Monitoring and controlling services on computers

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Monitoring and controlling services on computers

  • Using the Windows interface

  • Using command-line tools

Using the Windows interface

The following table lists some of the most common tasks for monitoring and controlling services, and the tools you can use to perform them. For more information, click the corresponding link under "Tool or feature".

Task Tool or feature

Collect performance data automatically from local or remote computers, and package data so that it can be viewed by System Monitor or exported to a spreadsheet or database for further analysis and report generation.

Performance Logs and Alerts overview

Track how often users shut down or restart their computers.

Shutdown Event Tracker

Display system configuration information for local and remote computers, including hardware configurations, computer components, software and drivers.

System Information

Collect and view extensive data about the usage of hardware resources and the activity of system services on your computer or other computers on the network.

System Monitor overview

View and change system properties on a local or remote computer.

System Properties

Monitor key indicators of your computer's performance.

Task Manager overview

Synchronize time on the computers in your network.

Windows Time Service

For more information about monitoring and controlling services on computers, see "Part Four: Operating System Services" at the Microsoft Windows Resource Kits Web site.

Using command-line tools

The following table lists some of the most common tasks for monitoring and controlling services, and the command-line tools you can use to perform them. For more information, click the corresponding link under "Command-line tool."

Task Command-line tool

Configure the translation of events to traps, trap destinations, or both based on information in a configuration file.

Evntcmd

Register new Performance counter names and Explain text for a service or device driver; saves or restore counter settings and explain text.

Lodctr

Manage and schedule performance counter and event trace log collections on local and remote computers.

Logman

Display system status, change system settings, or reconfigure ports or devices.

Mode

Display a comprehensive view of the hardware, system components, and software environment on the local computer.

Msinfo32

Open a Performance console configured with the System Monitor Active-X control and the Performance Logs and Alerts Service snap-in in the Microsoft Management Console.

Perfmon

Extract performance counters from performance counter logs into other formats, such as text-TSV (for tab-delimited text), text-CSV (for comma-delimited text), binary-BIN, or SQL.

Relog

Communicate with the Service Controller and installed services; retrieve or set control information about services.

SC

Display detailed configuration information about a computer and its operating system, including operating system configuration, security information, product ID, and hardware properties, such as RAM, disk space, and network cards.

Systeminfo

End one or more tasks or processes.

Taskkill

Display a list of applications, services, and the Process ID (PID) currently running on either a local or a remote computer.

Tasklist

Process event trace logs or real-time data from instrumented event trace providers, and generate trace analysis reports and CSV (comma-delimited) files for the events generated.

Tracerpt

Display performance counter data.

Typeperf

Remove performance counter names and explain text for a service or device driver from the system registry.

Unlodctr

Diagnose problems occurring with Windows Time.

W32tm

For more information about the command shell, see Command shell overview. For information about tools used to manage the command-prompt window, see Manage the command-prompt window. For an alphabetical list of all of the command-line tools, see Command-line reference A-Z.