How do you know what is normal for your server? If a user complains that the server is running really slow, what can you do to discover what, if anything, is wrong? If you have a performance baseline, you could run a few tests, compare the results to your baseline, and clearly see if there is a performance problem. If you do not have a baseline, you could be in for a long day. The process of establishing a baseline can be time consuming, but it s well worth it in the long run. Once completed, a baseline will provide a standard by which you can easily measure your server performance in the future.

What can a performance baseline tell you? A baseline can tell you if the server is actually experiencing a slowdown or if there is something else going on. It is not unusual for a Citrix MetaFrame server to be blamed for problems associated with LAN or WAN saturation or other problems users experience. This is especially true in environments where thin client machines are used instead of PCs. It is especially important to keep servers running smoothly when users computers have no hard drives and all applications are run from the servers.

A baseline can also help you determine whether or not the tuning tweaks you have been applying actually work. As mentioned, each environment is different, so it would be unrealistic to assume that all tuning techniques will work in all environments. The...