Project Description
Ever have a performance problem, but don't know what performance counters to collect or how to analyze them? The PAL (Performance Analysis of Logs) tool is a powerful tool that reads in a performance monitor counter log and analyzes it using known thresholds.

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 critieria based on the computer's role or hardware specs.

To use PAL

The PAL tool is primarily a PowerShell script that requires arguments/parameters passed to it in order to properly analyze performance monitor logs.

Requirements

Operating Systems
Tested on Windows 7, but should run on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Required Products (free and public):
- PowerShell v2.0 or greater.
- Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1
- Microsoft Chart Controls for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5

Known Issues
PAL must be ran under an English-US locale until globalization can be added. We are looking for assistance from users like you to help contribute to this cause.

Download locations:

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 (Partial package - internet access required)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=AB99342F-5D1A-413D-8319-81DA479AB0D7&displaylang=en

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 (full package - no internet access required)
http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/0/e/20e90413-712f-438c-988e-fdaa79a8ac3d/dotnetfx35.exe

Microsoft Chart Controls for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=130f7986-bf49-4fe5-9ca8-910ae6ea442c&DisplayLang=en

Training
Download it (20071005IntrotoPALwmv.zip) from:
https://www.codeplex.com/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ProjectName=PAL&ReleaseId=6759

Related Blogs and Reviews
Clint Huffman's Windows Performance Analysis Blog
http://blogs.technet.com/clint_huffman

Mike Lagase's Exchange Performance Analysis Blog
http://blogs.technet.com/mikelag/archive/2008/08/20/performance-troubleshooting-using-the-pal-tool.aspx

Get a Handle on Windows Performance Analysis (Windows IT Pro Magazine)
http://windowsitpro.com/Windows/Articles/ArticleID/101162/pg/2/2.html

Two Exchange Server Tools You Should Know About
http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/100132/two-exchange-server-tools-you-should-know-about.html

Questions, Problems, or Feedback: Please post to the Discussions section of the web site or email clinth@microsoft.com.

Last edited Sep 29, 2010 at 4:57 AM by ClintH, version 30