What is normal for processor usage?

[klines]

We have a dual processor citrix server with approx 15 active users and each user typically opens 5 of 12 applications that they switch between all day.

We have been monitoring the percent of total processor with Performance Monitor. We will occasionally hit 100% for a few seconds comprised of different users with different applications. If I watch Task Manager I see that the CPU usage is typically running 10-20% of total processor. Other times might be hitting 50% or so. We seem to be all over the place depending on what users are doing.

My question is: How often is normal for the processor to hit 100%? Is it normal for us to see this a few times a day? When should we be worried that there is too much for the processor?

 

[JohnTcolo]

Totally dependent on the applications. We have a GPS app that runs on 1 server and it spikes to 100% every few seconds, then immediately drops back to about 5-10%. These spikes are when it gets an update from a remote server pinging the GPS satellite. We have an accounting app that will hog CPU during certain lookups-even if there is no keyboard activity. Are your users LAN or WAN?

 

[klines]

Our users are WAN. But each application varies depending on what the user is doing. The users switch between 5 different apps throughout the day and if 2 or 3 of them are doing a big process they max out the processor. We just started monitoring because the Citrix users complain of slowness occasionally and we are trying to pinpoint what is causing the slowness. Since we have been monitoring there hasn't been any slowdowns but we haven't seen the processor spike too much either. Today for example we hit 100% only 4 times and it was within a 5 minute span. I didn't think that was too bad, but then again I don't know what is considered "normal".