Database Administration:

The Complete Guide to Practices and Procedures

Chapter 6
System Performance
 Agenda
• The Larger Environment
• DBMS Installation and
Configuration Issues
• System Monitoring
• Questions
 The Tuning Boxes
System

Database

Application
 The Larger Environment
• A DBMS operates within the context of a
larger environment.
• Other software and hardware components
must be installed, configured, and managed
effectively for the DBMS to function as
required.
– Tuning and configuring these components and
connections properly can have a dramatic impact
on system performance.
Interaction with the Operating System
• Has sufficient memory been allocated for operating system tasks?
• Has sufficient disk space been allocated to the swap area?
– The swap area is used when the OS runs out of memory
• How were the database files allocated?
– Using raw disk for database files can reduce OS and file system overhead.
• Has each database-related task been assigned a priority; and is the priority
appropriate for that specific task?
– Some operating systems allow the administrator to set the priority of tasks that
run under the auspices of the OS.
• Is the operating system at the version and release level recommended by
the DBMS vendor?
• Have any bug fixes been shipped for the OS that are applicable for the
particular brand of database server you are running?
• Have the operating system configuration parameters been modified when
installing the DBMS?
– If so, has sufficient testing been done to ensure that the parameters were
modified correctly and do not impact any other processes that run on the
database server?
 Allied Agents
• Transaction processors like CICS and Tuxedo
• Application servers such as WebSphere or WebLogic
• Integration and ETL software such as SQL Server
Integration Services (SSIS)
• Networking software such as TCP/IP and SNA
• Message queueing software such as MQSeries and
MSMQ
• Web connectivity and development software such as
ColdFusion and Rails
• IDEs and ORMs like Visual Studio, Hibernate, Spring
and OpenAccess
• Programming languages such as Java, COBOL, and C
 Hardware Configuration
The hardware must be installed and set up properly for the DBMS
to operate efficiently.
• Is the computer hardware and capacity appropriate for the DBMS
environment?
• Is the computer firmware (e.g., ROM BIOS) up-to-date?
• Has a sufficient amount of memory been installed for all of the system
software to be installed (OS, DBMS, and other allied agents)?
• Has an appropriate amount of disk storage space been allocated and
configured for use by the DBMS?
• What type of disk storage is being used and is it appropriate for large data
volumes and high-speed database queries?
• Are all the network cables connected and functioning properly?
• Are all physical connections (e.g., cables, plugs, and board sockets) fully
connected and operational?
• Is the hardware connected to an uninterruptible power supply?
• Is the hardware connected to a surge protection device?
 Disk Storage and I/O
• One of the biggest bottlenecks for database
performance is the physical cost of performing
I/O operations.
• Data resides on a disk, and a disk is a
mechanical device.
• Solid state can improve performance.
– A solid state device is actually computer memory
that is configured to work like a disk drive.
 Solid State vs. Traditional Disk
Performance Consideration Solid State Traditional Disk

Spin-up time Almost immediate May take several seconds

Random access 0.1 ms Ranges from 5 to 10 ms

Read latency Low High

Read performance Consistent Varying based on fragmentation

Defragmentation Little benefit as read time is so rapid Required after significant data changes

Environmental consideration Quiet with no moving parts and minimal Mechanical parts can be loud and damage

susceptibility to impact can result from impact

Longevity Limited number of writes 1M to 5M (if based on Mechanical failure but no limit on

flash memory) write/re-write

Capacity Up to 2 TB (but more commonly smaller) Up to 3 TB (more commonly 1 to 2 TB)

Power consumption Typically ½ to a third the power of a HDD 12-18 watts for high performance HDDs

