hIOmon - Features

File-level and application-level perspectives

X

Rather than having to rely upon gross disk I/O counters, hIOmon allows you to easily see the I/O performance of your actual files (so that you can quickly focus in on the particular files of interest at the more immediate and simpler file level).

Device summary option

X

hIOmon can optionally display the accumulated performance metrics for all monitored files upon the same device.

Specific file (and process) selection

X

You can identify the particular files that you want to monitor, with additional exclusion and wildcard selection capabilities. Support is also provided that enables you to further restrict the I/O operation monitoring to those particular processes/applications that are of interest to you.

Support for network-attached files

X

Includes the ability to select files that are upon network-attached devices/shares.

Raw device support

X

hIOmon even allows you to monitor devices that are not formatted. (See the separate "Raw Device Extended Feature Option" to measure and monitor partitioned/formatted devices at the "physical disk device" level within the operating system).

Selectable types of performance metrics to be collected

X

You can select - on an individual file basis - the particular types of performance metrics that you want monitored (for example, only write operations). Metrics includes I/O operation type, I/O operation starting and ending time stamp, data transfer amounts, data transfer sizes and rates, random/sequential access counts, response times, queue lengths, idle times, and more.

I/O operation trace recording, export, and display

X

Collect, view and export "I/O trace" records for each individual file and device I/O operation with information such as the beginning and ending date and time stamps for each individual I/O operation, the amount of data transferred, the completion status of an I/O operation, and more (including optional operating-system "Boot Logging" support).

Summarized I/O operation performance characteristics

X

You can collect, view, and export the essential performance characteristics of your file and device I/O activity (including the types, rate, and maximum queue length of I/O operations performed; minimum, average and maximum response times; amount of data transferred and data transfer sizes; maximum data transfer rate observed; file size and file fragment count; idle time, and more) upon a "summary" (i.e., aggregated) basis with optional operating-system "Boot Logging" support.

Detection of sequential access

X

hIOmon can detect and report the percentage of sequential access within a file on a specific file basis.

Associated process-based summarized file I/O performance metrics

X

Summarized file I/O operation performance metrics on an individual, specific process basis. These performance metrics represent the combined, summarized file I/O operation performance metrics for those specific files that were accessed by a particular process. The associated account name and the name of the process image file are also provided, enabling easy identification of the respective application. Support is also provided that enables you to further restrict the I/O operation monitoring to those particular processes/applications that are of interest to you.

System file cache metrics upon an individual file, device, and process basis.

X

Collect and view system file cache metrics (e.g., "hit" and "miss" counts, including sequential or random file accesses) for file read I/O and write I/O operations. Get actual metrics (upon an individual, specific file, device and/or process basis) to help you determine how much performance gain your particular application’s file I/O activity is getting from the system file cache, the impact of adding additional system memory, etc.

Precision time stamps

X

hIOmon can optionally monitor the file and device I/O operations with the highest timing precision capabilities provided by the operating-system / processor. Accurate time stamps well below sub-millisecond precision can be calculated by hIOmon. Such precision is a must when dealing with high performance files that exceed 1000 I/O operations per second.

Summary performance metrics on a periodic, close-file, or Alert basis

X

hIOmon can provide summarized (i.e., "automatically aggregated") performance metrics about particular file and device I/O operations on a selected "snapshot" periodic basis (for example, every 15 seconds), when the file is closed (or becomes inactive), or on an "Alert’ basis (when a specified threshold is reached for a selected file I/O operation performance parameter). This allows you to start at the top, quickly get the "big picture" and easily isolate those areas that require further, more detailed analysis (which hIOmon can also provide).

Alert capabilities for monitoring selected file I/O operation performance parameters

X

For each selected file of interest, hIOmon can optionally watch for the occurrence of specified thresholds for selected file I/O operation performance parameters (such as the number of I/O operations performed, the average I/O Operations per Second (IOPS) rate, the maximum I/O queue length, the amount of data transferred, the maximum data transfer rate, the maximum response time, the Open/Create request count, and more). The hIOmon "summary display" will also highlight the particular performance metrics whose thresholds have been detected by hIOmon. In addition, hIOmon can optionally generate a System Event Log record (which in turn allows notification via system management tools that monitor the System Event Log). This file-level performance threshold monitoring (“Alert”) facility provided by hIOmon allows you to easily detect and monitor areas of interest or concern regarding the performance of your particular files – once again all at the file level.

Very easy-to-use, with a simple windows-type GUI display interface

X

As a standard windows-type GUI display, the hIOmon "Presentation Client" component allows you to easily manage the operation of hIOmon and to view, in a clear and organized manner, the file-level and device I/O operation performance information collected by hIOmon.

