Windows 7 / Getting Started

How Reliability Monitor Works

Reliability Monitor gathers and processes data using the Reliability Analysis Component (RAC) of Windows 7. Data is automatically collected by the reliability analysis metrics calculation executable (RACAgent.exe), also known as the RACAgent process. The RACAgent analyzes, aggregates, and correlates user disruptions in the operating system, services, and programs and then processes the data into reliability metrics. The RACAgent runs as a hidden scheduled task named RACAgent to collect specific events from the event log. The RACAgent runs once every hour to collect relevant event log data and processes data once every 24 hours, so stability data will not be available immediately after installation.

After the data is collected, the RACAgent processes this information using a weighted algorithm. The result of the data processing is a stability index number that can vary on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being the least reliable and 10 being the most reliable. The stability index and the results of the event tracing are then displayed in graphical form over time.

System reliability information is displayed graphically as data points that represent the reliability index of the system for a specific day or week, depending upon the view selected. The horizontal axis displays the date range and the vertical axis displays the Stability Index number. The chart uses icons (red circles for critical events, yellow triangles for warnings, and blue circles for informational events) to indicate if an event of interest has occurred in one of the major categories on the indicated day or week. You can access the details of an event or failure by clicking the day or week the event occurred and then clicking View Technical Details for the event in the scrolling list box at the bottom. The Stability Index is the primary indicator of system stability over time based on the data that is gathered and processed by Reliability Monitor. The graph indicates the value of the stability index over the time range selected.

Reliability Monitor tracks the number of user disruptions per day over a 28-day rolling window of time, with the latest day of the rolling window being the current day. The Stability Index algorithm processes the information and calculates the stability index relative to the current day. Until the Reliability Monitor has collected 28 days of data, the Stability Index is displayed as a dotted line on the graph, indicating that it has not yet established a valid baseline for the measurement.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Windows 7 Desktop Maintenance
  2. Performance Monitoring
  3. Improvements to Performance Monitoring in Windows 7
  4. Using Performance Monitor
  5. Real-Time Performance Monitoring
  6. Performance Monitor Logging
  7. Creating a Data Collector Set
  8. Configuring a Data Collector Set
  9. Using Data Manager to View Performance Data
  10. Starting and Stopping Data Logging
  11. Viewing Performance Data
  12. Comparing Performance Monitor Logs
  13. Performance Monitor User Rights
  14. Remote Data Collection
  15. Using Windows PowerShell for Performance Monitoring
  16. Resource Monitor
  17. Overview Tab
  18. CPU Tab
  19. Memory Tab
  20. Disk Tab
  21. Network Tab
  22. Reliability Monitor
  23. How Reliability Monitor Works
  24. Windows Performance Tools Kit
  25. Event Monitoring
  26. Understanding the Windows Event Architecture
  27. Channels
  28. Improvements to Event Monitoring in Windows 7
  29. Using Event Viewer
  30. Understanding Views
  31. Viewing Event Logs
  32. Saving Event Logs
  33. Configuring Event Subscriptions
  34. Considerations for Workgroup Environments
  35. Creating a New Subscription
  36. Using the Windows Events Command-Line Utility for Event Monitoring
  37. Using Windows PowerShell for Event Monitoring
  38. Using Task Scheduler
  39. Improvements to Task Scheduler in Windows 7
  40. Understanding Tasks
  41. Understanding the Task Scheduler Architecture
  42. Understanding Task Scheduler Security
  43. Credentials Management
  44. Securing Running Tasks
  45. Understanding AT and Task Scheduler v1.0 Compatibility Modes
  46. Understanding the Task Scheduler Snap-in
  47. Understanding Default Tasks
  48. Creating Tasks
  49. Defining Triggers
  50. At Startup Trigger
  51. On Connection To AND Disconnect From User Session Triggers
  52. On Workstation Lock AND Unlock Triggers
  53. Defining Actions
  54. Defining Conditions
  55. Defining Settings
  56. Managing Tasks
  57. Viewing History
  58. Using SchTasks.exe for Creating and Managing Tasks
  59. Task Scheduler Events
  60. Troubleshooting Task Scheduler
  61. Tasks Won't Run If the Service Is Not Started
  62. The Task Will Run Only When a Certain User Is Logged On
  63. The Task Action Failed to Execute
  64. Interpreting Result and Return Codes
  65. Understanding the Windows System Assessment Tool
  66. Understanding WinSAT Assessment Tests
  67. Examining the WinSAT Features Assessment
  68. Running WinSAT from the Command Line
  69. Understanding WinSAT Command Exit Values
  70. Running WinSAT Using Performance Information and Tools
  71. System Capabilities Section
  72. OEM Upsell And Help Section
  73. Understanding Windows Error Reporting
  74. Overview of Windows Error Reporting
  75. How WER Works
  76. Store Management System
  77. ReportArchive Folder
  78. WER Service
  79. Understanding the Error Reporting Cycle
  80. Understanding WER Data
  81. Configuring WER Using Group Policy
  82. Configuring WER Using the Action Center