Project Server 2003 – Performance Scenario

EPM Architecture - Starting Point that would provide future flexibility for scaling up/out

Assumptions for starting point: One SQL Server 2000 with quad

processor and 4 GB of RAM (get the best hardware you can afford)

Optional: One Project Server 2003 single or dual processor server installed as a single node cluster

When performance problems arise – what to do and how to scale up/out from this 2 server initial architecture? What are the options available?

Project Server 2003 – Performance Scenario

Starting Point:

One server with quad processor and 4 GB of RAM (all components running on the single machine)

Possible problems/symptoms:

Server CPU Usage constantly above 75%

Client systems less responsive (for example project open/save slow)

Project Server 2003 – Performance Scenario

Project ServerSQL Server

Analysis ServicesWSS

Session ManagerViews Processing

SQL ServerAnalysis Services

WSSSession ManagerViews Processing

Project Server

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Project Server

Anaysis Services

SQL ServerWSS

Session Manager Views Processing

Project Server Project ServerProject ServerWSS Server

WSS Server

WSS Server

SQL Server(Views)

SQL Server(Project)

SQL Server(Web, WSS)

SQL Server(Analysis)

Project ServerViews Processing

Project ServerSession Management

Performance Monitoring - Best PracticesPerformance Monitoring - Best Practices

Most critical measure of performance is the "user perception" of the performance

As much as possible, identify the peak usage scenarios and track their growth over time

Put in place a consistent set of user performance testing so we can see trends over time

Augment this testing with monitoring of specific performance bottlenecks so we can determine which of the performance areas are being impacted

Performance Monitoring - Best PracticesPerformance Monitoring - Best Practices

Simplest way to initially implement this kind of testing is to directly gather user input

Two typical pain areas: Project Professional (ProjPro) open/save times Project Web Access (PWA) Project Detail view times

To monitor Project Pro open/save times create a specific test project that represent the general complexity in the database

To monitor PWA Project Detail view times, use a separate test project to gather display time information from the users

Request that the users perform their testing at off peak times as well as peak times

System Component Performance:

Companies may monitor everything or nothing At a minimum it is useful to monitor the following:

IIS Servers: CPU/Memory/Disk SQL Servers: CPU/Memory/Disk/SQL locking

activity The PS Health Monitor can  be used to report on the

performance of the Views Notification process Remember to log the "Availability Range Window"

configured in PWA Admin along side the Views Notification performance statistics

Ongoing collecting and analysis of this information can be invaluable in keeping a production system healthy

Performance Monitoring - Best Practices

Additional Project Server 2003 Administrative Additional Project Server 2003 Administrative And Maintenance ToolsAnd Maintenance Tools

NLB ClusterArray

As performance levels go down, what should you do to get back to expected service levels?

Testing And Monitoring ToolsTesting And Monitoring Tools

Can help you with answering the following question:Can help you with answering the following question:

Performs a series of tests to verify the basic functionality of a Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 installation and reports the results and performance timings of each test that is run

25.1.2 Smoke Test Utility25.1.2 Smoke Test Utility

Caution: It may appear at times as if Smoke Test is not executing – this is not correct: it is just waiting on resources

Smoke Test Tool Use to verify the basic functionality of a Project Server

2003 installation

Generates results and performance timings from each test that it performs

This test was designed to be used over time to track performance changes:

As hardware changes

As network traffic changes

As number of Project Server users change

As the EPM Solution architecture changes

SmokeTest Tests Navigate – time required to direct Internet Explorer to the

server login page Login – time required to login TasksView – time required to go to the Tasks View page ViewPortfolioOpen – time required to open all views for a

portfolio ViewHomePage – time required to go to the Home page ViewResourcesOpen – time required to open all views for

Enterprise resources ViewResourceAvailabilityOpen – time required to open

views for availability for all Enterprise resources ViewProjectOpen – time required to open an enterprise

project in Project Professional EnterpriseProjectOpenReadWrite The time it takes to

open an enterprise project read/write in Project Professional

EnterpriseProjectSave The time it takes to save an enterprise project in Project Professional

Logout The time it takes to log out of Project Professional

Smoke Test - Results Page

Loads automatically when Utility has executed

Access Results Page – select File command, View Results option from set-upResults stored in Results.xml

in installation directory

Smoke Test - Analyzing Results

Single Run - unless some value is extremely high compared to what was expected then a single run will not give much information

Multiple Runs (some things may have changed) – very valuable as it shows the effect on performance of changes made

Keep track of all changes or chances to solve problems are not great

Project Server 2003 stores information in the registry about the location of the Project Server database and which accounts are associated with Project Server roles

If you change your configuration by moving all or part of the database to a new computer, you must update the information in the registry

Use the ConnInfo tool to update this information

ConnInfo tool can be used for single as well as partitioned database update

ConnInfo UtilityConnInfo Utility

Designed to provide detection and notification of specific system components that are responding slowly or not at all in a Microsoft Project Server 2003 deployment

This tool will monitor the number of files in the ViewDrop folder and the response time for Project Data Service (PDS) calls

You can configure thresholds for the number of files in the ViewDrop folder - If any of these thresholds are exceeded, the Project Server Health Monitor can record this information in a log file or notify you by email

Project Server Health Monitor Tool

Project Server Health Monitor Tool

To run Project Server Health Monitor:

Run the PSHealthMon.exe file

Well Known Utilities: (may be used during the initial setup and configuration of Project Server)

PSCOMPlus Tool PROXYCFG Tool

Administrative and Maintenance ToolsAdministrative and Maintenance Tools

Other Tools Available: Project Server Cleaner Utility EditSite Utility Rename Project Utility Restore Single Project Utility Project Server Set Tracing Utility View Backup and Restore Tool View Effective Rights Tool View Populator Utility

NLB ClusterArray

Tool that can be used by project managers, resource managers, and administrators to bulk delete unwanted enterprise projects and enterprise resources from the Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 database

Administrators will be able to delete any enterprise project or enterprise resource in the Project Server database

Also allows bulk check-in of projects and resources

Project Server Cleaner UtilityProject Server Cleaner Utility

Project ServerProject ServerDatabaseDatabase

Project Server Cleaner UtilityProject Server Cleaner Utility Download and run the file

PSCleanerDownload.exe from the Microsoft Download Center

Run the file Setup.msi to install Project Server Cleaner

Project ServerProject ServerDatabaseDatabase

Create a Project Server hosted deployment and to edit the properties for existing hosted sites

In a Project Server hosted deployment, a single installation of Project Server hosts multiple instances of Project Web Access, each with its own SQL Server database

EditSite UtilityEditSite Utility

Edit SiteEdit Site

EditSite UtilityEditSite Utility

Download and run the file EditSiteDownload.exe from the Microsoft Download Center

You must run Edit Site on the computer on which Project Server is installed, and you must be an administrator on the computer running Project Server and the computers running the Project Server Views Notification Service and Windows SharePoint Services, if applicable Edit SiteEdit Site

Enables Project Server 2003 administrators to rename a project, or multiple projects, stored in the same SQL Server database

Tool combines a PDS extension with an application

Using this tool requires three steps:

Downloading the file package from the Microsoft Download Center

Installing the PDS extension

Preparing the application

Rename Project Utility

Rename

Project

Rename Project Utility Running the Application:

Double-click Renameproj.exe from the download location, and then click Login

Enter the URL for the Project Server, and then enter your user name and password

Select a project from the list of available projects, and then click Rename

In the Rename Project To dialog box, type a new name, and then click OK

Rename

Project

Restore a single project to an earlier state using the restorep.exe utility

You will need to restore a backup of the Project Server database under a different name to the same server where your main Project Server database is located

If you are using Windows SharePoint Services as part of your Project Server deployment, you may want to restore a backup of Windows SharePoint Services to a point consistent with that of your Project Server backup

Restore Single Project UtilityRestore Single Project Utility

RestoreRestore ProjectProject

DatabaseDatabase

To restore a single project: Download the file RestorePDownload.exe

from the Microsoft Download Center

Install RestoreP.exe

Restore the databases containing the project you want to restore

When you have restored the project and verified the desired functionality, you can remove the restored databases and the Windows SharePoint Services virtual server

Restore Single Project UtilityRestore Single Project Utility

RestoreRestore ProjectProject

DatabaseDatabase

Restoring a single project takes a lot of effort – make sure that the project you are restoring is worth all the effort !!

Uses the Project Server Tracing Service to log application errors to the Event Viewer

Allows you to redirect the tracing output to a log file, or to the Event Viewer and a log file

Project Server Set Tracing Utility

SetTracing Utility

Command line tool that will back up and restore the views you create in Project Web Access

Use this tool to move views to a different Project Server

The following types of views can be backed up and restored to another server:

Project views Project Center views Assignment views Resource Center views Time Sheet views

View Backup and Restore Tool

Enables Project Server 2003 administrators to more easily troubleshoot issues with security settings and access control by combining a PDS extension with a Project Web Access ASP page

Enables administrators to identify the projects or resources to which users have access

View Effective Rights Tool

View Effective Rights Tool

Create an effective rights query by selecting the following drop-down options:

Publish projects without using Project Professional

Places XML files in your Project Server ViewDrop folder for each project you publish

Useful in the following scenarios: Disaster recovery of your Project Server

deployment    Publishing projects that did not publish

properly    Troubleshooting the Views Notification

Service   

View Populator Utility

View

4V

iew 4

View 1View 1

View

2V

iew 2

View

3V

iew 3

View

5V

iew 5

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