Monitoring Performance in Active Directory

Using System Monitor to Select Performance Counters

You can select the performance counters that you want to monitor in System Monitor. You can view a graphical representation of the counters by selecting a type of display: chart, histogram, or log file data. Also, when you have a counter selected, you can view a description of that counter and tips on how to improve system performance by clicking the Explain button.

To select Active Directory performance counters to monitor

On the Start menu, click Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Performance. The Performance snap-in appears with a graphical chart displayed in the details pane.
Click the add counter button (+) to display the Add Counters window.
Select the name of the computer that you want to monitor — either the local computer or another domain controller.
Select the NTDS or Database performance object.
Select the performance counters that you want to add, and then click Add. If you need a detailed explanation of the counter, click Explain.

When you are finished, click Close. The counters that you selected appear in the lower part of the screen. System Monitor displays each counter in a unique color.

Note

When creating a monitoring console for export, make sure to select Use local computer counters. Otherwise, System Monitor obtains data from the computer named in the text box, regardless of where the console file is installed. For more information about creating consoles, see the Microsoft Platform SDK link on the Web Resources page at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.

Additional Resources

For more information about the Windows 2000 Platform SDK, see the Microsoft Platform SDK link on the Web Resources page at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.