The Performance tab enables you to
view the CPU, memory, and Ethernet usage in graphical form. This
information is especially useful when you need a quick view of a CPU or
memory performance bottleneck.
One of the most noticeably functionally
enhanced tabs in Windows Server 2012, the Performance tab, now includes
dynamic graphs, showing additional details for CPU, memory, disk, and
Ethernet utilization. As seen in Figure 1,
selecting an item in the left frame (CPU for example) produces details
on utilization, speed, processes, threads, handles, and uptime in a
detailed frame on the right side.
Figure 1. A side-by-side comparison of
a Windows Server 2008 R2 (left) & Windows Server 2012 (right) Task
Manager focused on the Performance tab. Systems shown have eight
logical processors.
First look at enhancements:
• Hovering over the heat map reveals the processor ID when the graph view is set to Logical Processors.
• Double-clicking the frame on the
right, which hosts the charts, reduces Task Manager to a minimalist
view (and double-clicking again reverts back to full view).
Note
Similar views, detailed frames, and minimalist views, similar to what is shown in Figure 2, are available for memory utilization and network throughput.
Figure 2. CPU utilization: minimalist view.
The color-shaded heat map has been touted for
its ability to better scale and capture comparisons in real time. The
idea is as simple as it is useful. Supporting 160 logical cores on one
screen (16 across x 10 down) or up to 640 (with a scrollbar), the CPU
utilization screen is the biggest obvious benefiter of this new
feature. In Figure 3,
courtesy of Microsoft, you see a comparison of a Windows Server 2008
Task Manager to a Windows Server 2012 Task Manager on systems that have
160 logical processors. Whereas previously you would have up to 160
little graphs, you now have up to 160 little boxes with shades of blue.
(The darker the color, the higher the utilization.)
Figure 3. The Performance tab: graphs versus heat map.