Cost Approximately $2 per GB From 5 to 10 cents per GB

 Components of the DBMS
• A DBMS is comprised of multiple programs that
deliver the requisite data management
functionality.
– Each program interoperates with other programs to
provide a database management system.
– Each DBMS breaks things apart a little bit differently
than others.
• The DBA must become an expert on the inner
workings of the DBMS in order to ensure an
optimized environment for database applications.
 DBMS Installation
and Configuration Issues
• Every DBMS offers system parameters for configuring
various aspects of the database environment.
• Configuration is accomplished in a variety of ways,
depending on the DBMS. Some popular configuration
methods include:
– executing system procedures to set and reset values
– editing files with parameter settings
– issuing commands at a DBMS prompt
– assembling parameter specifications using an option within
the DBMS.
• Regardless of the manner of configuring the DBMS,
the DBA will be required to specify various parameters
to the DBMS that affect the way the DBMS operates.
 Types of Configuration
• During installation, the DBA has the option to
change the configuration parameters or to
allow the parameters to default.
– Using the defaults is rarely a good idea in the long
run.
• Depending on the DBMS, parameters may be
changed dynamically, nondynamically, or
both.
 Memory Usage
• Relational databases love memory.
• The single biggest system performance tuning task
that a DBA will face is configuring RDBMS memory
usage.
• The DBMS uses random access memory to cache data
and other resources required by the DBMS.
– Reading data from memory is much less costly than
reading the data from disk.
• The more memory you can provide to the DBMS, the
better performance will be.
– Of course, the DBMS has to be configured properly to use
the memory efficiently.
 Cache

