Main Window
The main window consists of a CPU utilization and system responsiveness graph, a list of running processes, and a list of recent actions (log). The configuration of Process Lasso is made easy to tweak through the menu system. In the main menu you’ll find all the general configuration options. Right-clicking on a process, or multiple processes, shows available operations on those process(es).
The Graph
The Process Lasso graph shows a calculation of system responsiveness and overall CPU utilization. The system responsiveness is calculated using a proprietary algorithm that measures the latency in the user interface (windowing) subsystem.
Highlighted portions of the graph indicate that a ProBalance process restraint occurred during that period. This can help you see the impact of Process Lasso on system responsiveness. Note that the highlighted areas of the graph may not be 100% accurate in their timing, but are somewhere very close. As future versions come the accuracy of the highlighted area will improve.
Highlighted ProBalance events
During periods when ProBalance takes action to ensure your system repsonsiveness remains high despite a spike in CPU use, the graph will be highlighted. The log can be referenced to see what actions were taken.
New in v4 – Hovering over a highlight even will show you the process(es) adjusted (in priority or CPU affinity) at that time.
CPU history of selected process(es)
With Process Lasso you can see the individual CPU history of process(es) you select in the process list. The CPU utilization history of all processes currently selected (highlighted) in the process list is drawn as a smaller white line on the graph. For example, the user below selected ‘devenv.exe’ and its CPU history was drawn onto the graph as a white line.
RAM Load Graph
New in v4 – A new RAM Load graph has been added to the right, even though the RAM load history is indicated on the main graph. This new graph is intended to give you a quick read on the RAM load. You can hide it by simply clicking it, or by using the View menu to toggle its visibility.
The All Processes Tab
The Process List shows running processes and allows for easy rule creation. You can right click on any process, or on multiple processes, to get a context menu of available options. Among many other things, the options include setting current priorities and affinities, as well as default priorities and affinities.
Single process context menu
The context menu when multiple processes are selected is different than when a single process is selected, since not all operations can be performed on multiple processes.
Multiple process context menu
As you can see, with Process Lasso you can select MULTIPLE processes at once and operate on them. Not all functions are available when multiple processes are selected, but most common ones are. This includes process rule creation.
Selecting which columns to show
You can select which columns you want visible by right-clicking on the ‘All processes’ tab, right-clicking on the list header, or using the ‘View / Select Process Columns’ menu. In addition, you can resize the columns (at their headers) and change the column ordering by dragging the column headers. These view changes will be remembered by Process Lasso. The same applies for the ‘Active processes’ tab. Note that right-clicking the ‘Active processes’ tab allows for setting process information shown in that column. Information in the ‘Active processes’ tab is more limited than information in the ‘All processes’ tab. However, double clicking on any process in the ‘Active processes’ tab will take you to its entry in hte ‘All processes’ tab.
The ‘Rules’ column of the GUI gives a summary of rules that match each process.
Rules
Format: [X][L][_][x][W][g][K][#n][n|d|D][e][p][Mx][R][s][iX][<..<<<<][RHANBI][0-63]
| Character(s) |
Meaning |
| X |
Excluded from ProBalance |
| L |
CPU Limited (9.3+) |
| _ |
Instance Balanced (9.1+) |
| W |
A watchdog rule is set |
| g |
Process induces Performance Mode |
| K |
Keep running (restart if terminates) |
| #n |
Instance count limit of n, e.g. #2 for a limit of 2 |
| n|d|D |
Prevents sleep of PC, display, or both, respectively |
| x |
Excluded from foreground boosting |
| e |
IdleSaver is disabled when this process is running |
| p |
Process will cause the PC to enter a particular Power Profile |
| Mx |
Where ‘x’ is the default memory priority set for this process. |
| R |
Default priority class: Real time |
| H |
Default priority class: Highest |
| A |
Default priority class: Above normal |
| N |
Default priority class: Normal |
| B |
Default priority class: Below normal |
| I |
Default priority class: Idle |
| ih |
Default I/O priority class: High |
| in |
Default I/O priority class: Normal |
| il |
Default I/O priority class: Low |
| ib |
Default I/O priority class: Very Low (background) |
| 0-63 |
Default CPU affinity, i.e. ‘0-2,3,5’ for cores 0,1,2,3,5 |
| < |
Hard Throttle level lowest |
| << |
Hard Throttle level low |
| <<< |
Hard Throttle level moderate |
| <<<< |
Hard Throttle level high |
The Active Processes Tab
Selecting which columns to show
You can select which columns you want visible in the ‘Active Processes’ tab the same way you can in the ‘All Processes’ tab. by right-clicking on the ‘Active processes’ tab or by right-clicking on the list header. In addition, you can resize the columns (at their headers) and change the column ordering by dragging the column headers. These view changes will be remembered by Process Lasso. Double clicking on any process in the ‘Active processes’ tab will take you to its entry in the ‘All processes’ tab, where additional information is available.
The Active Processes tab shows only processes that are actively utilizing the system CPU(s). It displays basic information about them, and a horizontal bar graph to visually depict their active CPU utilization.
