WINDOWS SYSTEM RESOURCE MANAGER - WINDOWS SERVER 2003
Description: Windows System Resource Manager (WSRM) is a feature of Windows Server 2003, Enterprise and Datacenter editions. Using WSRM, administrators can control how CPU resources are allocated to applications, services, and processes. Managing these resources improves system performance and reduces the chance that these applications, services, or processes will interfere with the rest of the system. WSRM also creates a more consistent and predictable experience for users. WSRM is an improvement in resource management that is included in Windows Server 2003, that supports the Microsoft Dynamic Systems Initiative (DSI).
The aim of Windows System Resource Manager is to ensure that system resources are available to processes, users, Remote Desktop Services sessions, or Internet Information Services (IIS) application pools (collectively called workloads). If unmanaged, these workloads can contend for and exhaust the system resources. However, there are situations in which Windows System Resource Manager is not an appropriate management solution or cannot guarantee sufficient resources to server workloads.
Scoping the Issue:
Windows System Resource Manager is available as a
download for Windows Server 2003
. If you have installed Windows Server 2003 from the Evaluation Kit, you can download WSRM using the download link on this page. WSRM is included in the retail version of Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, and also is included with all OEM versions of Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition. No additional download is required for retail versions of Windows Server 2003.
If it appears that Windows System Resource Monitor is not functioning properly after starting, export the configuration and include it with data that is gathered below.
Note: Windows System Resource Manager cannot manage system resources correctly if the computer is being managed by another resource manager, including process-oriented and job object-oriented resource managers. For best results, use Windows System Resource Manager as the only resource manager on the computer.
What should not be managed by Windows System Resource Manager
- Applications with built-in resource management : Applications and processes that modify their process priority, memory limits, or processor affinity dynamically can interfere with the correct operation of Windows System Resource Manager.
- Applications that use job objects : Some applications create processes that use job objects. Processes that use job objects cannot be managed by Windows System Resource Manager. To determine whether an application uses job objects, see the documentation for the application.
What is not managed by Windows System Resource Manager
- Applications or processes hosted by an excluded application : Exercise caution when adding processes that host other processes or applications to the user-defined exclusion list. If an application such as svchost.exe is added to the user-defined exclusion list, any process that it hosts could potentially consume all available resources because it is not managed. If the hosting process is not on the user-defined exclusion list, it and any processes it hosts will be managed as part of a criterion match or as part of the default group.
- Resources used by the operating system : Processor and memory resources that are used by the operating system are excluded from management by Windows System Resource Manager. For example, if the operating system is using 25 percent of the available CPU on a system that is managed by the Equal_Per_User resource allocation policy, each of three users who are running processes on the computer will be allocated 25 percent of the total CPU, which is 33.33 percent of the CPU that is available to be managed.
Data Gathering: In all instances, collecting either MPS Reports with the General, Internet and Networking, Business Networks and Server Components diagnostics, or a Performance-oriented MSDT manifest must be done. If you are experiencing issues with installing WSRM, you will also need to get the SETUPAPI.LOG file in c:\windows and send it in for review.
Additional Resources:
- TechNet: Windows System Resource Manager (Download)
- TechNet: Windows System Resource Manager Frequently Asked Questions
- Windows System Resource Manager Fast Facts
- Microsoft KB Article 925138: The accounting function of Windows System Resource Manager (WSRM)...
- Microsoft KB Article 330018: Limitations When You Run Windows System Resource Management (WSRM...
- AskPerf Blog: Two Minute Drill: Introduction to Windows System Resource Manager (WSRM)