 50% of the material in this book is new. Key areas include: new Windows 2000 performance monitoring tools; new Windows 2000 tuning options; evaluation of the latest system technologies; insight into how Windows 2000 operates internally to take advantage of these technologies; and sizing and performance information on the latest disk, memory, and CPU subsystems.
This book takes a practical approach to tuning and sizing Windows 2000 systems so that you can immediately begin to maximize Windows 2000's overall performance. My approach is to discuss and characterize system-level hardware technologies and then explain how Windows 2000 takes advantage of them. Once this knowledge base is in place, the guesswork that revolves around tuning and sizing is eliminated. This in turn enables you to make more intelligent decisions regarding your Windows 2000 system's performance and optimization. Instead of providing lists of registry or other Windows 2000 variables that could possibly be changed (or found in the Windows 20000 documentation), specific rules of thumb are provided to help you get a jump start in the tuning and sizing of your Windows 2000 solution.
To help you integrate all of the information provided in this book, the final chapter incorporates in-depth sizing and tuning solution scenarios for File Servers and Server Consolidation, Backup Servers, Mail (Exchange) Servers, Database (Microsoft SQL 7) Servers, and Web (Microsoft IIS 5) Servers. These solution scenarios utilize the strategies; methodologies; rules of thumb; and bottleneck detection, tuning, and sizing techniques presented to size and then tune each solution. Specific application, Windows 2000, system and network component-level recommendations and performance test results are provided.
It is important to note that although numerous specific recommendations are provided, the concepts and principles discussed are applicable even as new Windows versions are released and server technology continues to improve. Of course the tools used to implement these concepts and principles will change. You can keep up with the new tools that can help your performance improvement efforts by periodically visiting TuningAndSizingNT. This web site also provides a location to share information surrounding the performance of Windows-based solutions.Organization
Tuning and Sizing Windows 2000 follows the same approach as the Tuning and Sizing NT Server and jumps right in, with chapter 1 providing a series of quick tips and ideas that can be implemented immediately. These rules of thumb are ready to use as is, but are not thoroughly explained in the chapter. For those familiar with Windows 2000 and Windows NT, chapter 1 is a great place to start in the tuning process, while the beginner should consider the chapter a preview of what is to come and then move on to chapter 2. Continue reading the subsequent chapters to learn when to use the quick tips, what they do, and how to implement them and even more advanced techniques. A structured performance methodology is reviewed in chapter 2. In chapter 3, capacity planning of Windows 2000 is explored, providing a structured sizing methodology that discusses using native Windows 2000 tools, Windows 2000 support and resource kit tools, and freeware available for download from the Internet.
From there, the chapters follow a general information flow explaining the performance characteristics of system resources (CPU, memory, disk, and networks) from a system and component level; how Windows 2000 utilizes these system resources; and how to size the specific subsystems, detect bottlenecks, and explore specific tuning recommendations. Leading by example is something I consider important; who wants to end up like those humorous commercials that ask consultants to implement, and they don't know how! I use the techniques recommended in this book, and in chapter 8 I show you how.Audience
Tuning and Sizing Windows 2000 is targeted for anyone who desires to learn where to start when sizing a new Windows 2000 solution (or migrating from a Windows NT-based system) or tuning a Windows 2000-based solution to operate faster than ever. To meet these goals, the following are investigated: hardware technology (workstation, server, and network), system design, Windows 2000 internals, system administration techniques, performance tool usage, and commercially available benchmarks. This book is not a basic system administration or troubleshooting book that also has some performance related information as an add-on. Here the focus is 100% on performance. Other facets of Windows 2000 solutions such as security, availability, system administration, and troubleshooting are mentioned as needed but only to enhance the performance or sizing of the overall Windows 2000 solution.
Everyone wants a high-performing system that is big enough to get the job done well, will efficiently use the resources that are available, and is not so overly configured that end users cannot use what they have purchased. With these thoughts in mind, performance should always be a consideration when developing a computer-based solution: system architects, system and network administrators, system engineers, software developers, and other IS professionals who develop or manage solutions based on Windows 2000 will find this book particularly helpful. This book helps those developing and managing Windows 2000 solutions to acquire a better understanding of the performance concepts involved with implementing specific solutions.
The book assumes a general knowledge of Windows 2000 or at least Windows NT planning, design, and administration. Because of this assumption, this book is targeted for medium to advanced levels. For some, much of this information will be new. Others may not feel comfortable with some of the advanced "Thinking Outside the Box" sections, while advanced Windows 2000 and Windows NT users may gravitate to these sections. Regardless of your experience level, you should review chapters 1, 2, 3, and 8 and then select the other material as it relates to your particular environment.
Which version of Windows 2000 is targeted? The entire family. The concepts are applicable to all versions of the Windows 2000 family of operating systems. Although the greatest focus is on Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Advanced Server technology, wherever the other server technologies differ, they are brought to your attention.
Accompanying this book is a web site (TuningAndSizingNT) dedicated to the performance of Windows 2000 and NT that provides updates on Windows 2000 technology and book errata.
