Using TPV Advisor

The Performance Advisor in Tivoli Performance Viewer (TPV) provides advice to help tune systems for optimal performance and gives recommendations on inefficient settings by using collected Performance Monitoring Infrastructure (PMI) data. Advice is obtained by selecting the Performance Advisor icon in TPV. The Performance Advisor in TPV provides more extensive advice than the Runtime Performance Advisor. For example, TPV provides advice on setting the dynamic cache size, setting the JVM heap size and using the DB2 Performance Configuration Wizard.

In order to obtain advice, first enable the performance monitoring service as shown in Enabling the PMI service, then do the following steps:

1. Enable data collection.

The monitoring levels that determine which data counters are enabled can be set dynamically, without restarting the server. These monitoring levels and the data selected determine the type of advice you obtain. The Performance Advisor in TPV uses the standard monitoring level; however, the Performance Advisor in TPV can use a few of the more expensive counters (to provide additional advice) and provide advice on which counters can be enabled. This action can be completed in one of the following ways: a. Enable data collection through the Administrative Console. b. Enable performance monitoring services through Tivoli Performance Viewer. c. Enable performance monitoring services using the command line.

2. Start the Tivoli Performance Viewer. This can be done in two ways: a. Start performance monitoring from the command line. See Example 16-10.

Go to the <install_root>/bin directory and run the tperfviewer script.

You can specify the host and port in Windows NT and 2000 environments as follows:

tperfviewer.bat <host_name> <port_number> <connector_type>

Note On the AIX and other UNIX platforms, use: tperfviewer.sh <host_name> <port_number> <connector_type>

Example 16-10 Start performance monitoring from the command line

tperfviewer.bat localhost 8879 SOAP

Connector_type can be either SOAP or RMI. 

8879 is the default ND port for SOAP connector. 

9809 is the default ND port for RMI connector

b. Click Start -> Programs -> IBM WebSphere -> Application Server v5.1 -> Tivoli Performance Viewer.

Tivoli Performance Viewer detects which package of WAS you are using and connects using the default Remote Method Invocation (RMI) connector port. If the connection fails, a dialog is displayed to provide new connection parameters.

You can connect to a remote host or a different port number, by using the command line to start the performance viewer.

3. Simulate a production level load. See step 8 for details.

4. Optionally store data in a log file: a. Click Logging -> On or click the Logging icon. b. Specify the name, location, and format type of the log file in the Save dialog box.

The Files of type field allows an extension of *.perf for binary files or *.xml for XML format. The XML format provides the flexibility that enables analysis by using third-party tools.

Note The *.perf files may not be compatible between fix levels.

c. Click OK.

5. You could also replay a performance data log file: a. Click Data Collection in the navigation tree. b. Click the Log radio button in the Performance data from field. c. Click Browse to locate the file that you want to replay or type the file pathname in the Log field. d. Click Apply. e. Play the log by using the Play icon or click Setting -> Log Replay -> Play.

6. Refresh data as needed. a. Select one or more resources in the Resource Selection panel. b. Click File -> Refresh. Alternatively, click the Refresh icon or right-click the resource and select Refresh.

Clicking refresh with a server selected under the viewer icon causes TPV to Query the server for new PMI and product configuration information.

Clicking refresh with a server selected under the advisor icon causes TPV to: Refresh advice that is provided in a single instant in time. Not query the server for new PMI and product configuration information.

7. Tuning advice appears when the Advisor icon is chosen in the TPV Performance Advisor. Double-click an individual message for details. Since PMI data is taken over an interval of time and averaged to provide advice, details within the advice message appear as averages.

8. Since Tivoli Performance Viewer refreshes advice at a single instant in time, take the advice from the peak load time.

9. Update the product configuration for improved performance, based on the advice.

Important: As with any analysis and tuning, make sure that only one parameter is changed, and then the results monitored. This provides an effective method of backing out of the change if it proves detrimental to the environment. Also, making multiple changes could result in undesired results, because many options are dependent on other settings.

Although the performance advisors attempt to distinguish between loaded and idle conditions, misleading advice might be issued if the advisor is enabled while the system is ramping up or down. This result is especially likely when running short tests. Although the advice helps in most configurations, there might be situations where the advice hinders performance. Due to these conditions, advice is not guaranteed. Therefore, test the environment with the updated configuration to ensure it functions and performs well.

10. Optionally you can clear values from tables and charts. a. Click one or more resources in the Resource Selection panel. b. Click Setting -> Clear Values. Alternatively, right-click the resource and select Clear Values.

11. Another optional task is to reset the counters to zero. a. Click one or more resources in the Resource Selection panel. b. Click Setting -> Reset to Zero. Alternatively, right-click the resource and click Reset to Zero.

Tips for using the TPV Advisor:
	Enable Performance Monitoring Service in the appserver and in the Node Agent if running Network Deployment.

Set the monitoring level to standard. Some JVM rules require monitoring level MAX and JVMPI. Start Tivoli Performance Viewer (tperfviewer.bat). Simulate production level load. Ensure the application runs without exceptions/errors. Apply advice, restart the appserver and re-test. More details can be found in the InfoCenter section "Using the Performance Advisor in Tivoli Performance Viewer".

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