HOW TO: Set CPU Utilization Monitors in Exchange 2000 Server

This step-by-step article describes how to set CPU monitoring to issue warnings if CPU utilization remains high for an extended period of time. When CPU utilization is too high, Exchange Server cannot effectively process messages. CPU utilization that runs at 100 percent for an extended period of time may be an indication of serious problems.

Configure a CPU Monitor

1.	Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Exchange, and then click System Manager.
2.	Expand Servers, right-click the server that you want to work with, and then click Properties.
3.	Click the Monitoring tab, and then click Add.
4.	In the Add Resource dialog box, click CPU Utilization, and then click OK.
5.	In the CPU Utilization dialog box, under Duration (minutes), type the number of minutes that must elapse before the CPU usage triggers a change of state, typically between 5 and 10 minutes.
6.	To set a warning-state threshold, click Warning State (percent), and then, in the adjacent text box, specify the maximum allowable CPU percentage that must be reached before a warning-state alert is issued, typically 95 percent or higher.
7.	To set a critical-state threshold, click Critical State (percent), and then, in the adjacent text box, specify the maximum allowable CPU percentage that must be reached before a critical state alert is issued, typically 100 percent.
8.	Click OK.