Every operating system and application process or service uses central processing unit (CPU) cycles. High CPU use makes every task wait longer for CPU resources, and generally suggests the need for upgrading the CPU or adding multiple processors. However, you should not overlook the architecture and coding of your application's components. Sometimes you can minimize the workload by carefully optimizing a heavily used component.
Fortunately, high CPU use is one of the easiest trends to identify and resolve: you will always get better performance with a faster CPU. Some computer configurations allow for multiple CPUs. Computers with multiple CPUs offer performance potential that exceeds computers with a single CPU, but performance increases may not be linear. Generally, though, additional processors can provide a significant boost in performance, which translates to larger applications, greater numbers of users, and higher general capacity.
If the CPU is a performance bottleneck, you can:
Tip There is one optimization you can make with Windows NT Server that affects how your server uses its CPUs for either foreground or background tasks. The Application Performance Boost parameter is found in the Windows Control Panel System application. To access it, click the Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. In the Control Panel, double-click the System icon, and then click the Performance tab. Depending on what your application requires, you should set this parameter to boost the system priority Windows NT Server places on either foreground or background tasks.
Note You can easily monitor CPU use by using the Window NT Performance Monitor. For more information, see Using Performance Monitor in this chapter.