Driver updates often require a machine restart and must be done during a designated maintenance window. Otherwise, the server may be out of service during critical operations.
Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Server 2019 product is poised to lighten the configuration burden for IT pros and improve virtual workload CPU performance. IT teams can tune specific processor power management parameters to optimize performance and energy efficiency.
Optimize Memory
Increasing the memory in your server enables more applications to run simultaneously and improves performance. It can also help mitigate performance issues caused by memory leaks. You can monitor memory consumption using tools like Windows Task Manager or third-party monitoring solutions and adjust RAM allocation as needed. This might require upgrading the server’s hardware, reallocating resources from other tasks, or optimizing software and configuration settings to improve performance.
When an application leaks memory, it keeps occupying memory that should be sent back to the operating system. As more memory gets occupied, the operating system must perform more and more page outs. These operations require CPU cycles and can degrade performance. You can identify leaking applications by looking at the Processes tab in Task Manager. If the Memory column reads 70% or more, you’ll want to investigate further by resolving memory issues with the affected applications.
Adding more memory can improve performance by allowing multiple processes to work together and reducing the time it takes for data to move across the network. You can also enable a feature that compresses memory that would have been paged out to disk and then stores it in memory instead, which can make a difference on multi-user systems. In addition, the Cache Manager is now NUMA aware and is designed to avoid data movement across NUMA boundaries.
Optimize Networking
Often overlooked, optimizing networking can have a significant impact on performance. For example, enabling hardware to Receive Segment Coalescing on your network adapters can significantly improve web scalability and performance. This feature reduces CPU load by combining multiple TCP segments into one large piece and transmitting it over the network faster. However, it’s important to note that this technique can negatively impact latency in some network topologies. Work with your network support team to determine the best configuration for your environment.
In addition, enabling the new Windows Server 2019 network load balancing (NLB) feature can help reduce IO bottlenecks and improve network performance. This in-built feature is similar to traditional network load balancing but with the added advantage of providing more granular control over traffic distribution between servers.
Another Microsoft networking enhancement coming to evaluate Windows 2019 is DVMM-Q, which helps optimize virtual workload CPU performance by using fewer processors when network throughput is low and expanding them when it’s high. IT pros can use this feature by installing a driver available for NICs certified by Microsoft’s SDDC Premium program. This will lighten the load on IT pros and enable them to get better throughput from their network adapters, Cuomo notes. Participants in the Windows Insider Program can test drive a preview build of this feature by downloading the latest version of the Microsoft Insider app and selecting “Windows Server Insider Build 17738” for download.
Optimize Disk Space
Performance suffers when the system C drive on a Windows server starts to fill up. An entire drive prevents the operating system from writing essential temporary files and system data, causing programs to become unresponsive and slow. It also contains automated tasks such as backups from working correctly.
Fortunately, there are several ways to improve Windows server disk space usage. One of the most common methods involves moving extensive programs to other drives. However, this process requires careful planning and execution to ensure the program’s libraries and dependent files are relocated correctly.
Another method is to reduce the size of the pagefile, a file that stores virtual memory data. This will reduce the amount of time it takes for applications to access system resources by allowing them to start using memory more quickly. This is an effective way to improve performance on a server without buying new hardware.
Finally, it is a good idea to periodically run the Windows Performance Monitor to analyze CPU, RAM, Network IO, and Disk IO. This tool will provide a detailed report of how much disk space each component is using. However, it can consume a lot of disk space if users remember to clear the reports after they are done. Fortunately, the Optimize-Volume cmdlet can help you save disk space by generating TRIM and Unmap hints on used volumes.
Optimize Hardware
The hardware in your server significantly impacts performance, and keeping the drivers updated can help with that. Drivers are the software that allows your OS — in this case, Windows Server 2019 — to communicate with the physical hardware on your system. So, keeping them up-to-date is crucial to ensure your computer performs at its best.
While the top virtual workload CPU performance in Windows Server 2019 isn’t going to be dramatically different from what was available in 2016, IT pros will find that they can use fewer cores to achieve a similar result, according to Dan Cuomo, Microsoft program manager on the core networking team.
Windows Server 2019 offers significant advances in storage (especially with Storage Spaces Direct) and hybrid cloud, which is why the release is a solid choice for enterprises that want to take advantage of cloud application platforms like Kubernetes and Docker. IT teams will also appreciate features like Role-based access control, enabling them to restrict privileges and prevent unauthorized actions and data leaks.
Windows Server 2019 offers a more polished experience than previous versions, including in the GUI and the new Windows Admin Center. This brings advanced front-end management capabilities to the OS’s Long Term Service Channel version. The upgrade process is simplified, with direct in-place upgrades from Windows Server 2016 and 2012 R2. Businesses that run older versions of the operating system must upgrade to these newer releases before they reach their end of mainstream and extended support periods.