News Group Posts

smp second multiple cpu

From: "James R. Sullivan" <jim@tarantella.com>
Subject: Re: Activate second CPU
Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2002 08:25:06 -0800
References: <a3b29i$uje$02$2@news.t-online.com>
<a3c0m2$16tj5n$1@ID-105888.news.dfncis.de>
<3C59A5F8.2017BBBF@steinmetznet.com>
<3C5A2E10.1080901@aplawrence.com>
<GquErJ.Jr@wjv.com> 

Bill Vermillion wrote:
> 
> In article <3C5A2E10.1080901@aplawrence.com>,
> Tony Lawrence  <tony@aplawrence.com> wrote:
> > 
> >But it doesn't matter a bit how well designed the SMP is if the
> >primary load doesn't tax the capacities of one cpu.

Agreed.  The key thing to look at is not pegged CPU, but the length
of the run queue (sar -q, I think).  Multiple processes being ready
to run at the same time will benefit from SMP.  A single process
consuimg CPU won't
> 
> >If sar isn't showing a pegged cpu at least part of the time, there
> >isn't going to be much sense in spending the money on the hardware
> >or the license.

Agreed, but you should also check the run queue
> 
> Not really true.  It depends on the program run and if the programs
> are designed with multi-cpus in mind so you can process certain
> processes in parallel instead of in serial fashion.

Yes and no.  Since OpenServer doesn't really properly support process
threads, there is little benefit unless the program is designed to use
multiple processes.  Most OSR5 applications are not.

--
Jim Sullivan
Director, North American System Engineers
Tarantella!  http://www.tarantella.com
831 427 7384 - jim@tarantella.com
 

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