New SEA thread tuning parameters with VIOS level 2.2.2.2

 

• Number of threads (nthreads)

Specifies the number of threads in threaded mode, where the value of the thread parameter is 1. This value applies only when the thread mode is enabled. The nthreads attribute can be set to any value between 1 and 128. The default value is 7.

 

• Queue size (queue_size)

Specifies the queue size for the Shared Ethernet Adapter (SEA) threads in threaded mode where the value of the thread parameter is 1. This attribute indicates the number of packets that can be accommodated in each thread queue. This value applies only when the thread mode is enabled. When you change this value, the change does not take effect until the system restarts. The queue_size attribute can be set to any value between 2 and 65535. The default value is 8192.

 

• Hash algorithms (hash_algo)

Specifies the hash algorithm that is used to assign connections to Shared Ethernet Adapter (SEA) threads in threaded mode, where the value of the thread parameter is 1. When the hash_algo parameter is set to 0 (the default), an addition operation of the source and destination Media Access Control (MAC) addresses, IP addresses, and port numbers is done. When the hash_algo parameter is set to 1, a murmur3 hash function is done instead of an addition operation. The murmur3 hash function is slower, but it achieves better distribution. This value applies only when the thread mode is enabled.

 

$ lsdev -dev ent6 -attr

attribute     value    description                                                        user_settable

 

accounting    enabled  Enable per-client accounting of network statistics                 True

ctl_chan               Control Channel adapter for SEA failover                           True

gvrp          no       Enable GARP VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP)                      True

ha_mode       disabled High Availability Mode                                             True

hash_algo     0        Hash algorithm used to select a SEA thread                         True

jumbo_frames  no       Enable Gigabit Ethernet Jumbo Frames                               True

large_receive no       Enable receive TCP segment aggregation                             True

largesend     0        Enable Hardware Transmit TCP Resegmentation                        True

lldpsvc       no       Enable IEEE 802.1qbg services                                      True

netaddr       0        Address to ping                                                    True

nthreads      7        Number of SEA threads in Thread mode                               True

pvid          50       PVID to use for the SEA device                                     True

pvid_adapter  ent4     Default virtual adapter to use for non-VLAN-tagged packets         True

qos_mode      disabled N/A                                                                True

queue_size    8192     Queue size for a SEA thread                                        True

real_adapter  ent0     Physical adapter associated with the SEA                           True

thread        1        Thread mode enabled (1) or disabled (0)                            True

virt_adapters ent4     List of virtual adapters associated with the SEA (comma separated) True

 

# lsattr -Rl ent6 -a hash_algo

0...1 (+1)

 

# lsattr -Rl ent6 -a nthreads

1...128 (+1)

 

# lsattr -Rl ent6 -a queue_size

2...65535 (+1)

 

http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/index.jsp?topic=%2Fp7hb1%2Fiphb1_vios_managing_sea_attr.htm

 

 

New LPM tuning parameters with VIOS level 2.2.2.2.

 

A new pseudo device is available to support Live Partition Mobility performance tuning.

 

• The pseudo device vioslpm0 is created by default when VIO server version 2.2.2.0 or higher is installed.
• Device attributes for vioslpm0 can be used to control live partition mobility operations.
• Use normal lsdev/chdev padmin commands to query/change attributes.

 

$ lsdev –dev vioslpm0 –attr

$ chdev –dev vioslpm0 –attr cfg_msp_ops=5

 

$ lsdev -dev vioslpm0 -attr

attribute       value description                                                 user_settable

 

cfg_msp_lpm_ops 8     Configured number of concurrent LPM operations for this MSP True

concurrency_lvl 3     Concurrency level                                           True

lpm_msnap_succ  1     Create mini-snap for successful migrations                  True

max_lpm_vasi    1     Maximum number of VASI adapters used for LPM operations     False

max_vasi_ops    8     Maximum number of concurrent LPM operations per VASI        False

tcp_port_high   0     TCP highest ephemeral port                                  True

tcp_port_low    0     TCP lowest ephemeral port                                   True

 

