Take some time and review this recent (August 2009) posting on this issue. If you manage/monitor Windows servers and watch server performance, this article will give you a better understanding of the ins/outs of interpreting CPU utilization.

Here’s 4 of the top 9 takeaways that you will learn by reading this article:

Summary of Key Takeaways

Key takeaway #1: Processor of type A @ 100% utilization IS NOT EQUAL TO Processor of type B @ 100% utilization

Key takeaway #2: 2 HW threads on the same package @ 100% utilization IS NOT EQUAL TO 2 HW threads on different packages @ 100% utilization (for better or worse)

Key takeaway #3: 2 HW threads on the same logical core @ 100% utilization IS NOT EQUAL TO 2 HW threads on different logical cores @ 100% utilization (for better or worse)

Key takeaway #4: 2 HW threads on the same NUMA node @ 100% utilization IS NOT EQUAL TO 2 HW threads on different NUMA nodes @ 100% utilization (for better or worse)

Thanks for reading and let’s continue to be good network citizens!

• Network Diagnostic Tool

  Test your connection speed and receive sophisticated diagnosis of problems limiting speed.

• Glasnost

  Test whether BitTorrent is being blocked or throttled.

• Network Path and Application Diagnosis

  Diagnose common problems that impact last-mile broadband networks.

• DiffProbe (coming soon)

  Determine whether an ISP is giving some traffic a lower priority than other traffic.

• NANO (coming soon)

  Determine whether an ISP is degrading the performance of a certain subset of users, applications, or destinations.

What other professional development and/or tracking tools do you use in your job?  Please leave some feedback and let me know what you use or if this Printable CEO made a difference in your job.

• Scheduling. Identify work and non-work schedules to optimize power schemes based on when your PC is in use or on standby.
• Settings. Choose from among several options for power savings and settings.
• Estimated Savings Reports. Find information that shows how PC power settings correlate to money, kWh and CO2 savings.
• Intuitive User Interface. Drag easy-to-use sliding bars to choose settings and instantly see the power and monetary savings. Clearly marked tabs make the interface easy to navigate.

So… if you want to reduce your carbon footprint in 2009, check this out. I know I will.

The first of these is called the BubbleTimer. It  is meant to help you meet your goals through better time management. This may be useful if you are a consultant or need a way to quickly track time on projects.

Hope this is of use to you in 2009!

The next tool I would like to describe is NeDi – short for network discovery. Take a look at this 4 minute movie about NeDi and what it can do for you.

A week with NeDi

Are you impressed yet? I know I was when I discovered this network tool and how it can be used and extended. Some of the screenshots below may help you with the decision if this tool will work for your environment or not.

Network Health

Device Listing

Network Map

Node Status

Device Write

I’m sure you have other tools and processes you use. Please feel free to share them with the others here and help make someone else’s life easier. Enjoy the movie above. I think the guy has a very good sense of humor and knows his movies!

This project includes powerful and useful tools and add-ons for SharePoint that help developers and IT pros implement SharePoint based solutions more quickly and managed them more effectively. Contributions will come from the Microsoft SharePoint Product Group, Microsoft SharePoint Online Services Group, Microsoft Information Technology Group, and Microsoft Consulting Services Group.

I have personally used the CopyTimer utility  to measure throughput from remote sites to a SharePoint server. It worked well and helped gather some excellent data about the site and global network performance.

Enjoy using these tools and give me some feedback on what you find useful and how SharePoint provides value to your organization.

There is even a video of Dr. Vinton G. Cerf, vice president and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google. He is responsible for identifying new enabling technologies and applications on the Internet and other platforms for the company. Widely known as a “Father of the Internet,” Vint is the co-designer with Robert Kahn of TCP/IP protocols and basic architecture of the Internet.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Process Monitor is an advanced monitoring tool for Windows that shows real-time file system, Registry and process/thread activity. It combines the features of two legacy Sysinternals utilities, Filemon and Regmon, and adds an extensive list of enhancements including rich and non-destructive filtering, comprehensive event properties such session IDs and user names, reliable process information, full thread stacks with integrated symbol support for each operation, simultaneous logging to a file, and much more. Its uniquely powerful features will make Process Monitor a core utility in your system troubleshooting and malware hunting toolkit.

Process Monitor runs on Windows 2000 SP4 with Update Rollup 1, Windows XP SP2, Windows Server 2003 SP1, and Windows Vista as well as x64 versions of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 SP1 and Windows Vista.

I had previously talked about the Sysinternals Live website. This update to one of the excellent tools is well worth your time in investigating. Take a look at the updated tool here. The entire Sysinternals toolset can be found here.

If you have not used these tools yet, then you are definitely missing a critical item for being successful in your IT position. Check them out… it may save your reputation some time!