Simple, quick Command Line Interface (CLI) support

X

Provides an alternate means of controlling the hIOmon operation and for displaying a set of real-time summarized I/O operation performance metrics, all from the command line.

Real-time and Replay display modes

X

The file-level and device I/O operation performance information collected by hIOmon can be displayed by multiple hIOmon "Presentation Clients" concurrently in real-time. hIOmon can also write the file-level and device I/O operation performance information that it has collected to a disk log file for subsequent (concurrent) display by the hIOmon Presentation Client(s). This allows you to repeatedly "replay" and review at your convenience the I/O activity associated with the files selected for monitoring by hIOmon.

Windows® Management Instrumentation (WMI) support

X

hIOmon includes “WMI” support, for use under Windows 2000, XP, 2003, and Vista that lets you control hIOmon operation and access the hIOmon file and device I/O operation performance metrics. The hIOmon WMI Support enables broad, industry-standard access to hIOmon and allows you to easily retrieve, via simple scripts (e.g., VBScript), C/C++ applications, etc. that leverage WMI and the CIM standard, the robust set of file and device I/O operation performance metrics that only hIOmon collects. Plus hIOmon includes the "hIOmon WMI Browser" (an HTML application) that enables the use of Internet Explorer to easily control hIOmon operation and to display real-time summarized I/O operation performance metrics.

Windows® Performance Monitor and System Monitor support (PerfLib)

X

hIOmon includes a "Performance Extension DLL" (PerfLib), for use under Windows 2000, 2003, XP, and Vista that lets you use the Windows Performance Monitor, the Windows® System Monitor, and other performance-monitoring applications to retrieve the summarized I/O operation performance metrics collected by hIOmon. Specific file, device, and process along with corresponding "sorted-order" performance objects are provided by the hIOmon PerfLib support. The hIOmon file and device I/O operation performance counters can now be included in your standard performance monitoring procedures and repertoire.

Export capability

X

hIOmon provides several "Export" options by which the I/O trace or summarized file and device (and associated process) I/O operation performance information is written to a "Comma Separated Values (CSV)" file for use by spreadsheet programs (such as Microsoft Excel)), databases, and other applications (such MXG® Software); you can then use this CSV file to easily perform your own specific analysis upon the performance information and/or generate customized graphs and reports. The Export capability is supported in both Real-Time and Replay display modes by the hIOmon Presentation Client. Real-time file and device I/O operation performance metrics can also be written by the hIOmon Manager service to one or more Export Files concurrently, including MXG-specific Export Files that can be used by the MXG Software from Merrill Consultants.

Configurable start-up options

X

hIOmon includes support for configurable options such as the automatic start of file-level and device I/O operation performance information collection when the hIOmon Manager component begins execution. The hIOmon Presentation Client can also be configured so that it will automatically connect at startup to specified hIOmon Managers. hIOmon’s configurable startup options promote ease-of-use and allow you to quickly and automatically get hIOmon up and running in accordance with your particular configuration and needs.

Configurable setup options, including support for "Profiles"

X

Beyond basic configurable setup options, hIOmon features support for "Profiles" as a further ease-of-use enhancement. You can assign a name to a collection of hIOmon instances (i.e., hIOmon Managers) that are running upon separate computer servers. This name represents a "Profile" that you can then use to refer to this collection of hIOmon Managers. Using a profile name, you can in one step connect the hIOmon Presentation Client to a specific set of hIOmon Managers; you can also specify particular display options that are to automatically go into effect for a particular profile name. hIOmon "profiles" allow you to adjust the hIOmon setup and display environment to segregated groups of computer servers – a handy feature in large computer server farm environments.

Local or remote control/display over the network

X

For added convenience, the hIOmon Presentation Client and other clients can communicate over the network with the separate hIOmon components (hIOmon Managers and I/O Monitors) that are responsible for the actual collection and retrieval of the file and device I/O operation performance information.

hIOmon usage statistics

X

hIOmon automatically monitors its own usage and records detailed usage statistics that can be displayed by the hIOmon Presentation Client. These hIOmon usage statistics provide you with a variety of data regarding when, how often and how extensively the various hIOmon components have actually been used. Viewing the hIOmon usage statistics gives you the ability to see how efficient and hard working the various hIOmon components are in monitoring the I/O operation performance of your files.

