Dashworks SMS-SCCM Scrape Performance Metrics

SMS/SCCMScrapePerformanceMetrics
Neil Wheeler
12/17/2010
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Juriba Test Specification ......................................................................................................................... 2
Setup ................................................................................................................................................... 2
SMS/SCCM Server ............................................................................................................................... 2
Dashworks Server ............................................................................................................................... 2
SMS/SCCM Scrape - Initial Run ............................................................................................................... 3
SMS/SCCM Server Profile.................................................................................................................... 3
Sqlservr.exe - % Processor Time ..................................................................................................... 3
Sqlservr.exe – Private Working Set ................................................................................................. 4
SMS/SCCM Scrape - Incremental Runs ................................................................................................... 5
SMS/SCCM Server Profile.................................................................................................................... 5
Sqlservr.exe - % Processor Time ..................................................................................................... 5
Sqlservr.exe – Private Working Set ................................................................................................. 6
Introduction
The Dashworks SMS/SCCM Scrape is the process Dashworks uses to import data from a source
SMS/SCCM server.
The Dashworks system runs the SMS/SCCM scrape periodically on a schedule defined in the
management console, the default is for the scrape to run nightly at 0100. When there is more than
one SMS/SCCM site configured the system will attempt to scrape them in parallel, the number of
parallel processes is determined by the number of processors available to the system.
Dashworks scrapes data from the tables defined in this document
http://juriba.zendesk.com/entries/305835.
The Dashworks SMS/SCCM scrape uses an incremental method for collecting data. Once the initial
scrape has completed, subsequent scrapes use the time stamps built into the source tables to check
for changes only. This reduces the amount of data to be scraped to only that which has changed.
This document is designed to offer an insight into the performance impact of running the SMS/SCCM
Scrape against an SMS/SCCM server.
The performance impact described is specifically for the specified servers. The actual impact on a
production SMS/SCCM server will vary based on many factors such as; server hardware, current
server load, sql configuration etc.
Juriba Test Specification
Setup
This test has been run against a single SCCM database. The database is 110Gb in size and has the
data for 250,000 client computers. At the time of the scrape no other processes were running
(except standard operating system processes) and no clients were connected to the database.
SMS/SCCM Server
Dell PowerEdge E5410
2 x Intel Xeon E5410 @ 2.33 GHz
8 Gb RAM
Windows Server 2008 Standard x64
Microsoft SQL Server 2008
Microsoft System Centre Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007
Dashworks Server
Microsoft Virtual Machine
1 x Intel Xeon E5410 @ 2.33 GHz
2 Gb RAM
Windows Server 2008 Standard
Microsoft SQL Server 2008
SMS/SCCM Scrape - Initial Run
On first run of the SMS/SCCM scrape a full import is taken from all required tables. This typically
equates to 20-30% of the whole database.
Total data scraped
Total rows scraped
Duration
28Gb
126,077,000
1h 29
SMS/SCCM Server Profile
Sqlservr.exe - % Processor Time
This metric describes the percentage of processor time consumed by the sqlservr.exe process during
the SMS/SCCM scrape.
The initial load on the CPU spikes as the scrape is started, this then reduced to 3 or 4%. The whole
process averaged 3.5% CPU utilisation over its duration.
Average (%)
Minimum (%)
Maximum (%)
Duration (hh:mm:ss)
3.533
0.000
90.000
1:29:25
Sqlservr.exe – Private Working Set
This metric describes the amount of memory consumed by the sqlservr.exe process during the
SMS/SCCM scrape.
The memory used by the sqlservr process over the duration of the scrape increased steadily, the
main spikes coinciding with scraping some of the larger tables (Add_Remove_Programs_DATA has
45,000,000 rows for example). This is consistent with the expected behaviour for SQL Server.
Average (Mb)
Minimum (Mb)
Maximum (Mb)
Duration (hh:mm:ss)
4992
3826
6261
1:29:25
SMS/SCCM Scrape - Incremental Runs
Where possible the SMS/SCCM Scrape uses the time keys built into the SMS/SCCM tables to only
query for rows which have changed. Some tables in the SMS database are not time keyed so they
need to be scraped in full each time, see this link for more information
http://juriba.zendesk.com/entries/305835.
This test run was started immediately after the initial scrape; therefore no data has changed in the
SMS database. The metrics show the impact of the SMS/SCCM scrape comparing the rows already in
the Dashworks database to those in the SMS database and scraping in full those tables which are not
time keyed.
SMS/SCCM Server Profile
Sqlservr.exe - % Processor Time
This metric describes the percentage of processor time consumed by the sqlservr.exe process during
the SMS/SCCM scrape.
The CPU load spikes when the SMS/SCCM scrape is comparing the time keys to determine which
rows to scrape. This is expected to place a higher load on the CPU than simply requesting all rows,
but in turn reduced the time taken for the scrape to run.
Average (%)
Minimum (%)
Maximum (%)
Duration (hh:mm:ss)
9.694
0.000
70.193
0:09:48
Sqlservr.exe – Private Working Set
This metric describes the amount of memory consumed by the sqlservr.exe process during the
SMS/SCCM scrape.
The memory used by the sqlservr process over the duration of the scrape stays consistent during the
run. This is typical for a SQL server that has already cached much of the data that is being requested.
Average (Mb)
Minimum (Mb)
Maximum (Mb)
Duration (hh:mm:ss)
5912
5656
5965
0:09:48