GPFS helper threads

GPFS uses helper threads such as prefetchThreads and workerThreads to improve performance.

Since systems vary, it is suggested you simulate an expected workload in GPFS and examine available performance indicators on your system. For instance, some SCSI drivers publish statistics in the /proc/scsi directory. If your disk driver statistics indicate that there are many queued requests, then it might mean you should throttle back the helper threads in GPFS.

For more information, see Parameters for performance tuning and optimization.