OpenVMS Performance Management

This document, "OpenVMS Performance Management" (April 2001, Version 7.3), serves as a conceptual guide for experienced system managers and users focused on optimizing OpenVMS system performance. Its primary purpose is to help users evaluate, analyze, and troubleshoot performance issues by understanding system workload, utilizing performance-analysis tools, and applying appropriate tuning and remedial actions.

Key areas covered include:

• Performance Management Fundamentals: Guidelines for workload management, conducting performance audits, and the system manager's role.
• Core OpenVMS Concepts: Detailed explanations of memory management (working sets, paging, swapping, Automatic Working Set Adjustment - AWSA) and OpenVMS scheduling.
• Resource Evaluation Tools: Guidance on using utilities like MONITOR, ACCOUNTING, and AUTOGEN to collect and interpret data for CPU, memory, and disk I/O resources.
• Diagnosing Limitations: Step-by-step procedures for identifying and isolating memory, disk I/O, and CPU bottlenecks.
• Compensating for Limitations: Strategies and specific recommendations for improving system responsiveness through system parameter tuning, code sharing, file system optimization, load balancing, and considering hardware upgrades.
• Practical Aids: Includes decision trees for systematic problem investigation and post-installation performance options.

The manual does not delve into capacity planning, detailed OpenVMS RMS features, or DECnet for OpenVMS performance issues, directing users to other specialized documentation for those topics.