TrendTrak

Track your users

INTRAK's TrendTrak is a client/server statistics collection andanalysis tool for Windows NT servers. The program collects, archives, and graphsstatistical data on your server so that you can better manage your environmentand evaluate future hardware and software needs based on historical data andprojected activity.

Installation and Setup
To use TrendTrak, you must install both the client and server components.These installations are simple. After you insert the distribution disk and runthe setup.exe program, you can copy the necessary program files to your serveror workstation. After you complete the installation, you must run the ServerSetup (nttmaint.exe) program to tell TrendTrak which statistics to collect, andthen run the Collector (nttrakit.exe) program to start the collection process.Each night at midnight, the software rolls over the statistics file. Regardlessof when TrendTrak collects the data, you can't review statistics until then.

TrendTrak measures your NT system's performance and collects a variety ofstatistics, such as SQL Server-related and standard operating system (OS) data,memory utilization, disk I/O, and network traffic. You decide duringinstallation and setup which parameters you want to collect data for. Thesoftware includes documentation explaining the different statistics you can gather. You'll need to review the documentation and select the statistics appropriate for your environment. A technical understanding of what the different statistics are is helpful.

TrendTrak's Components
TrendTrak is composed of three components or programs: Server Setup(nttmaint.exe), Collector (nttrakit.exe), and Analysis (trndtrak.exe). TheServer Setup and Collector components, which run on your NT server, maintain thestatistics lists and collect data. You use the Server Setup component to tellthe Collector component what statistics to collect. The Collector componentwrites a record to a data file every 15 minutes, giving you 96 measurementpoints per day.

Screen 1 shows how TrendTrak records data with the Collector component.Because the software constantly writes data, you'll need approximately 200KB ofavailable disk space per day and 60MB of disk space for the TrendTrak annualarchive. TrendTrak's Analysis component, which runs on any 32-bit platform (suchas NT or Windows 95), is the client software. This program retrieves statisticaldata from the servers and displays the data graphically so that you can monitoryour servers' performance. To compare current and past activity, you can displayup to four graphs on a page that show the same statistic type recorded atdifferent times.

Establishing a Baseline
As with any software that provides long-term statistical analysis, you needto establish an accurate performance baseline to reap the full benefits ofTrendTrak and improve system performance monitoring. To establish a baseline,monitor your server over a defined period of time, and note all factors thatmight affect its performance. For example, one heavy batch-processing day amonth against your SQL Server database is a factor that affects serverperformance. Include all of these factors when you create a baseline for yourSQL Server's performance.

You can review your accumulated baseline or other data with TrendTrak'sclient software. The process is simple: You select the server and statistics youwant to view and specify any selection criteria (e.g., data from a particularmonth). The software then produces graphs that display data for average, peak,or baseline periods.

A Recommendation
TrendTrak is a helpful system performance-monitoring tool with a detailedinterface that makes it easy to use. When I tested the software, I receivedaccurate statistical data. I had some difficulty determining how to add my NTserver to the client component's server list, but I found a solution in theuser's manual. I recommend TrendTrak to systems administrators looking for amore efficient way to collect statistical data.