Extensive help information

X

Each of the selectable items displayed within the hIOmon Presentation Client has an associated "tip" that provides a brief help description for the respective item. Simply place the cursor (mouse pointer) over/near the item for which you would like the "tip" information. The hIOmon WMI Browser also provides extensive help information, plus the hIOmon-specific CIM/MOF class objects include detailed information about each of the hIOmon-specific classes included within the hIOmon WMI support. hIOmon provides you with concise help information in an easy to find and use manner.

		h	IO	mon	™
		The File I/O Performance Monitor

Backgrounder	hIOmon --- Features
Big Picture
Product Info		The hIOmon File I/O Performance Monitor is packed full of useful features, many of which you won't be able to find anywhere else. hIOmon provides several unique automation features that allow you to easily, quickly and automatically get the specific file I/O operation performance information that you need. For example, you can configure the hIOmon Manager service component to automatically begin file I/O operation performance monitoring (using a default set of selection criteria that you specify) when the hIOmon Manager is started (normally at system start-up). You can also configure the hIOmon Presentation Client (GUI) to automatically connect to a selected set of hIOmon Managers when the Presentation Client is started.
Architecture
Screen Shots
Documentation
Download


			Extensive support for customization of hIOmon is another important hIOmon feature. For instance, you can customize the tabular display of I/O trace operation information so that the display only shows the particular information that you want to see. You can also optionally export the I/O trace or summarized (i.e., aggregated) file and device I/O operation performance data to a “Comma Separated Values (CSV)” file for use by spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft® Excel (so that you can perform your own specific analysis upon the performance data and/or generate customized graphs and reports). Plus there’s Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) support (including the hIOmon WMI Browser) along with support for the Microsoft Performance/System Monitors and CLI support.





And although normally not required, hIOmon even allows you to configure the amount of resources used by the hIOmon I/O Monitor component (that performs that actual monitoring of the selected file I/O operations). hIOmon's ability to display selected file I/O performance information in both real-time and replay display modes, its flexible Alert notification capabilities, its support for concurrent access by multiple hIOmon Presentation Clients (and other hIOmon Clients), and its many other innovative features make hIOmon the only File I/O Performance Monitor that can satisfy your file performance analysis and monitoring needs.

hIOmon Feature List
Beyond the functionality provided within the base hIOmon File I/O Performance Monitor Licensed Software, hyperI/O LLC offers three additional, separately-licensed feature options: The "I/O Trace Data Licensing Option", which allows you to collect, display, and export I/O trace information upon an individual file (and device) I/O operation basis (i.e., a separate trace record for each and every I/O operation being monitored by hIOmon). The "Summarized Data Licensing Option", which allows you to collect, display, and export summarized (i.e., aggregated) file and device (and associated process) I/O operation information. These "summarized" I/O operation performance metrics (which are automatically aggregated by the hIOmon I/O Monitor software component at the time that it actually observes the occurrence of the I/O operations) are an unique feature of hIOmon that can dramatically reduce the overhead (including time, effort, resources, and cost) associated with the collection, display, export, and subsequent processing of I/O operation performance metrics. Moreover, the "summarized" I/O operation information can be collected upon a user-specified periodic basis, when the file is closed (or hIOmon detects that it has become inactive), or an alert-threshold basis (i.e., a total number of write I/O operations, a maximum read response time, etc. is detected by the hIOmon I/O Monitor). The "Raw Device Extended Feature Option", which allows you to measure and monitor disk I/O operation activity at the ‘physical device’ level within the operating system for those physical disks that are partitioned/formatted (note that the ‘Raw Device Support’ provided within the base hIOmon File I/O Performance Monitor Licensed Software only supports unformatted physical devices). This option gives you the ability to measure and monitor disk I/O operation activity below the file system level (so that you can actually see, for example, how much a particular physical device contributes to (specific) file I/O operation performance), and can be used with either the I/O trace and/or summarized data licensing options noted above. For Windows® 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista™, the hIOmon monitoring of physical disks at the ‘physical device’ level is akin to the ‘PhysicalDisk’ performance counter support provided by the Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista ‘Performance/System Monitor’ facility. hIOmon, however, provides additional I/O operation performance metrics, supports both the I/O trace and/or summarized collection and display of the "Physical Device Extended" I/O operation performance metrics (including "fragmented I/O" metrics), and offers many other advanced features (e.g., "replay" mode display, precision timing, the ability to associate physical device I/O operations to the respective file I/O operations, etc.). The table below provides a brief description of some of the major hIOmon features. Those features that are included in the base hIOmon license subscription fee are noted by an 'X' in the "Base Feature" column. Those features that are only available through purchase of the hIOmon "I/O Trace Data Licensing Option" are noted by an 'X' within the "I/O Trace Data Option" column; likewise, those features that are only available through purchase of the hIOmon "Summarized Data Licensing Option" are noted by an 'X' within the "Summary Data Option" column. NOTE: All of the features listed below are supported by both the "Personal Use" and the "Business Use" Licensed versions of hIOmon (when purchased from hyperI/O LLC).