DBMS

DBMS
 Types of Caches
• Data cache
• Procedure cache
• Sort cache
• Internal structure cache
• Database log cache
Data Cache
 Procedure Cache
• Stores SQL and program-related structures
• Optimized SQL
 Sort Cache
• Used instead of temporary disk storage to
store intermediate sort results in memory.
• Many relational database operations require
sorts, for example, grouping, ordering, UNION
operations, and certain types of joins.
• The more sorting functionality that can be
performed in memory, the better a sort will
perform.
 Internal Structures Cache
• To accomplish relational operations, the
DBMS may need to create internal structures
that are not necessarily visible to the end
user.
• However, DBAs, and sometimes programmers,
will need to know about the internal
structures.
• These internal structures are often cached
into memory as they are used.
– Example: DBD (database descriptor)
 Database Log Cache
• Used to buffer log records
– Perhaps two, one for log writes and one for log reads.
• The log write cache is used to speed up database
modifications. By buffering log writes the database log
becomes less of a bottleneck to system and
application performance.
• The log read cache is used for ROLLBACK and RECOVER
operations.
– A rollback or a recovery needs to access the log to undo or
reapply database changes.
– As the log records are requested, they will be buffered in
memory in the log read cache.
 Additional Areas of
Memory Consumption
• User connections.
– Each concurrent user connection to the DBMS, regardless of the type of client connection,
requires memory for the DBMS to maintain and manage the connection.
• Devices.
– The devices used by databases may require system memory to maintain and use.
• Open databases.
– Most DBMSs provide a parameter to specify the maximum number of databases that can
be open at any one time. Each open database requires DBMS memory.
• Open objects.
– Another parameter may exist to identify the maximum number of database objects that can
be open at any one time, including tables, indexes, and any other database object in use.
Each open database object requires memory.
• Locks.
– Each concurrently held lock will require memory. The DBMS should provide a configuration
parameter for the number of concurrent locks that can be held at one time.
• Caches.
– The various caches have already been discussed.
 How Much Memory is Enough?
• This is a difficult question to answer.
• Have to balance cost of memory versus ROI of
the applications using the DBMS.
• At any rate, after calculating what you will
need to use based on the size and usage of
your database objects, it is always a good idea
to leave some breathing room.
– That is, add a little more memory than you think
you will need.
 Monitoring & Tuning the Data Cache
• Efficiency of the data cache relies upon proper sizing
– Too large: wastes memory
– Too small: frequent writes and swapping
• Some DBMSs, such as DB2, provide multiple buffer pools that
can be configured and tuned independently with multiple
parameters.
• Others, such as SQL Server, are more basic, with a data cache
per database. But regardless of the DBMS, the DBA should
monitor the read efficiency of each data cache or buffer pool.
• The read efficiency of the data cache is a percentage that
tracks how well the cache is performing its primary duty—to
avoid physical disk I/O operations:
 Read Efficiency and I/O
• Read efficiency is important because it shows the
percentage of times a data page is found in the data cache
(or buffer pool).
– Shoot for 80% or better read efficiency.
• The higher this percentage is, the more efficient the buffer
pool is. When data pages can be found in buffers in memory
without requiring a physical I/O, performance will be
enhanced.
• The actual numbers for I/O requests and actual physical I/O
operations can be found by examining DBMS trace records
or by using a database performance monitor.
– Be sure to examine all I/O requests, those made synchronously
as well as those made asynchronously.
– Many DBMSes are capable of anticipating I/O requirements and
scheduling reads of multiple blocks prior to their being
requested.
 What if…
• Read efficiency is consistently below 80%?
• Consider:
– increasing the size of the data cache
– modifying the number or type of concurrent processes
using the data cache
– reducing the number of tables and indexes assigned to
the data cache
– create an additional backup cache (if possible)
– peg specific pages in memory
– automatically increase cache size based on processing
(if available)
 Monitoring & Tuning the
Procedure Cache
• The procedure cache must be sized properly to
accommodate all the SQL that may be run
concurrently.
• The read-efficiency calculation we used for
gauging the effectiveness of the data cache can be
used for the procedure cache also.
– In the case of the procedure cache, the read efficiency
calculates how often the DBMS needs to reoptimize
SQL.
• Procedure cache read efficiency usually ranges
from 60% to 80%.
 Additional Memory Tuning
• Open Database Objects
– DBMS likely has a configuration setting.
– Can be difficult to determine originally.
– As time progresses, the database system can be
monitored and better values can be provided.
• Database Logs
– Avoid disabling database logging for any database
or database system where the data is valuable.
– Set proper system checkpoint intervals.
Database Logging
 Database Log Configuration
• Input buffers
• Output buffers
• Log offloading
• Log file definition
– Set up dual logs
• Can avoid disasters if a log file fails
• The other one takes over and processing continues
 Log Offloading
• Over time, the log file will fill up with data.
• Log offloading is the process of archiving an
active log to an archival log and switching log
writes to a new active log.
• DBMS may perform automatic log offloading
or you may have to perform it manually (that
is, by DBA command).
• AS a DBA you must learn how each DBMS you
use handles backing up the database log.
 Are all Database Operations Logged?
• Depending on the DBMS, some operations may
not be logged.
• Examples:
– CREATE INDEX
– REORG
– Bulk Copy
– SELECT INTO
• There may be options for turning logging on and
off.
• Proceed with caution.
 Locking and Contention
• Balance the need for concurrency with the need for
performance.
– Lock suspensions occur when an application process requests a
lock that is already held by another application process and
cannot be shared. The suspended process temporarily stops
running until the requested lock becomes available.
– Timeouts occur when an application process is terminated
because it has been suspended for longer than a preset interval.
This interval can usually be set by using a configuration
parameter.
– Deadlocks occur when two or more application processes hold
locks on resources that the others need and without which they
cannot proceed. The deadlock detection cycle—that is the time
interval between checking for deadlocks—can also be set by
using a configuration parameter.
 The System Catalog
• A relational DBMS requires a system catalog, but
it may be called something different depending
upon the particular DBMS you are using.
– In Oracle, it is referred to as the Data Dictionary.
– In SQL Server it is referred to as the System Catalog.
– In DB2 it is referred to as either the DB2 Catalog or
System Catalog.
– In MySQL, it is referred to as the Information Schema
 System Catalog Issues
• The physical location and setup of the system
catalog will have an impact on system
performance.
• The DBA must decide where it will be installed, on
what type of disk, and how much space to
allocate.
• These decisions typically are made at installation
time.
• Place the system catalog on a separate disk device
so that it can be managed and tuned
independently from other application data.
 Other Configuration Options
• Nested trigger calls.
– A nested trigger call is when one trigger causes another trigger to fire. Some
DBMSs may provide additional control over trigger nesting by providing a
maximum value for it. By setting this value, the DBA can control how many levels
of nested trigger calls are allowable.
• Security options.
– The functionality of security and authorization can be controlled by DBMS
configuration options. Some DBMSs allow database security to be turned over to
external security and control software.
• Identity values.
– The identity property can be assigned to a column such that the DBMS
automatically assigns numerically sequential values when data is inserted to the
table. The DBMS can allow the configuration of the pool size from which identity
values are obtained.
• Distributed database.
– To configure a distributed database implementation, the DBMS most likely will
provide options for connecting databases at various locations.
 General Advice
• Avoid default configuration options.
• Beware of configuration options that
change the behavior of the DBMS.
 System Monitoring
• Use a system monitor.
– Built-in or third party
• A DBA must be able to operate and
understand the output of the monitoring
solutions available to him.
• The performance monitor acts as
a window into the efficiency of
the database system.
Questions