Right clicking on one or more of the processes in the ‘Active Processes’ list show the same context menu as found in the ‘All Processes’ tab.
Double clicking on a process in the ‘Active Processes’ list will find the corresponding process in the ‘All Processes’ tab and make it visible.
Screenshot of the ‘Active Processes’ view:
![[Active Processes Tab screenshot]](http://www.bitsum.com/docs/pl/images/pl_active_processes.png)
Double clicking a process in the active processes view
You can double click a process in the ‘Active processes’ tab to go to that process in the ‘All processes’ tab, where extended information is available.
Single process context menu
Right-clicking on a process in the ‘Active Processes’ tab shows the same context menu as in the ‘All processes’ tab. You can perform any available operation on the process.
The context menu when multiple processes are selected is different than when a single process is selected, since not all operations can be performed on multiple processes.
Multiple process context menu
Just as in the ‘All processes’ tab, you can select multiple processes and right-click on them to perform an operation on all of them.
Keyboard Shortcuts
- DEL
- Terminate selected processes (forcible)
- CTRL+A
- Select All processes in current view
Configuration Dialogs
ProBalance Options
ProBalance Exclusions
Persistent Priority Classes
Persistent CPU Affinities
Auto-Terminate List
The processes listed here will get terminated when they are found to be running. Process Lasso can not (at present) actually prevent them from trying to start up, it just immediately terminates them when it finds them running.
Process Watchdog
The process watchdog allows for you to take an action on a process when it exceeds a certain amount of CPU or Memory. You can specify actions of Restart, Terminate, or Change Affinity. You can choose commit size of working set size if using a memory trigger. With both memory and CPU triggers, you can set a time the process must exceed this threshold before action is taken.
Instance Count Limits
You can limit the number of instances of a process allowed to be running at the same time (per user session) with this dialog. New instances of processes will be terminated if they match a pattern here and the number of instances is already equal to, or greater than, the instance count limit.
Keep Running Processes
You can ensure certain processes are kept running by entering in this dialog. This way, they can restart on crash, or restart if they become unresponsive. You can set this by right-clicking on a process, using the ‘Keep process running’, or by using application menu opion at ‘Options / Configure Keep running processes …’.
Performance Mode Processes
You can designate certain proceses to ‘Induce Performance Mode’. This causes Process Lasso to induce the Bitsum Highest Performance power profile and make certain adjustments to ProBalance in an effort to ensure all available CPU cycles go to the game. This mode should ONLY be used for games or other very CPU intensive applications that need every bit of processing power. You designate a performance process by right-clicking on a process and checking the ‘Induce Performance Mode’ menu item, or by using application menu opion at ‘Options / Power / Configure Performance Mode processes …’.
Anti-sleep Processes
You can prevent the PC and display from entering a sleep or hibernate state by adding them to the ‘anti-sleep’ list. You can do this by right-clicking on a process, using the ‘When running’ menu, or by using application menu opion at ‘Options / Configure Anti-Sleep processes …’.
Persistent Application Power Profiles
You can set certain processes to cause the system to enter the chosen Power Profile each time they are run. When they terminate, the system is returned to the previous power scheme. This lets you boost your PC’s performance automatically when you need it, and save energy when you don’t. You can do this by right-clicking on a process, using the ‘When running’ menu, or by using application menu option at ‘Options / Configure High Performance Power processes …’. Entering this power scheume will disable CPU frequency scaling, giving you maximum performance. It will, however, drain the battery life of laptops, netbooks, and other portable computers faster than typical. When all ‘High Performance’ power mode processes end, the Power Profile is reset back to whatever it originally was.
Instance Balancer
The Instance Balancer allows you to indicate how CPU cores should be assigned to an application with multiple instances. You can evenly spread the instances across the CPU cores, or set a specific CPU core count for each instance. When there are more instances than allotted CPU cores, instances are ‘stacked’ in a round-robin manner. When the instance count of managed applications changes by new process creation or termination, a re-balance occurs.
CPU Limiter
The CPU Limiter is able to reduce the CPU load of running applications by temporarily constraining their CPU affinity. For instance, on a 4 CPU core system, constraining the CPU affinity by 1 core limit the total possible CPU utilization of that process to 75%.
While you could accomplish the CPU Limiter function with a combination of Watchdog rules, the CPU Limiter is simpler to use. Using the Watchdog for the same effect would require two rules, one to constrain the CPU affinity when over threshold, and another to restore the original CPU affinity. Also the CPU Limiter will select a randomized CPU affinity, where-as the Watchdog relies on whatever static CPU affinity you define.
Main Menu Options
Process Lasso’s extensive menu system allows for configuration tweaks and other operations. The menus available are:
- The application main menu
Provides ability to to toggle numerous settings and more. These menu options are described below.
- The process context menu (right-click)
This menu lets you set specific options for a process.
- The multi-process context menu (right-click)
This menu lets you set specific options for several processes.
Using the Process Lasso application menu (the menu at the top) you can set a variety of options. They are explained below.
