Any seasoned IT admin knows about performance-monitoring utilities like Perfmon, but did you know that Windows Server 2008 R2 comes with several other free tools that work just as well as pricey third-party alternatives?

For example, there's Windows System Resource Manager (or WSRM), which is used to allocate processor and memory resources to applications, users, Remote Desktop Services sessions, and Internet Information Services application pools.

Here's a great explanation of how WSRM can help an IT infrastructure:

WSRM doesn't cap anything until the processor load exceeds 70% utilization, at which point administrators can create custom resource policies, processes and task prioritization. For example, you can set Internet Explorer as a low priority during March Madness, when administrators expect their end users who are basketball fans to be watching a lot of flash video, [Thomson-Reuters Web services administrator Ian] Parker said.

The two other free Windows performance monitoring tools not to be missed are Data Collector Sets, an "XML-based collection of performance and diagnostic tools," and Xperf, a performance tuning tool that's "best for specific issues with system usage and high disk I/O problems."

What do you think about these utilities' viability compared with commercial alternatives? What Server 2008 tools do you find most useful? Hit the comments for some tool talk!