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Windows Reliability and Performance Monitor

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista

You can use Microsoft® Windows® Reliability and Performance Monitor to examine how programs you run affect your computer's performance, both in real time and by collecting log data for later analysis.

Windows Reliability and Performance Monitor uses performance counters, event trace data, and configuration information, which can be combined into Data Collector Sets.

Performance counters are measurements of system state or activity. They can be included in the operating system or can be part of individual applications. Windows Reliability and Performance Monitor requests the current value of performance counters at specified time intervals.

Event trace data is collected from trace providers, which are components of the operating system or of individual applications that report actions or events. Output from multiple trace providers can be combined into a trace session, such as the Windows Kernel Trace used by Resource View to show real time CPU, memory, disk, and network activity.

Configuration information is collected from key values in the Windows registry. Windows Reliability and Performance Monitor can record the value of a registry key at a specified time or interval as part of a log file.

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