Using PAL to Analyze SharePoint Performance Monitor Counters

Features -Thresholds files for most of the major Microsoft products such as IIS, MOSS, SQL Server, BizTalk, Exchange, and Active Directory. -An easy to use GUI interface which makes creating batch files for the PAL.ps1 script. -A GUI editor for creating or editing your own threshold files. -Creates an HTML based report for ease of copy/pasting into other applications. -Analyzes performance counter logs for thresholds using thresholds that change their criteria based on the computer's role or hardware specs.

Part 1 - Set Up Pal 1. Go to http://pal.codeplex.com/ and download the latest version of PAL onto your server. 2. Install the program via the Setup.exe file

Part 2 - Set Up Performance Counters 1. Open up the Performance Monitor snap-in (Start -> Run -> perfmon) 2. Expand the “Monitoring Tools” option and Right Click on “Performance Monitor” -> “New” -> “Data Collector Set“ 3. Give the data collector set a name and click on Next 4. Give the location where you want to save the Perfmon Logs and click on Next 5. Here you can provide the Run As user of leave that as the Default user 6. Select the option “Save and Close” and click on Finish 7. Then go back to the Perfmon snap-in main window and you should see a Data Collector set with the same name that you created under Data Collector Sets -> User Defined 8. Click on the Data Collector Set and on the right hand pane, you should see a System Monitor Log Performance Counter. Right click on it and click on properties. 9. Under the Performance Counters tab, add the following SharePoint-specific performance counters required for your data collection. You can for some counters isolate the counters to specific web applications in order to narrow down things a bit:

Part 3 - Process Your Performance Monitor Output Logs with PAL 1. Open up PAL from the Windows Start Menu: