Dell Precision Optimizer
Owner's Manual
Notes
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
Copyright © 2014 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and intellectual property
laws.
mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.
2014 - 09
Rev. A01
™
and the Dell logo are trademarks of Dell Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names
Dell
Contents
Dell Precision Optimizer (DPO).................................................................................................... 4
Profiles......................................................................................................................................................................5
Active Profiles.................................................................................................................................................... 6
Inactive Profiles................................................................................................................................................. 6
System Updates........................................................................................................................................................6
Resource Utilization..................................................................................................................................................7
Profiles and Policies...................................................................................................................... 9
System Maintenance...................................................................................................................10
System Information.................................................................................................................................................10
Update Filters..........................................................................................................................................................10
Notifications............................................................................................................................................................14
System Maintenance Settings................................................................................................................................15
Scheduled Updates..........................................................................................................................................15
Notification.......................................................................................................................................................15
Update Filters................................................................................................................................................... 16
Update History........................................................................................................................................................ 17
Track and Analyze........................................................................................................................19
Enable/Disable Smart Tracking.............................................................................................................................. 19
View Smart Tracking Reports.................................................................................................................................20
Analyze Workload...................................................................................................................................................20
Smart Tracking....................................................................................................................................................... 21
Enable Smart Tracking..................................................................................................................................... 21
Report Frequency ......................................................................................................................................... 21
Stop Tracking After ......................................................................................................................................... 21
Select System Data To Track ......................................................................................................................... 22
View Reports.................................................................................................................................................... 22
Smart Tracking Reports..........................................................................................................................................24
Select/View a Report........................................................................................................................................24
Reading a Graph...............................................................................................................................................24
Export/Print a Report........................................................................................................................................24
Delete a Report.................................................................................................................................................25
Troubleshooting............................................................................................................................26
2 Contacting Dell.......................................................................................................................... 28
Dell Precision Optimizer (DPO)
Dell Precision Optimizer contains a powerful engine that allows you to dynamically configure your system settings to
optimize the performance of your system. It also keeps you informed of any available software updates and applies them
when configured to do so. It contains a tracking subsystem that can gather extensive data about your system and help
identify potential problems.
DPPO consists of the following components:
• Profiles & Policies
• System Maintenance
• Track and Analyze
Each of the components is available as a separate tab on the application’s home page. This page is displayed when you
launch the application by double-clicking the following icon on the desktop.
On Windows 7, the application may also be launched from Start > Program Files > Dell Inc > Dell Precision Optimizer.
This window depicts the current and past recorded resource utilization values of your system. This window displays the
active and inactive profiles and the available system updates.
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Table 1. Icons on the upper right corner of all windows
Option Function
Minimizes the application.
Closes the application.
Table 2. Icons on the menu bar
Option Function
Brings up this help document.
Brings up a drop down menu with two options: About and a Feedback Form.
Profiles
The left side of the home page displays the currently active and inactive profiles for select applications. A profile is a
collection of system settings that are grouped together to optimize the Dell Precision workstation’s performance for your
application. You can activate or de-activate a profile (see below). Multiple profiles may be active at the same time. Even
after you exit the Dell Precision Optimizer UI the selected profile(s) remain active.
Dell Precision Optimizer has several application specific profiles to help improve the user experience. These profiles are
disabled by default. You may have to enable the profile for your given application (if available in Dell Precision Optimizer)
to see its benefits.
New application profiles will be made available via Optimizer system updates available in the System Maintenance
module or “Check For Profiles”.
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Active Profiles
This section lists the profiles that are currently active on your system. A profile is considered active if it is enabled and
its policies are started every time the system starts. The user can click on any of these profiles to navigate to the Profiles
and Policies page and see the details of the selected profile. Users with Local Administrator rights will also be able to
disable an active profile or enable in inactive profile.
Inactive Profiles
A profile that is not active is called an inactive profile. These profiles are disabled by the Local Administrator.
NOTE: The software may come with special profiles that can be activated when no other profile is active.Once
activated, such profiles will automatically be deactivated by the software once they have executed. “
Settings
” profile is such a profile that can be used to restore certain system parameters (that may be changed by
Dell Precision Optimizer) back to their factory defaults.
Dell Factory
System Updates
The bottom left side of the home page displays the number of software updates available. Dell System Updates are
specific to Dell Precision Optimizer and your system's hardware and software configuration. Windows Updates are
available within your operating system. The updates are grouped into three categories:
• Critical
• Recommended
• Optional
The following option is displayed:
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Option Function
Takes you to the System Maintenance page.
Resource Utilization
The home page shown above displays the utilizations of the following resources:
• Memory
• CPU
• Storage
• Graphics
The needle
of the speedometers shows the current utilization of Memory, CPU and Storage. This data is refreshed every 2 seconds.
If System Tracking is enabled on the system, you may also see a green portion in the speedometer arc. The green
portion (if present) represents the previous utilization average read from the last Dell Smart Tracking report. E.g. if the
Average Memory Utilization (previously recorded) was 38%, then the green bar will go from 0-38% in the first
speedometer dial.
Current Graphics utilization is displayed by the needle
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on the horizontal bar.
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Profiles and Policies
This lists all the policies in a selected profile. The name of the selected profile appears in the blue bar on the screen. The
names and descriptions of policies appear below the blue bar.
Further, the left side of this page also contains the list of Active and Inactive Profiles and number of System Updates.
Check New Profiles : When this button is clicked, the application checks if there are any new profiles that are available
on the server. New profiles are downloaded, obsolete profiles may be deleted and some profiles may get updated from
the server. This feature functions when the machine is connected to the internet.
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System Maintenance
System Information
This page shows a summary of your system configuration. It also lists the available software updates for your system.
The blue banner contains the System Make and Model along with the Dell Service Tag. The following option appears on
this banner:
Table 3. Option for System Information
Option Function
This icon will launch standard Windows utility that
displays the detailed System Information
Dell System Updates are specific to Dell Precision Optimizer and your system's hardware and software configuration.
Windows Updates are available within your operating system and not available through this module.
Update Filters
All software updates are categorized based on three criteria:
• Criticality (Critical/Recommended/Optional)
• Type (Hardware Drivers/BIOS Updates/Application Software/Firmware Updates)
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• Device Category (Audio/Mouse and Keyboard/Storage/Chipset/Network and Bluetooth/Video/All others)
This page contains three sets of check boxes – one set for each of the above – allowing you to select/deselect updates
based on their Criticality, Type and Device Category. Selected updates have a check mark before their names. It is not
possible to select or deselect individual updates by name.
This page contains the following buttons:
Table 4. List of buttons and functions
Option Function
Check Updates Click this button to check for available updates. This operation may take a few minutes to complete.
Once the operation completes, the list of all available updates is displayed in the right pane and all
updates are selected by default. Individual updates are listed under their respective Device
Categories and the appropriate criticality icon is also displayed before the name of the update.
The date/time when the last check for updates was performed (either manually by the user or by Dell
Precision Optimizer automatic updates) is displayed under this button.
Apply Updates Clicking this button takes you to a confirmation page to Apply the Updates.
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Option Function
History Log Click this button to display the logs containing detailed information of previous Update History.
Settings Click this button to schedule automatic updates and select options and filters that must be applied.
After viewing the history logs, you may click the Update List button to go back to the previous page listing all the
updates.
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The list of available updates displays detailed information including the Version and Release Date information:
• Check/Uncheck TYPE (Hardware Drivers, BIOS Updates, Application software, Firmware Updates) check boxes to
select or de-select the corresponding updates from the selection.
• Check/Uncheck criticality (Critical/Recommended/Optional) check boxes to select or de-select the corresponding
updates from the selection.
• Click on Apply Updatebutton to install the current selection of updates.
The software can check the Dell server to retrieve the list of updates available for your specific system and/or download
and install certain updates upon your request.
The updates can be configured so that they are done either manually or periodically. The updates are classified as
Critical, Recommended or Optional.
All updates belong to one of the following four types:
• Hardware Drivers
• BIOS Updates
• Application Software
• Firmware Updates
In addition the following seven categories exist for updates:
• Audio
• Chipset
• Mouse and Keyboard
• Network and Bluetooth
• Storage
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• Video
• All others
If the software is configured to CHECK or INSTALL UPDATE periodically, then the above filters is used to determine
which updates is displayed to the user or which will be downloaded and installed on the system.
If the user selects only Critical Updates, all 4 types and 7 categories, then if the Dell Server has one Recommended BIOS
Update or one Optional Video Driver update for your system, then these two updates will not displayed or installed.
Notifications
The application may give notifications to the user using pop-up dialog boxes to inform user if some problem occurred
during a check for updates or if a system reboot is required for installed update to work. You may see a dialog similar to
the one below:
If you click Yes the system will start the reboot process. Please make sure that you close all other applications and save
your data before proceeding.
If you click No the installed update will not be complete.
Further, the left side of this page also contains the list of active and inactive profiles and number of system updates.
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System Maintenance Settings
Scheduled Updates
This set of check boxes can be used to select manual updates or schedule automatic weekly or monthly updates.
Table 5. Type of Updates
Type Description
Manual Select if you do not want the application to perform any update operation periodically in the background.
You must use Check Updates button to look for available updates and then use Apply Updates to install
these updates from the System Maintenance page.
Weekly Select option to allow the application to perform weekly update operations based on other filters
selected on this page. Select day of the week (M, TU, W, TH, F, SA, SU) and then select the time of the
day (AM/PM) when the operation is scheduled
Monthly Select this option to allow the application to perform monthly update operations based on other filters
selected on this page.Select day of the month (1-28) and then select the time of the day (AM/PM) when
the operation is scheduled
Notification
This set of check boxes identifies the action that is performed in the automatic mode (that is, when the Scheduled
Updates is set to either weekly or monthly).
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Table 6. Check-Box options
Option Description
Notify when updates are
available
Download and install updates The application downloads and installs any available updates (based on the filter
The application notifies the user if any updates (based on the filter selection) are found
to be available. Updates is not downloaded to the local system, nor are they
automatically installed.
selection) before notifying the user.
Update Filters
This page also contains three sets of check box allowing you to filter scheduled updates based on their Criticality, Type
and Device Category. The check box on this page is applicable to scheduled updates only.
• Criticality (Critical/Recommended/Optional)
• Type (Hardware Drivers/BIOS Updates/Application Software/Firmware Updates)
• Device Category (Audio/Mouse and Keyboard/Storage/Chipset/Network and Bluetooth/Video/All others)
Following options appear on this page:
Option Function
Cancel Click this button to exit the settings page without saving any changes
Restore Settings Click this button to load the program default values for all the settings
Save Changes Click to save changes (if any)
Further, the left side of this page also contains the list of active and inactive profiles and system updates.
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Update History
After viewing the history logs, click the Update List button to go back to the previous page that lists all the updates.
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Track and Analyze
Enable/Disable Smart Tracking
When enabled, Smart Tracking collects system configuration information as well as sub-system usage data in the
background. Smart Tracking reports contain data such as Fan speed, Thermal data, Battery usage, Processor Utilization
etc. over a period of time. These reports can help you understand the behavior of your specific system under the
operating environment that was present when the report was running.
You can configure the following options that control the operation of Smart Tracking:
Table 7. Options to control Smart Tracking
Options Description
Report Frequency This setting controls how often reports are generated. Daily reports are generated
whenever the system date changes which may be a period less than 24 hours. The report
frequency period does not include the time your system spends in Sleep/Hibernate/
Shutdown states.
Stop Tracking After This setting controls how many reports are generated before Smart Tracking gets disabled
automatically. E.g. If you configure the system with a Report Frequency of 10 hours and
Stop Tracking after 3 Report(s), then you should expect to see your first report after 10
hours. Two new reports should be seen every 10 hours after the first one. Smart Tracking
should stop after three reports are generated.
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Options Description
Select System Data To
Track
The following screen shot shows how the GUI will look once you have enabled Smart Tracking to generate one report
after 4 hours.
This set of check boxes allows you to choose the sub-systems Smart Tracking collects
data from. By default all sub-systems are selected.
View Smart Tracking Reports
This page also shows you if there are any previously generated reports available for you to view. Click on “… Reports
Ready” to view these Smart Tracking Reports
Analyze Workload
This option allows you to track the system resource utilization (i.e. CPU, Memory, Graphics and Disk) while you run your
specific work load. Once the report is ready, you can use the View button to see the report.
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Smart Tracking
Enable Smart Tracking
This page allows you to enable/disable Dell Smart Tracking feature by clicking on the On/Off button. When enabled,
Smart Tracking runs for the specified period and collects system configuration and sub-system usage data. This data is
collected in the background and is compiled in the form of a Smart Tracking Report at the end of that period.
Smart Tracking reports contain data such as Fan speed, Thermal data, Battery usage, Processor Utilization etc. These
reports can help you understand the behavior of your specific system under the operating environment that was present
when the report was running. You can configure the following options that control the operation of Smart Tracking.
Report Frequency
This setting controls how often reports are generated. Daily reports are generated whenever the system date changes
which may be a period less than 24 hours. The report frequency period does not include the time your system spends in
Sleep/Hibernate/Shutdown states.
Stop Tracking After
This setting controls how many reports are generated before Smart Tracking gets disabled automatically. E.g. If you
configure the system with a ‘Report Frequency’ of 10 hours and ‘Stop Tracking after’ 3 Report(s), then you should expect
to see your first report after 10 hours. Two new reports should be seen every 10 hours after the first one. Smart Tracking
should stop after three reports are generated.
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Select System Data To Track
This set of check boxes allows you to choose the sub-systems Smart Tracking collects data from. By default all subsystems are selected.
View Reports
This page also shows you the number of previously completed Smart Tracking Reports ready for viewing. You can click
on the “… Report(s) Pending” text to view these reports.
If there is more than one report, you may compare the two reports side by side by selecting the reports using the drop
down menu and then clicking on the Compare button.
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Smart Tracking Reports
Select/View a Report
If there is more than one report ready on your system, you can select the report to view by clicking on
the ← and → arrows on the left side of the page. The right side of the page displays detailed information and graphs
from the selected report. The bottom left side of this page displays a tree view of the report. Clicking on any of the nodes
of the tree takes you directly to the corresponding section of the report.
Reading a Graph
All graphs on the X-axis show the range of data or specific value collected for the given system parameter. The Y-axis
displays the percentage of time the given range (or specific value) was found during the report interval. E.g. In the above
report for
whereas the Y-axis shows the percentage of time the temperature was found to be in the range, say 30-40 C.
Temperature
(Location Memory), the graph shows the range of temperature in degree Celsius on the X-axis
Export/Print a Report
You may click on the “
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Export
” icon on this page to save the selected report in an XML format.
You may click on the “
Delete a Report
Print
” icon on this page to save the selected report in a PDF format.
You may click on the “
Delete
” button to delete the currently selected report.
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Troubleshooting
Table 8. Profiles & Policies
Issue Solution
Why do I see Policy needs reboot message? Some of the Dell Precision Optimizer policies change
system attributes that require a reboot before the changes
can take effect. When this happens the user is informed
and given an opportunity to reboot the system. You can
decide to reboot later but the changes applied to your
system will become effective only after you reboot. Some
examples of policies that require reboot are those that
change Processor Hyper-Threading, Processor Cores etc.
Why do I see Policy needs application restart message? Some of the Dell Precision Optimizer policies change
system attributes that require the ISV application to be
restarted before the changes can take effect. When this
happens the user is informed and given an opportunity to
restart the ISV application. You can decide to continue
using the application but the changes applied to your
system will become effective only the next time the
application is started. Some examples of policies that
require application restart are those that change Nvidia
settings.
Why do I see Policy conflict occurredmessage? You may have two different active profiles that contain
policies that change the same system attribute to different
values. When such a situation is detected by Dell
Precision Optimizer, one the policies is aborted and the
user is notified. Dell Precision Optimizer determines a
policy conflict at application runtime, not policy selection.
To avoid such a situation, you must not activate conflicting
policies at the same time. Such policies are meant to be
enabled one at a time to optimize the system for ISV
applications running in different modes. If you get a policy
conflict message, please disable one of the profiles.
Table 9. System Maintenance
Issue Solution
Why does Check for Updates or Apply Updates fail? Check for updates or Apply updates may fail if you do not
have an internet connection or if the Dell server is not
reachable. Please check your network connection and try
again after some time.
You may also see this failure because of a conflict with
some other application that updates your system e.g. Dell
Client System Update software. If this happens, please
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Issue Solution
retry the operation after closing other applications and
associated update schedulers.
Why do I see Update requires rebootmessage sometimes? Not all software updates require the system to be
rebooted. If you get this message, it means that the
software update that was just applied can only become
effective once your system is rebooted. Please save all
your data and close all running applications before
rebooting your system.
Table 10. Track and Analyze
Issue Solution
Will enabling Dell Smart Tracking impact my system’s
performance?
Dell Smart Tracking is a very powerful tool and has been
extensively tested to ensure that it does not adversely
impact your system’s performance or battery life.
However, please bear in mind that it is a tracking tool
meant to be used as needed. You should not need to keep
it enabled at all times.
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2
Contacting Dell
NOTE: If you do not have an active Internet connection, you can find contact information on your purchase
invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog.
Dell provides several online and telephone-based support and service options. Availability varies by country and
product, and some services may not be available in your area. To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or customer
service issues:
1. Go to dell.com/support.
2. Select your support category.
3. Verify your country or region in the Choose a Country/Region drop-down list at the top of page.
4. Select the appropriate service or support link based on your need.
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