System Insights is a new feature available in the Windows Server 2019 and it brings local predictive analytics capabilities natively to Windows Server. These predictive capabilities are leveraged by the machine-learning model which locally analyses Windows Server system data, such as performance counters and events, providing high-accuracy predictions. This helps reduce the operational expenses associated with reactively managing your Windows Server instances. In this article, we will discuss how to set up System Insights on Windows Admin Center. Please see How to use Windows 11 PC Health Check App, how to upgrade Windows Admin Center, Learn about Windows Server 2022 Capabilities: Register Windows Admin Center with Azure, and how to Install Windows Admin Center on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Because each of these capabilities runs locally. All your data is collected, stored, and analyzed directly on your Windows Server instance, allowing you to use predictive analytics capabilities without any cloud connectivity. See the following links for “How to setup Windows Admin Center and also how to troubleshoot Windows Admin Center (WAC) access from the Web. For more on Windows Admin Center, please visit this link.
Windows Admin Center System Insights
In Windows Server 2019, System Insights introduces a set of capabilities focused on capacity forecasting, predicting future usage for computing, networking, and storage. To work with System Insights, you need currently Windows Server 2019. When the OS is installed, you can enable System Insights in two different ways:
- Through PowerShell
- With Windows Admin Center
I will be demonstrating how this is done effortlessly via Windows Admin Center below. When the Windows Admin Center is successfully installed, you will see System Insights added to the Tools section of the server that has it installed.
It comes predefined with 4 settings it will check up on:
- CPU capacity forecasting
- Network capacity forecasting
- Total storage consumption forecasting
- Volume consumption forecastingYou can simply select one and click on Invoke to actually generate the data required for the forecast. Unfortunately, if you run this on a fairly new machine [<2 hours], there’s a big chance you’ll run into this ‘notification.
Under tools
select System insights
Install System Insights
This will launch the system Insight Window, where the tool can be installed that will give the forecasting capabilities.
Click on install and this will begin the install process as shown below.
View System Insights Capabilities
When successfully installed, it prompts the various capabilities possible. Please see how to use container insights to get the full benefits of Azure Monitor for Azure Kubernetes workload, How to setup Chef Repository, how to import Virtual Machines (VM) to AWS cloud as AMI, and how to install minimal container template on a Proxmox Server.
Click on any of the capability name as shown below
Example: Let’s click on the Network Capacity Forecasting
Click on invoke on the top left under system Insights
Now under the status description, there will be entry as against the first image above.
To view the result, click on the Network Capacity Forecasting, here you should see the metrics if available.
Note: You can create a schedule on when it will run, without you having to invoke it
When you are done, click Close. See the image below for the result after the successful mining of information. This usually takes a while to populate as shown in the Status description.
Click on the capability name to view more details (output). Let’s take a look at the Network capacity/reporting, by clicking on this. It will display the overview of the Network capacity forecast (result). With these results, you can support and maintain your devices better.
I hope you found this blog post helpful on how to set up System Insights on Windows Admin Center. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comment session.