Pseudodevice attributes and definition
Attribute	Value	Description	User modifiable
cfg_msp_lpm_ops	8	Number of concurrent partition mobility operations for the mover service partition	True
concurrency_lvl	3	Concurrency level	True
lpm_msnap_succ	1	Create a mini-snap (when a migration ends, the set of information related to a specific migration, that is gathered and packed on each mover service partition involved in the migration), for successful migrations	True
max_lpm_vasi	1	Maximum number of Virtual Asynchronous Services Interface (VASI) adapters used for partition mobility operations	False
max_vasi_ops	8	Maximum number of concurrent partition mobility operations per VASI	False
tcp_port_high	0	TCP highest ephemeral port	True
tcp_port_low	0	TCP lowest ephemeral port	True

 

http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/topic/p7hc3/iphc3vioslpmpseudo.htm

 

New features of the migrlpar command with VIOS level 2.2.2.2.

 

• Specify fibre channel ports using vios_fc_port_name. Run the lslparmigr command to show a list of available slot IDs for a VIOS partition. Run the migrlpar command to accomplish the following tasks:

 

• Specify virtual slot IDs for one or more virtual adapter mappings.
• Validate the specified slot IDs.
• Note: You can specify the port name of the Fibre Channel to be used for creating Fibre Channel mapping on the source server when you are performing partition migration.

 

You can use the HMC command line interface to specify the port name. List all the valid port names of the Fibre Channel by running the lsnports command. From the list of the valid port names, specify the port name that you want to use by running the migrlpar command with the attribute

vios_fc_port_name specifying the port name you want to use.

 

The following attributes of pseudo device can be modified by using the migrlpar command:

 

• num_active_migrations_configured
• concurr_migration_perf_level

 

Run the following HMC command to modify the attribute values of the pseudo device, for example to set the number of active migrations to 8 run:

 

$ migrlpar -o set -r lpar -m 795-1 -p lpar1 -i "num_active_migrations_configured=8“

 

The default value for this attribute is 4. To run the maximum number of supported partition mobility operations on the VIOS, this value must be set the supported maximum number.

 

To set the amount of resources allocated for each mobility operation to a value of 2, run the following command:

 

$ migrlpar -o set -r lpar -m 795-1 -p lpar1 -i "concurr_migration_perf_level=2"

 

The range of the concurr_migration_perf_level attribute value is 1 to 5. A value of 1 indicates optimal performance, and a value of 5 indicates limited resources. The default value is 3.

 

http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/index.jsp?topic=%2Fp7hc3%2Fiphc3hmclpmpseudo.htm

 

New LPM error codes.

 

There are new error codes available for troubleshooting partition mobility:

 

http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/index.jsp?topic=%2Fp7hc3%2Fiphc3hmctroubleshoot.htm

 

http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/index.jsp?topic=%2Fp7hc3%2Fiphc3vioserror.htm

 

VIOS error codes
Error Code	Definition
1	The virtual adapter is not ready to be moved. The source virtual Ethernet is not bridged.
2	The virtual adapter can be moved with less capability. All virtual local area networks (VLAN) are not bridged on the destination. Hence, the virtual Ethernet adapter has less capability on the target system compared to the source system.
3	The stream ID is still in use.
64	The migmgr command cannot be started.
65	The stream ID is invalid.
66	The virtual adapter type is invalid.
67	The virtual adapter DLPAR resource connector (DRC) name is not recognized.
68	The virtual adapter method cannot be started, or it was prematurely terminated.
69	There is a lack of resources (that is, the ENOMEM error code).
80	The storage that is being used by the adapter is specific to the VIOS and cannot be accessed by another VIOS. Hence, the virtual adapter cannot complete the mobility operation.
81	The virtual adapter is not configured.
82	The virtual adapter cannot be placed in a migration state.
83	The virtual devices are not found.
84	The virtual adapter VIOS level is insufficient.
85	The virtual adapter cannot be configured.
86	The virtual adapter is busy and cannot be unconfigured.
87	The virtual adapter or device minimum patch level is insufficient.
88	The device description is invalid.
89	The command argument is invalid.
90	The virtual target device cannot be created because of incompatible backing device attributes. Typically, this is because of a mismatch in the maximum transfer (MTU) size or SCSI reserve attributes of the backing device between the source VIOS and the target VIOS.
91	The DRC name passed to the migration code is for an adapter that exists.