Configuring device I/O processing time

You can reduce the time that is needed to complete jobs that have substantial I/O by changing the device database file.

Before you begin

You can shorten the processing time of large I/O directed to one disk array unit by completing the two procedures described in Procedure A and Procedure B. Both procedures must be completed for this operation to be successful.

Procedure A

About this task

Procedure A applies to Tru64 UNIX version 4.0 and later. For more information, see the Tru64 UNIX ddr.dbase and ddr_config manual files.

Complete the following steps to set up the Tru64 UNIX device parameter database for features that are specific to the IBM Spectrum Virtualize system:

Procedure

  1. Quiesce the storage.
  2. Place the host system in single-user mode as root.
  3. Edit the /etc/ddr.dbase file by including the following lines as an entry in the DISKS subsection:
  4. Compile the ddr.dbase file by issuing the following command:

    ddr_config –c

  5. Confirm the values by issuing the following command:

Procedure B

About this task

Procedure B requires a kernel rebuild.

Complete the following steps to set a kernel SCSI parameter:

Procedure

  1. Quiesce the storage.
  2. Place the host system in single-user mode as root.
  3. Edit the /sys/data/cam_data.c file by changing the non-read/write command timeout values in the changeable disk driver timeout section.

    Change from u_long cdisk_to_def = 10; /* 10 seconds */ to u_long cdisk_to_def = 60; /* 60 seconds */

  4. Compile the cam_data.c file by issuing the following command:
    doconfig –c hostname

    Where hostname is the name of the system kernel that can be found in the /sys/conf/ directory.

    The following example shows output from the –c hostname command:

    #doconfig -c "ES47"
    *** KERNEL CONFIGURATION AND BUILD PROCEDURE ***
    
    Saving /sys/conf/ES47 as /sys/conf/ES47.bck
    
    Do you want to edit the configuration file? (y/n) [n]: y
    
    Using ed to edit the configuration file.  Press return when ready,
    or type 'quit' to skip the editing session: quit
    
    
    *** PERFORMING KERNEL BUILD ***
    Working....Wed Mar 22 17:36:19 PST 2006
    
    The new kernel is /sys/ES47/vmunix
    #