Using Windows Media performance counters

Windows Media Services provides two sets of performance object counters that you can use to monitor your Windows Media servers and publishing points: Windows Media Services and Windows Media Publishing Points.

On the Monitor tabs of both your server and publishing point, you can click the Performance button to open a performance monitor that reports the most commonly used Windows Media performance counters for the selected object. You can add or remove counters from the monitor to suit your needs.

Windows Media performance counters can provide useful information in the following scenarios:

Real-time usage statistics. Performance counters provide information about the current usage of the server, such as the number of currently connected players, the amount of bandwidth utilization, and the number of distribution streams.
Identify streaming problems. Performance counters can provide information to help you identify and troubleshoot issues in your streaming system, such as the number of stream errors and resend requests.
Monitor encoder and distribution streams. Encoder and distribution server packet counters help identify when streams from an encoder or streams through a distribution server are failing.
Report peak usage. Most counters provide peak values, which enable you to track the maximum capacity of your system.

The following table identifies the performance monitor counters that are available for each performance object.

Performance monitor counter name and description	Windows Media Services	Windows Media Publishing Points
Current Cache Downloads The number of concurrent streams being downloaded to the memory area of the cache/proxy server.
Current Connected Players The current number of players with unicast connections to the server. This number does not include distribution server connections.
Current Connection Queue Length The current number of connection requests that are pending on the server from both players and distribution servers.
Current Connection Rate The current number of clients per second that are connecting to the server.
Current File Read Rate The current rate, in kilobits per second (Kbps), at which data packets are read from a file.
Current Incoming Bandwidth The current bandwidth, in Kbps, allocated for streams from other servers.
Current Late Read Rate The current number of data packets per second that take longer than 400 milliseconds to read from the file system.
Current Late Send Rate The current number of packets that are sent out 0.5 seconds or more after the marked send time.
Current Outgoing Distribution Allocated Bandwidth The current bandwidth, in Kbps, allocated for streams to distribution servers.
Current Outgoing Distribution Connections The current number of distribution servers that are connected to this server.
Current Outgoing Distribution Send Rate The current rate, in Kbps, at which data packets are being streamed to distribution servers.
Current Player Allocated Bandwidth The current amount of bandwidth, in Kbps, that is allocated for all streams to players.
Current Player Send Rate The current rate, in Kbps, at which data packets are being streamed to players.
Current Stream Error Rate The current number of errors per second due to dropped packets.
Current Streaming HTTP Players The current number of players that are being streamed data through the HTTP protocol. This does not include players that are stopped or paused.
Current Streaming MMS Players The current number of players that are being streamed data through the MMS protocol. This does not include players that are stopped or paused.
Current Streaming Players The current number of players that are being streamed data across all protocols. This does not include players that are stopped or paused.
Current Streaming RTSP Players The current number of players that are being streamed data through the RTSP protocol. This does not include players that are stopped or paused.
Current UDP Resend Requests Rate The current number of requests for UDP resends per second received from clients.
Current UDP Resends Sent Rate The current number of UDP resends per second sent to clients.
Peak Connected Players The peak number of players that have connected since the last time the counter was reset.
Peak Outgoing Distribution Allocated Bandwidth The peak bandwidth, in Kbps, allocated for all streams to distribution servers that have connected since the last time the counter was reset.
Peak Outgoing Distribution Connections The peak number of distribution servers that have connected since the last time the counter was reset.
Peak Outgoing Distribution Send Rate The peak rate, in Kbps, at which data was streamed to distribution servers since the last time the counter was reset.
Peak Player Allocated Bandwidth The peak bandwidth, in Kbps, that has been allocated for all streams to players since the last time the counter was reset.
Peak Player Send Rate The peak rate, in Kbps, at which data was streamed to players since the last time the counter was reset.
Peak Streaming Players The peak number of players that have been streamed data concurrently since the last time the counter was reset.
Total Advertisements The total number of advertisements that have been streamed from playlists since the last time the counter was reset.
0Total Connected Players The total number of players that have connected to the server since the last time the counter was reset.
Total File Bytes Read The total number of bytes read from files by the server since the last time the counter was reset.
Total Late Reads The total number of times that the server required more than 400 milliseconds to read data from the file system since the last time the counter was reset.
Total Late Sends The total number of times the server sent out data packets 0.5 seconds or more after the marked send time since the last time the counter was reset.
Total Outgoing Distribution Bytes Sent The total number of bytes streamed to all distribution servers since the last time the counter was reset.
Total Outgoing Distribution Connections The total number of distribution servers that have connected to the server or publishing point since the last time the counter was reset.
Total Player Bytes Sent The total number of bytes streamed to all players since the last time the counter was reset.
Total Server Uptime The elapsed time, in seconds, that the Windows Media Services service has been running since it was last started.
Total Stream Denials The total number of times the server refused to send a requested stream to a client since the last time the counter was reset. This includes denials that occurred due to failure to be authorized or authenticated, as well as denials that occurred because limits were exceeded.
Total Stream Errors The total number of stream errors due to dropped packets since the last time the counter was reset.
Total Stream Terminations The total number of streams that were terminated due to inactivity or errors since the last time the counter was reset. This includes terminations that occurred because player inactivity and timeout limits were exceeded, as well as terminations due to events such as late reads.
Total Streaming Players The total number of players that have been streamed data since the last time the counter was reset.
Total UDP Resend Requests The total number of requests for UDP resends received from clients since the last time the counter was reset.
Total UDP Resends Sent The total number of UDP resends sent to clients since the last time the counter was reset.

Note Image Note

Windows Media Services has built-in support for cache/proxy plug-ins. In the performance monitor Add Counters dialog box, you will see the following additional publishing point instances: Cache/Proxy Broadcast and Cache/Proxy On-Demand. These publishing points are only active if you have installed a cache/proxy server plug-in and are using your server as a cache/proxy server. For more information on cache/proxy servers, see Caching and proxying content.

Using Windows Media performance counters

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