ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive

Windows 7 has several features that affect how disks are used. These include the following:

. Windows ReadyBoost boosts system performance by using USB flash devices as additional sources for caching.

. Windows ReadyDrive boosts system performance on mobile computers equipped with hybrid drives.

With Windows ReadyBoost, USB flash devices with sufficiently fast memory (flash devices can be read up to 10 times faster than physical disk drives) are used to extend the disk caching capabilities of the computer’s main memory. Using flash devices for caching enables Windows 7 to make random reads faster by caching data on the USB flash device instead of a disk drive. Because this caching is applied to all disk content, not just the page file or system dynamic-link libraries (DLLs), the computer’s overall performance is boosted.

USB flash devices you can use with Windows ReadyBoost include USB 2.0 flash drives, Secure Digital (SD) cards, and CompactFlash cards. These devices must have sufficiently fast flash memory and be at least 256 MB or larger in size. Windows 7 can use up to eight devices totaling up to 256 GB.

When you insert a USB flash device into a USB 2.0 or higher port, Windows

7 analyzes the speed of the flash memory on the device. When you click Speed Up My System Using Windows ReadyBoost, Windows 7 extends the computer’s physical memory to the device. The default configuration enables Windows ReadyBoost to reserve all available space on the device for boosting system speed.

To use Windows ReadyBoost with a USB flash device that you either already inserted or that you previously declined to use with Windows ReadyBoost, follow these steps:

1. Click Start and then click Computer.

2. Right-click the USB flash device in the Devices with Removable Storage list and then choose Properties.

3. On the ReadyBoost tab, select Use This Device and then click OK.

4. For USB flash devices that do not support ReadyBoost, you cannot enable the device. The only option you have is to stop retesting the

device when you plug it in. The Stop Retesting This Device When I Plug It In option is selected by default.

Windows Performance Monitoring Tools

If the USB flash drive has both slow and fast flash memory, you are not able to use the slow flash memory portion of the USB storage device to speed the computer performance. As a result, you might not see all of the memory of the USB device when it is added to your physical memory.

Windows ReadyDrive improves performance on mobile computers equipped with hybrid drives. A hybrid drive is a drive that uses both flash RAM and a physical drive for storage. Because flash RAM is much faster than a physical disk, mobile computers running Windows 7 write data and changes to data to the flash memory first and periodically sync these writes and changes to the physical disk. This approach reduces the spinning of the physical drive and thus saves battery power.

The flash RAM on hybrid drives can be used to provide faster startup and resume from sleep or hibernation. In this case, the information needed for starting or resuming the operating system is written to the flash RAM prior to shutting down, entering sleep, or going into hibernation. When you start or wake the computer, this information is read from the flash RAM.

You do not need to enable ReadyDrive as it is automatically enabled on mobile computers with hybrid drives.

Cram Quiz

1. You have a computer running Windows 7. You need to frequently view performance data that encompasses processor usage, memory usage, disk usage, and network traffic over several days. What should you do?

❍ A. Use the Task Manager ❍ B. Add counters to the Performance Monitor ❍ C. Use User Defined Data Collector Set ❍ D. Use the Reliability Monitor

2. What measurement tool does Windows 7 offer to help determine if your system can run certain applications or perform certain functions of Windows 7?

❍ A. WEI ❍ B. CPUIndex ❍ C. PagingGuide ❍ D. PerfMon

Windows Performance Monitoring Tools

3. How large does your USB drive have to be to make use of ReadyBoost?

❍ A. 256 MB ❍ B. 512 MB

❍ C. 1 GB ❍ D. 2 GB

Cram Quiz Answers

1. C is correct. An important feature in Performance Monitor is the Data Collector Set (DCS), which groups data collectors into reusable elements. After a Data Collector Set is defined, you can schedule the collection of data using the DCS or see it in real time. Answer A is incorrect because Task Manager only shows in real time and is not useful when you need to view overall performance over time. Answer B is incorrect because adding counters to the Performance Monitor only helps you view performance real time. Answer D is incorrect because the Reliability Monitor shows you potential problems with a system, not performance data.

