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Performance Management

These changes affect the performance management of z/VM and TCP/IP VM.

  • Monitor Enhancements
  • Effects on Accounting Data
  • VM Performance Products

Monitor Enhancements

There were several areas of enhancements affecting the monitor data for z/VM 5.1.0 involving both system configuration information and improvements in data collection. As a result of these changes, there are eight new monitor records and several changed records. The detailed monitor record layouts are found on our control blocks page.

Minor changes were made to several monitor records to clarify field values and to enhance data collection. Documentation-only changes were made to the following three records: Domain 0 Record 9 (Physical Channel Path Contention Data), Domain 1 Record 7 (Memory Configuration Data), and Domain 3 Record 15 (NSS/DCSS/SSP Loaded into Storage). The User Partition ID was added to Domain 0 Record 16 (CPU Utilization Data in a Logical Partition) and the Channel Path ID type as found in the Store Channel-Path Description was added to Domain 0 Record 20 (Extended Channel Measurement Data (Per Channel)). Finally, additional data fields for minidisk caching were added to Domain 0 Record 14 (Expanded Storage Data (Global)).

Native SCSI disk support is provided in z/VM 5.1.0, allowing SCSI disk storage to appear as FBA DASD. Several monitor records were updated to allow monitor data to be captured for these new devices. They include: Domain 1 Record 6 (Device Configuration Data), Domain 1 Record 8 (Paging Configuration Data), Domain 3 Record 7 (Page/Spool Area of a CP Volume), Domain 3 Record 11 (Auxiliary Shared Storage Management), Domain 6 Record 1 (Vary on Device), Domain 6 Record 2 (Vary off Device), Domain 6 Record 3 (Device Activity), Domain 6 Record 6 (Detach Device), and Domain 7 Record 1 (Seek Data). In addition a new record, Domain 6 Record 24 (SCSI Device Activity) was created to record device activity on a SCSI device.

Starting with the z990, some of the zSeries processors will be able to change their CPU clock speed dynamically in certain circumstances. To monitor any CPU clock speed changes, the Domain 0 Record 19 (Global System Data) and the Domain 1 Record 4 (System Configuration Data) records have been updated. Also a new record, Domain 1 Record 18 (Record of CPU Capability Change) will be created whenever a change in the CPU clock speed is recognized.

Virtual IP switch (VSwitch) has been improved in z/VM 5.1.0 to provide enhanced failover support for less disruptive recovery for some common network failures. Two new monitor records have been created, Domain 6 Record 22 (Virtual Switch Failover) and Domain 6 Record 23 (Virtual Switch Recovery), to record when VSwitch failure and recovery occur.

A monitoring facility for real Queued Direct I/O (QDIO) devices (ie: OSA Direct Express, FCP SCSI and HiperSockets) is added to z/VM 5.1.0 with updates to Domain 4 Record 2 (User Logoff Data), Domain 4 Record 3 (User Activity Data) and Domain 4 Record 9 (User Activity Data at Transaction End). There is a new configuration monitor record: Domain 1 Record 19 (indicates configuration of a QDIO device). Three new records have been added to the I/O Domain: Domain 6 Record 25 (indicates that a QDIO device has been activated), Domain 6 Record 26 (indicates activity on a QDIO device), and Domain 6 Record 27 (indicates deactivation of a QDIO device). Note that none of these changes apply to virtual machines such as the TCP/IP VM stack that use Diagnose X'98' to lock their QDIO buffers in real storage.

Linux guests can now contribute performance data to CP monitor using the APPLDATA (domain 10) interface. See the chapter entitled "Linux monitor stream support for z/VM" in Device Drivers and Installation Commands for information on how to build a Linux kernel that is enabled for monitoring and other details.

Effects on Accounting Data

None of the z/VM 5.1.0 performance changes are expected to have a significant effect on the values reported in the virtual machine resource usage accounting record.

VM Performance Products

This section contains information on the support for z/VM 5.1.0 provided by the Performance Toolkit for VM. Introduced in z/VM 4.4.0, Performance Toolkit for VM is a replacement for VMPRF and RTM, which have been discontinued starting with z/VM 5.1.0. Performance Toolkit for VM provides enhanced capabilities for a z/VM systems programmer, operator, or performance analyst to monitor and report performance data. The toolkit is an optional, per-engine-priced feature derived from the FCON/ESA program (5788-LGA) providing:

  • Full-screen mode system console operation and management of multiple z/VM systems

  • Post-processing of Performance Toolkit for VM history files and of VM monitor data captured by the MONWRITE utility

  • Viewing of performance monitor data using either web browsers or PC-based 3270 emulator graphics

  • TCP/IP performance reporting

  • Viewing of Linux performance data

Performance Toolkit for VM has been enhanced in z/VM 5.1.0 in a number of respects:

  • functional equivalence to VMPRF

  • batch processing of monitor data files, including a VMPRF migration aid mode

  • new Linux reports based on application domain monitor data

  • two new reports for SCSI DASD

These enhancements are discussed in What's New in Performance Toolkit for VM in Version 5.1.0 located here. For general information about Performance Toolkit for VM and considerations for migrating from VMPRF and RTM, refer to our Performance Toolkit page.

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