Why Keep Using IE6? 5 Reasons Some People Have Not Upgraded

Network world has an interesting article about how Microsoft is pushing hard to get everybody off of IE6. They describe some really good reasons to upgrade. It got me thinking about why people still have the IE6 browser at all?


With a bit of research, here are the top reasons why so many people still have IE6:

1. Certain commercial apps do not support newer versions of IE without major upgrades. With funds for maintenance and upgrades slashed during the recession, it may be very difficult to obtain the necessary dollars to get the latest version of vendor software that supports new versions of IE.

2. Some internal apps do not support newer versions of IE. IE 6 offered a proprietary API that is not the same as current versions. If your development team has moved on or did not upgrade, the necessary knowledge of how to upgrade your application may now be missing.

3. IE6 uses less RAM then later versions – installing a new browser version may require you to upgrade the hardware or sacrifice the performance of other more critical applications. This cost factor encourages some to delay the upgrade.

4. Long refresh cycles – some industries do not refresh their technology until about 5 to 7 years of usage. Those of us in technology live around it and want the latest and greatest but, not everyone needs the most advanced technology immediately.

5. This does leave out the groups of people who simply have not upgraded because they don’t care to do any updates and those who ignore all new browser versions for various reasons.

If you haven’t made the leap, consider evaluating your situation and creating an upgrade plan that gets you off of IE6 before 2014 when Microsoft stops supporting XP and IE6. After that, no more security patches for new vulnerabilities.

Four Resource Bottlenecks to Monitor in SQL Server 2008 for Better Performance

Looking to improve Microsoft SQL Server performance? I've found that resource bottlenecks are often the the most common issues with SQL Server 2008 performance. You can monitor SQL Server performance with a range of tools built into the server. In my experience four main culprits are often the key to finding, monitoring and resolving SQL Server 2008 performance issues.

1. CPU Bottlenecks
Monitoring the CPU load can identify systems that are over worked. Generally, when a processor sustains a rate above 80% the condition should be evaluated and the usage reduced. While you can buy more hardware, you should also look at the queries consuming the most load and attempt to optimize CPU consumption.

Metrics to monitor:
Processor:% Processor Time: Sustained above 80% indicates a problem

2. Memory Bottlenecks
There are multiple ways in SQL server and the base OS to use or reserve memory. It is important to monitor the overall physical and virtual memory to ensure it is not fully allocated. When the memory is fully utilized, your system works harder to move items around and is less efficient, resulting in a slower system.

Metrics to monitor:
Memory: Available MBytes: less than 50-100 likely indicates a problem but, you may need to see how your local system responds in relationship to the available memory for a more precise number
Monitor the windows event log for errors that indicate the virtual memory has run low

3. Disk I/O Constraints
The SQL server reads and writes to the database on a regular basis. A slow response during processing can result in decreased SQL performance. Improving the disk I/O with hardware is one solution, but you should also ensure that memory problems are not making the problem worse. In addition, consider data compression strategies and review query plans for missing indexes with the database tuning advisor to improve performance.

Metrics to monitor:
PhysicalDisk Object: Avg. Disk Queue: When operating regularly above 2 this indicates an I/O bottleneck
Avg. Disk Sec/Read & Avg. Disk Sec/write: Less than 20ms is normally fine, but beyond 30 is likely to cause slowdowns.
Physical Disk: %Disk Time: Numbers above 50% indicate an I/O bottleneck

4. TempDB Issues
The tempDB provides a storage place for objects, tables and stored procedures. The tempDB can affect both performance and disk space usage which can reduce the efficiency of the SQL Server and any other applications running on the same server.

Metrics to monitor:
Space used: Ensure this does not exceed 80% utilization.
Free Space in tempdb: Monitor and evaluate the proper levels for baseline operations.

I've found that monitoring these four common resource issues can help troubleshoot and resolve many common SQL Server 2008 bottlenecks. If you don't have time to use a range of tools to monitor all these metrics, consider a solution that provides an integrated view of all the SQL Server metrics that you need. dopplerVUE is a network management solution with an SQL application center that displays system responsiveness, application services, server and application utilization and alarm conditions all in a single window.

Cisco Tech Days – Don’t Miss Out

Want to get the inside scoop on network technology straight from the network experts? Cisco is hosting its Tech Days series throughout the month of May and into June in several cities throughout the country. I’ve attended the sessions in the past and found them to be very useful. Viewing demos, hearing about product roadmaps and features from the horse’s mouth is very helpful.


The hot topics this year include borderless networking, virtualization and collaboration technologies. Find out how the newest innovations can help you develop strategies and deploy solutions to make your network more efficient and effective.

Get the full details here for all the locations and dates. If you’ll be attending the event on May 26th in McLean, VA or the June 9th event in San Francisco, CA let me know. It would be great to meet up and discuss some of these latest networking trends.

Application Problems and Downtime – Avoid the Pain

Whether it’s the email system, web infrastructure or your database backend – downtime can make your blood pressure rise. I’ve seen the support calls come in when a server and application goes down that is mission critical.


That’s why I’m so excited about the new release of dopplerVUE 2.1. Application centers have been added for Microsoft® Exchange, Microsoft® IIS and Microsoft SQL Server® applications. These monitoring centers provide detailed information about the overall health of an application, including its hardware and software dependencies.

dopplerVUE displays responsiveness, application services, server and application utilization and alarm conditions in a single view. Take a look at the screenshot below.

Interested in getting more insight into your Exchange, IIS or SQL server and applications? Try
dopplerVUE 2.1 free for 30 days.