Summary: long-term monitoring of performance data is valuable in many ways, for ConfigMgr or otherwise. Done simply and efficiently, you can implement a solution quickly and at little cost. You can then do simple reporting or enhance the data for more substantial reporting.

Thanks go to Shitanshu Verma for building the intiial solution for Microsoft IT.

The basics of the solution are:

• On the server where the data will be stored:
• Create a database. Name it PerfData, for example
• Create two tables
• use the attached table definitions or use relog.exe to have the tables created automatically
• Create an index on the table

• CREATE NONCLUSTERED INDEX [IDX_CounterID] ON [dbo].[CounterData] ( [CounterID] ASC ) ON [PRIMARY]

• Thanks to our co-worker Benjamin Reynolds for confirming this was a safe addition (at least in our environment)
• On the computers to be monitored:
• Add the computer account of the server doing the performance monitoring to the local admin group
• Create a DSN
• go to Administrative Tools
• select Data Sources (ODBC)
• select the System DSN tab, and click Add...
• ensure SQL Server is added, and click Finish
• enter a name, such as PerfData, and the SQL Server name, and then click Next
• use the defaults and click Next
• change the default database to the database above (PerfData in the example), and click Next
• use the defaults and click Next
• test the data source, and then click OK
• obtain a counters file
• use the attached example as a starting point
• add or remove counters as needed
• Use logman.exe to create a performance monitor writing to the DSN
• logman.exe create counter PerfData -f sql -o PerfData -cf <countersfile>.txt -si 15:00
• Create a scheduled task to restart logman when the server reboots

There are plenty of blog postings that refer to similar solutions but IMHO they provide minimal details and implement the solution in less than optimal ways (at least for our needs). The most substantial references are:

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa373198(v=VS.85).aspx
• http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=136332
• especially http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc788038(WS.10).aspx
• http://blogs.technet.com/askperf/archive/2008/05/13/two-minute-drill-logman-exe.aspx

[more details to come. I know I'm overdue but I haven't had time to polish this posting]

Over the years I've accumulated a lot of SMS and ConfigMgr related swag. The best stuff has always had a place of honor in my offices but never anything truly worthy. Fortunately the recent rebuild of my home office gave an opportunity to correct that injustice. The result:

I'll be looking hard this week for worthy additions.

And if you think I'm a sick puppy for having a Wall o'Swag, you'll be especially concerned to hear that the art in my bedroom is an SMS 2003 poster with autographs of most of the SMS 2003 product team members:

(thanks go to Mitch Groeneveld for organizing that) (and I could have sworn I blogged this picture years ago, but I can't find an earlier posting)

Summary: I'm attending MMS for the 13th time! I hope you'll attend my presentation.

Can you believe it's April already? Yes, it's our favorite month of the year - Microsoft Management Summit month! (ok, maybe it's not the favorite month for all of you, but it's got to be a close second or third.) I'm honored to be speaking on the Microsoft IT ConfigMgr story:

As noted in a previous post, I've spoken on similar topics 5 times previously at this conference (out of 19 presentations) - it has been a very popular topic, with lots of subtopics, so I'm confident it will be something you will enjoy. We manage a challenging environment but have a great team which often works with the ConfigMgr product team itself, so we're pleased to share insights that we expect will be useful in your operations.

On a personal level I'm amazed that I'm now up to 13 times attending (and speaking at) the conference. I remember being blown away to realize that I had hit number 10 a few years ago. The pattern just keeps rolling on. It's very cool to me. It will be a pleasure to see old friends and new.

p.s. Those that follow this blog will have noted that I've been very absent lately. Blogging always comes and goes in waves but I have been particularly neglectful in the last 7+ months. The reality is that a lot of my work over the last couple of years has been very 'research' oriented and thus hasn't lent itself to blogging (as much as I wish I could). I've partially compensated for that by being reasonably active on Facebook, though that's not technical, and I'm working on a new blog for my latest hobby - electronics. Eventually the recent projects will get to a public stage. And I'm planning to do a series here on the history of SMS, which I'm very excited about.