2. A is correct. The Windows Experience Index (WEI) measures the capability of your computer’s hardware and software configuration and expresses this measurement as a number called a base score. A higher base score generally means that your computer performs better and faster than a computer with a lower base score, especially when performing more advanced and resource-intensive tasks. Answer D is incorrect because PerfMon is short for Performance Monitor, which is used to view performance indicators. It is mostly used to identify bottle- necks. It cannot determine if your system can run certain applications or perform certain functions. Answers B and C are incorrect because these terms do not exist in Windows 7.

3. A is correct. USB flash devices that can be used with Windows ReadyBoost include USB 2.0 flash drives, Secure Digital (SD) cards, and CompactFlash cards. These devices must have sufficiently fast flash memory and be at least 256 MB or larger in size. Therefore, the other answers are incorrect.

Review Questions

1. You work as the desktop support technician at Acme.com. You have a computer with 1 GB of memory running Windows 7 Ultimate. You want to add a fast removable flash drive to improve performance. What should you use?

❍ A. Windows SuperFetch ❍ B. Windows ReadyBoost ❍ C. Windows ReadyDrive ❍ D. Windows Memory Diagnostic tool

2. By default, what is the default configuration for processor scheduling on a computer running Windows 7?

❍ A. Programs ❍ B. Background ❍ C. Balanced ❍ D. Alternating

3. You insert a flash drive and discover that you cannot make use of all the memory on the USB flash device when configuring ReadyBoost. What do you think the problem is?

❍ A. The USB flash drive has slow flash memory. ❍ B. The USB flash drive has fast flash memory. ❍ C. The USB flash drive has both slow and fast flash memory. ❍ D. The USB flash drive does not meet the minimum requirement to

configure ReadyBoost. 4. You work as the desktop support technician at Acme.com. You suspect an

application is not releasing memory. You would like a user who is using the Windows 7 machine to run Performance Monitor. What do you need to do in order for the user to have access to Performance Monitor?

❍ A. Add the user to the Power Users group ❍ B. Add the user to the Performance Log Users group ❍ C. Add the user to the Performance Monitor Users group ❍ D. Add the user to the Administrator group

CHAPTER 15: Optimizing Windows 7 Systems

5. If you want to see if you are running out of physical memory, which counter should you use?

❍ A. CPU utilization ❍ B. Pages\sec ❍ C. Network utilization ❍ D. interrupts\sec

6. What tool can help you quickly determine what processes are writing to disk and how much each is writing?

❍ A. System Information ❍ B. System Configuration ❍ C. Resource Monitor ❍ D. Windows Experience Index

7. What should be the maximum memory page rate used for Windows 7?

❍ A. Less than 5 ❍ B. Less than 10 ❍ C. Less than 20 ❍ D. Less than 50

8. You have a system with 2 GB of memory. You notice that the processor utilization is around 65%, the paging file is around 4 GB, and the network traffic is around 5%. Your system seems sluggish. What do you think the problem is?

❍ A. Your processor is too slow. ❍ B. You do not have enough memory. ❍ C. Your network card is overtaxed. ❍ D. Your disk system cannot keep up.

9. What can you use to quickly capture performance data of multiple performance counters and configure alert activities based on the performance counters?

❍ A. Alert Counter ❍ B. Task Parameter ❍ C. Data Collector Set ❍ D. Windows Experience Index

Answers to Review Questions

10. What should the minimum WEI be if you want to support multiplayer or 3-D gaming and recording and playback of HDTV?

❍ A. 1.0 ❍ B. 2.0 ❍ C. 3.0 ❍ D. 4.0 ❍ E. 6.0

Answers to Review Questions

1. Answer B is correct. Windows ReadyBoost boosts system performance by using USB flash devices as additional sources for caching. Answer A is incorrect because SuperFetch utilizes machine learning techniques to analyze usage pat- terns in order to enable Windows 7 to make intelligent decisions about what content should be present in system memory at any given time. Answer C is incorrect because ReadyDrive boosts system performance on mobile computers equipped with hybrid drives. Answer D is incorrect because the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool is used to test memory and not to increase performance.

