Performance Monitors
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Performance Monitors
Tests at eWEEK Labs showed that VMware has succeeded in bolstering physical
and virtual machine performance monitors. Some of these changes are as simple
as the addition of an "overview" button to the host performance tab
that shows a variety of system measures-such as CPU, memory, disk and network
utilization-in charts simultaneously.
It's now much easier to move among performance charts by clicking on
thumbnails to get detailed information about components on individual data
centers, clusters or hosts. And another nice touch is the addition of
context-sensitive information that is a button-click away from each data chart.
It's good to see VMware exposing the performance data in this way. IT
managers who have extensive nonvirtualized systems may want to look at
third-party tools from companies such as BMC
that integrate virtual and physical-only system management to get a complete
picture of data center performance.
In my tests, I was able to spend only a few minutes with the vCenter
Orchestrator, which is a workflow automation tool. As I build out the vSphere
test infrastructure, I'll be reporting on how Orchestrator works in managing
the deployment and configuration of systems in the VMware infrastructure.
Technical Director Cameron Sturdevant can be reached at
csturdevant@eweek.com.
Cameron Sturdevant has been with the Labs since 1997, and before that paid his IT management dues at a software publishing firm working with several Fortune 100 companies. Cameron also spent two years with a database development firm, integrating applications with mainframe legacy programs. Cameron's areas of expertise include virtual and physical IT infrastructure, cloud computing, enterprise networking and mobility, with a focus on Android in the enterprise. In addition to reviews, Cameron has covered monolithic enterprise management systems throughout their lifecycles, providing the eWEEK reader with all-important history and context. Cameron takes special care in cultivating his IT manager contacts, to ensure that his reviews and analysis are grounded in real-world concern. Cameron is a regular speaker at Ziff-Davis Enterprise online and face-to-face events. Follow Cameron on Twitter at csturdevant, or reach him by email at csturdevant@eweek.com.
