Monitoring and Tuning Your Server
Monitoring and Tuning Your Server |
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The Cache Manager in Windows 2000 adjusts the size of the File System Cache based on whether a computer is a workstation or a server, the amount of physical memory in the computer, and the applications and services the computer is supporting. In general, it is counterproductive to override the Cache Manager and manipulate the cache size directly. If the cache is too small to be effective, it is better to increase the amount of physical memory in the computer, or to redistribute memory-intensive applications to other servers.
Use the Memory\ Cache Bytes counter to monitor the size of the File System Cache. Task Manager also displays the size of the File System Cache in the File Cache field under Physical Memory on the Performance tab. A log of cache size reveals how the size of the File System Cache changes over time. Compare this data to a measure of general memory availability, such as data from the Memory\ Available Bytes counter. In general, when memory is scarce the system trims the cache, and when memory is ample the system enlarges the cache.
Note the points in the log when the cache is smallest. Keep track of how small the cache gets, and how often that happens. Also, note how much system memory is available when the cache size is reduced. This data is useful when associating the size of the cache with its performance. (To put this another way, if performance degrades when the cache is large, you should consider adding RAM. If performance degrades when the cache is small, you should consider leaving objects in the cache longer before you allow them to be flushed.)