2. Answer A is correct. By default, processor scheduling is set to Programs, which assigns more processor resources to the foreground programs. Answer B is incorrect because when Background services is selected, equal amounts of processor resources go to all running services. Answers C and D are incorrect because Balanced and Alternating do not exist in processor scheduling.

3. Answer C is correct. To get the benefit of ReadyBoost, your USB device needs to use fast flash memory. Therefore, if you insert a USB flash device that con- sists of slow and fast flash memory, ReadyBoost only uses the fast flash memory. Answers A and B are incorrect. Because ReadyBoost recognizes some of the memory, you can assume that the USB flash device meets the minimum require- ments, so Answer D is incorrect.

4. Answers B and C are correct. For standard users to run the performance monitor, you must add them to the Performance Monitor Users group or Performance Log Users group, or you can make them administrators. Because there is no need to make them administrators, it is best to add them only to the Performance Monitor group or the Performance Log Users group. The difference between the two groups is that the Performance Log Users group can also cre- ate and modify Data Collector Sets but the Performance Monitor group cannot. Therefore, Answer D is incorrect. Answer A is incorrect because Power Users groups are only there for backward compatibility for older applications created for older versions of Windows.

CHAPTER 15: Optimizing Windows 7 Systems

5. Answer B is correct. To see how much paging takes place between physical RAM and the paging file (disk space acting as RAM), you refer to the pages\sec measurement. A high value indicates that you are utilizing the paging often, which means you are running out of physical memory. Answer A is incorrect because CPU utilization shows how hard the processor is working. Answer C is incorrect because network utilization indicates how much bandwidth is being used on the network. Answer D is incorrect because a high value for Interrupts\sec might indicate a faulty device or device driver.

6. Answer C is correct. Resource Monitor shows you the amount of processor and memory utilized for a process in addition to indicating which applications are using files. Windows Resource Monitor is a powerful tool for understanding how your system resources are used by processes and services. Answer A is incorrect because System Information shows the hardware and software running on a computer. Answer B is incorrect because the System Configuration is a trou- bleshooting tool to help you isolate problematic startup programs. Answer D is incorrect because the Windows Experience Index is used to gauge the performance of a system.

7. Answer C is correct. If the Performance Monitor shows no or little available memory or has a high pages/sec (20 or higher) or the paging file usage is high, you should increase the memory. Therefore, the other answers are incorrect.

8. Answer B is incorrect. Most likely your paging file is too large, which causes excessive paging because the paging file (disk) is much slower than RAM. Therefore, you should add more memory. Answer A is incorrect because if the processor was too busy, it would consistently be greater than 80%. Answer C is incorrect because the network traffic is low. Answer D is incorrect because the paging file has grown beyond 1.5 times memory. If you have a bottleneck for disk, you have to look at additional performance counters such as the length of the disk queue.

9. Answer C is correct. An important feature in Performance Monitor is the Data Collector Set (DCS), which groups data collectors into reusable elements. After a DCS is defined, you can schedule the collection of data using the DCS or see it in real time. Answer D is incorrect because the Windows Experience Index measures the capability of your computer’s hardware and software configuration and expresses this measurement as a number called a base score. Answers A and B are incorrect because alert counter and task parameters are not part of performance monitoring or do not exist.

10. Answer E is correct. A computer with a base score of 6.0 or 7.0 has a faster hard disk and can support high-end, graphics-intensive experiences, such as multiplayer and 3-D gaming and recording and playback of HDTV content. Therefore, the other answers are incorrect.

CHAPTER 16

ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive