The performance of a computer system depends upon how the system uses and allocates its resources. Monitor your system's performance regularly so that you know how it behaves under normal conditions. You should have a good idea of what to expect, and be able to recognize a problem when it occurs.
System resources that affect performance are described in the following table.
|
System Resource |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Central processing unit (CPU) |
The CPU processes instructions by fetching instructions from memory and executing them. |
|
Input/output (I/O) devices |
I/O devices transfer information into and out of the computer. Such a device could be a terminal and keyboard, a disk drive, or a printer. |
|
Memory |
Physical (or main) memory is the amount of random access memory (RAM) on the system. |
Chapter 20, Monitoring System Performance (Tasks) describes the tools that display statistics about the system's activity and performance.