An optimal hardware configuration enables applications to get the greatest benefit from performance tuning. The hardware
speed impacts all types of applications and is critical to overall
performance.
About this task
You can check hardware configuration
and settings such as disk speed, system memory and processor speed
to gain performance benefits.
Procedure
Use the following considerations for selecting and configuring
the hardware on which the application servers run:
- Optimize disk speed
- Increase processor speed and processor cache
- Description: In
the absence of other bottlenecks, increasing the processor speed often
helps throughput and response times. A processor with a larger L2
or L3 cache yields higher throughput, even if the processor speed
is the same as a CPU with a smaller L2 or L3 cache.
- Increase system memory
- Description: Increase memory to prevent the system from paging
memory to the disk to improve performance. Allow a minimum of 256
MB of memory for each processor and 512 MB per application server.
Adjust the available memory when the system pages and the processor
utilization is low because of the paging. The memory access speed
might depend on the number and placement of the memory modules. Check
the hardware manual to make sure that your configuration is optimal.
- Recommendation: Use 256 MB of memory for each processor and 512
MB per application server. Some applications might require more memory.
- Increase system memory
- Description: Increase memory to prevent the system from paging
memory to the disk to improve performance. Allow a minimum of 256
MB of memory for each processor and 512 MB per application server.
Adjust the available memory when the system pages and the processor
utilization is low because of the paging. The memory access speed
might depend on the number and placement of the memory modules. Check
the hardware manual to make sure that your configuration is optimal.
- Recommendation: Use 256 MB of memory for each processor and 512
MB per application server. Some applications might require more memory.
- Run network cards and network switches at full duplex
- Description: Run network cards and network switches at full duplex
and use the highest supported speed. Full duplex is much faster than
half duplex. Verify that the network speed of adapters, cables, switches,
and other devices can accommodate the required throughput. Some websites
might require multiple gigabit links.
- Recommendation Make sure that the highest speed is in use on 10/100/1000
Ethernet networks.