System cache in Visual C#.NET

Encode QR-Code in Visual C#.NET System cache

The system cache settings affect servers much more than you might think. Consider the following example. A Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) server running Windows Server 2003 had 512 megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM). The IIS server was very busy and serviced a large Web site with many pages. With memory caching optimized for system cache, the server reserved approximately 140 MB of RAM for the system cache. IIS reserves 50 percent of the available RAM for its file cache, which in this case was about 186 MB of RAM (half the 372 MB that remained). By using this setting, the server performed well but not as good as was expected. With memory caching optimized for programs, the server reserved approximately 72 MB of RAM for the system cache, which freed up an additional 68 MB of RAM for applications. This allowed IIS to reserve 220 MB of RAM (50 percent of the available 440 MB of RAM) for its file cache. The server performed considerably better because it had more RAM available for file cache and had to access the disk less often. The downside of this approach however is that the smaller system cache can negatively affect the performance of other services running on the server, so a more practical solution would be to choose the system cache option and add more RAM.

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Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Inside Out You can check or change processor-scheduling and memory usage configuration by using the Advanced tab of the Performance Options dialog box. Click the Advanced tab in the System utility, and then click the Settings button in the Performance panel to display the Performance Options dialog box. Then select the Advanced tab, as shown in the following screen, in the Performance Options dialog box.

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Behind the scenes when you optimize the way a server uses system cache, the server makes several assumptions about how it should be configured to handle user requests, file handles, and client connections, collectively referred to as data throughput options. If the server is configured to adjust for best performance of the system cache, the system increases the amount of memory reserved for the system cache and it maximizes data throughput for file sharing. Here, the server dedicates as many resources as possible to handling user requests, file handles, and client connections. This improves responsiveness and can also improve performance for user, file, and client actions and should be used with Active Directory, file, print, and Network And Communications servers. If the server is configured to adjust for best performance of programs, the system reduces the amount of memory reserved for the system cache and it maximizes data throughput for network applications. Here, the server optimizes itself for distributed applications that manage their own memory cache, such as IIS and Microsoft SQL Server. This reduces the size of the system cache because fewer resources are allocated for user requests, file handles, and client connections and should be used with application, Web, and streaming media servers.

Performance Monitoring and Tuning In most cases, these data throughput configurations work well. However, if servers have mixed usage, such as a server that provides Active Directory services and application services, you might need to change the data throughput options. Usually this means configuring the server to balance the needs of the mixed-usage environment. When the server attempts to balance data throughput, it allocates some additional resources for handling requests, file handles, and client connections, but not as much as when it is configured to maximize data throughput for file sharing. You might also find that you want the server to reserve as little memory as possible for data throughput. In this minimal-memory configuration, you free up memory for other purposes, but the server is set to serve a small number of users. Data throughput is optimized by using File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks. You access this networking component by using the system s Local Area Connections Properties dialog box. Servers with multiple network adapters have multiple network connections, and you should optimize each of the related local area network connections as appropriate. To get started, access Network Connections in Control Panel. Right-click Local Area Connection, and then select Properties. This displays the Properties dialog box. In this dialog box, double-click File And Printer Sharing For Microsoft Networks to display the File And Printer Sharing For Microsoft Networks dialog box, as shown in the following screen. In the Server Optimization tab, select the appropriate optimization setting, and then click OK. You must reboot the server for these changes to take effect.