Analyzing Your Current System

  • Article

Analyzing your current system configuration can help you better understand how it affects overall system performance. After you have analyzed your site, you can use the information you gathered to tune and scale all areas of your site. For example, you may want to change the configuration, adjust the way the software works, or improve the hardware.

As you tune and scale your site, you may need to make changes to your current configuration. You must know the current configuration of your system in order to accurately determine the affect a change in configuration has on performance. Analysis of the baseline configuration of your system should include an assessment of the following:

  • Hardware: Inventory each computer configuration, including boards, peripherals (excluding mouse or keyboard), and network devices. Create a system diagram to show how parts are logically connected and what purpose they serve. For example, indicate whether a server is a Web server or a database server. The following figure shows an example hardware diagram.

Hardware configuration diagram

  • Network configuration. Your network configuration inventory should include:

    • CPU type, speed, quantity, cache size, and cache settings
    • Memory type, quantity, and size
    • Disk subsystem controller card
    • Disk speed and drive type
    • SCSI protocol and Fiber protocol

  • Software. Describe the software used on each computer and how it interacts with software on other computers. When documenting the software installed on each computer, include the following:

    • Build numbers.
    • Logical interface between applications. For example, if an application is retrieving data from a table in a database, describe that relationship.
    • Service packs.
    • Setup options used when installing the software.
    • System settings. For example, document your virtual memory configuration, such as /3GB switch. Document your IIS isolation level, and your IIS Server Manager settings, for example, session state caching (off/on), ASP debugging (should be off), and ASP buffering (should be off).

    In addition to describing your software configuration, create a software diagram. The following figure shows an example software diagram.

    Software configuration diagram

  • Content. Describe the content that has been added to each type of server since Commerce Server 2002 was installed. For example, you should document each file and the directory structure in which files are stored on Web servers and database servers. You should also document information, such as permission settings, for the file system, database scripts, configuration files, data files, and so on.

  • Load balancing. Describe any places where you are using Network Load Balancing (NLB). For example, have you scaled your site across multiple servers using NLB or hardware load balancing?

  • Document your management practices. Describe how log files are archived when databases are backed up. Describe how databases are distributed across disks.

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