🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Dec21.092049.1074@beckman.com>, dsroberts@beckman.com writes:
>We managed to work out getting a pair of two two gigabyte disks to replace two
>ra92's for our set of "system" packs.  By system packs, in this case, I mean
>where we put the layered products, page files, etc.  As opposed to user data
>:-).  So, for the first time in a while, we can make our page files bigger. 
>And contiguous.  WHat guidelines do others use for determining the proper size
>for pagefiles?

Try to make your pagefiles big enough that they're never more than 2/3 used.
Or, if you're willing to trust DEC, simply do an AUTOGEN with feedback.

>As we don't have a defragmentor the problem we've run into in
>the past is that if we make them too small we are not later able to make them
>contiguous until we can do an image backup and restore (almost never
>unfortunately).

AUTOGEN will tell you how bit it thinks the files should be.  If it can't
create them, you need to do a BACKUP/RESTORE.

>Currently we have two 100,000 block page files each for our 
>6420 and 6520, and this is a tad small.

Well, based on what you've told us, how were we to know?  You might be running
a system with only one user who only runs stuff he's ported from a CP/M system
with 64K memory.

THE NECESSARY SIZE OF THE PAGEFILES DEPENDS ON HOW MANY USERS YOU'VE GOT AND
HOW LARGE THEIR APPLICATIONS ARE!

Geez!  I'd've thought that would've been obvious!

Use AUTOGEN!

>Another thing I've never seen 
>guidelines on is number of page files.  Does it do any good to put multiple 
>page files for one system on one disk?

Obviously not.  All you achieve that way is to fragment your pagefile!

>If we have multiple page files per 
>system on several disks, but those pagefiles are on the same disks as the 
>pagefiles for other systems, isn't that just as bad?

No.  For each system, you should have at most one page file on each disk. 
Optimally, you should only have page files on local disks.  Once you've got
page files on non-local disks, optimal placement is *HIGHLY* dependent on the
characteristics of your particular cluster.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl J Lydick | INTERnet: CARL@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU | NSI/HEPnet: SOL1::CARL

Disclaimer:  Hey, I understand VAXen and VMS.  That's what I get paid for.  My
understanding of astronomy is purely at the amateur level (or below).  So
unless what I'm saying is directly related to VAX/VMS, don't hold me or my
organization responsible for it.  If it IS related to VAX/VMS, you can try to
hold me responsible for it, but my organization had nothing to do with it.

In article <1h6c06INN9ks@gap.caltech.edu>, carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick) writes:
> In article <1992Dec21.092049.1074@beckman.com>, dsroberts@beckman.com writes:
...
> No.  For each system, you should have at most one page file on each disk. 
> Optimally, you should only have page files on local disks.  Once you've got
> page files on non-local disks, optimal placement is *HIGHLY* dependent on the
> characteristics of your particular cluster.

A thing I do is name them [000000]AAAPAGE.SYSn and AAASWAP.SYSn. This means backup
and friends copy them first, Smack in the middle of the drive! No further think-
ing required.

An 'emergency' file on a remote system is a good sanity check. Set it all up
so the remote files are 'never' used, if they are, panic.

~Paul

Don,

AUTOGEN can determine good pagefile sizes.  Run it so it just produces a report
and doesn't make any changes.  It's best to put PAGEFILE=0 and SWAPFILE=0 in
your MODPARAMS.DAT so you maintain control of them.

Do @SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN SAVPARAMS TESTFILES and look at
SYS$SYSTEM:AGEN$PARAMS.REPORT.

Your pagefiles should go on disks that aren't heavily used.  Don't make lots of
little pagefiles, but a few hefty ones on your least-used disks should be fine.

Paul

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   Paul Anderson, OpenVMS Specialist     .   anderson@funyet.enet.dec.com    .
   Digital Equipment Corporation         .                                   .
   40 Old Bolton Road, Stow MA 01775     .   (508) 496-9140                  .
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