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Performance Management

These changes affect the performance management of z/VM:

• Monitor Changes
• Command and Output Changes
• Effects on Accounting and Performance Data
• Performance Toolkit for VM Changes

Monitor Changes

Several z/VM 5.4 enhancements affect CP monitor data. There are four new monitor records and several changed records. The detailed monitor record layouts are found on our control blocks page.

z/VM 5.4 supports the z10 processor's z/VM-mode partition. (Read our specialty engines update for more information.) To accomodate the new processor types, the share settings for each type of processor, and the LPAR mode, this support updated the following monitor records:

In z/VM 5.4, virtual CPU share redistribution support was added to ensure share is redistributed among the virtual processors whenever a virtual processor is started or stopped. To indicate whether a virtual processor is stopped and to report on the number of times it has started or stopped, this support updated the following monitor records:

z/VM 5.4 provides the capability to increase the size of z/VM's memory (online real storage) by bringing designated amounts of standby storage online. No system re-IPL is required. To report on the amounts of central, standby, and reserved storage, and to report on when these amounts change, this support added or changed the following monitor records:

z/VM 5.4 exploits the multiple ports available in the OSA-Express 3 network adapters. To report on the OSA-Express port number, this support changed the following monitor records:

To provide additional debug information for system and performance problems, z/VM 5.4 added or changed these monitor records:

The z/VM TCP/IP APPLDATA record TCP/IP Link Definition Record - Type X'08' - Configuration Data was updated with the transport type.

With the PTF for APAR PK65850, z/VM 5.4 provides an SSL server that operates in a CMS environment, rather than requiring a Linux distribution. SSL Server APPLDATA Monitor Records were added for this support. See Appendix H, "SSL Server Monitor Records" in z/VM Performance (SC24-6109-05).

Command and Output Changes

This section cites new or changed commands or command outputs that are relevant to the task of performance management. The section does not give syntax diagrams, sample command outputs, or the like. Current copies of z/VM publications can be found in our online library.

The Dynamic Memory Upgrade enhancement introduces or changes these commands or their outputs:
 
SET STORAGE
DEFINE STORAGE STANDBY
DEFINE STORAGE RESERVED
QUERY STORAGE
QUERY VIRTUAL STORAGE

The Specialty Engine Enhancements work introduces or changes these commands or their outputs:
 
DEFINE CPU
SET SHARE
SET VCONFIG
QUERY VCONFIG
QUERY VIRTUAL CPUS
INDICATE USER
INDICATE LOAD
QUERY SHARE
QUERY PROCESSORS

The DCSS Above 2G enhancement introduces or changes these commands or their outputs:
 
DEFSYS
DEFSEG
QUERY NSS

Effects on Accounting Data

The Specialty Engine Enhancements work changed the accounting record for virtual machine resource usage (record type 1). Additional codes are now valid for the real and virtual CPU type fields.

See chapter 8 in CP Planning and Administration for further information on the accounting record changes and chapter 3 in CMS Commands and Utilities Reference for further information on the ACCOUNT utility.

Performance Toolkit for VM Changes

Performance Toolkit for VM has been enhanced in z/VM 5.4 to include changes to the following reports:

Performance Toolkit for VM: Changed Reports

Performance Toolkit for VM now provides the ability for a customer to tailor an optional web banner to be displayed for 5 seconds before the logon screen.

Omegamon XE has added several new workspaces so as to expand and enrich its ability to comment on z/VM system performance. In particular, Omegamon XE now offers these additional workspaces:

• Linux normalization
• Mixed Engines
• Minidisk Cache
• Control Unit Data
• Channel Data
• Channel Cache
• DASD Cache
• Spin Lock
• Vdisk

To support these Omegamon XE endeavors, Performance Toolkit for VM now puts the relevant CP Monitor data into the PERFOUT DCSS.

IBM continually improves Performance Toolkit for VM in response to customer-reported and IBM-reported defects or suggestions. In Function Level 540, the following improvements or repairs are notable:

• The file FCONX REPORTS has been updated to add many report names that were heretofore missing.

• On FCX108 DEVICE, for a disk volume that is PAV'd (either via classic PAV or via HyperPAV), the "response time" field for the base device number only now reports the volume response time instead of the response time for only the base device. This is made possible by the aggregate-alias MRIODDEV fields added in z/VM 5.3 and described in our PAV tuning discussion. Knowing volume response time greatly aids in volume tuning activities.

• PERFKIT BATCH reductions of MONWRITE data sometimes failed if the sample interval was small and the number of devices in the system was large. The repair lifts the constraint.

• On FCX162 USERLOG, the mean TCPU and VCPU values were being calculated incorrectly. This is repaired.

• The FC USRLIMIT facility, which sets thresholds and response actions for users whose resource consumptions exceed certain limits, was incorrectly calculating user I/O activity and thereby raising I/O alerts too late. The calculation was corrected.

• On systems with more than 13 engines, the CPSALL, CPSTOVM, CPSTOCP, and CPSFAILS reports omitted the "means" row. This has been corrected.

• FCX180 SYSCONF was repaired to give correct reports for all-IFL partitions.

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