AutoSoftCapping (ASC)
vWLC
without the Performance Problems !
©2010
SoftwareOnZ
©2010
SoftwareOnZ
AGENDA
• SoftCapping Strategies
• zCost AutoSoftCapping
• General Principles
• How it works
• OOCoD
• GCL
• Putting ASC into Action
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
It’s a test ...
What are the 4 major components of vWLC?
What is the value of the SCRT B5 Section?
What is the most important number in the P5 Section?
How does the SCRT calculate each hour if Defined Capacity = 0?
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
VWLC with Soft-Capping: LPAR view
IMSU : Instantaneous consumption of MSU for the LPAR
R4H : Average of IMSU in 4 consecutive hours.
DC : Defined Capacity, billing limit that you don’t want to exceed
… and that you can fix at any level you want
But performance can be affected (capping  IMSU is brought back to the DC) !
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90
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10
0
00:00
06:00
12:00
18:00
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©2010 SoftwareOnZ
AutoSoftCapping - Strategy
• What is you vWLC strategy?
– Set Defined Capacity to 0 and
forget it?
– Set it to Avoid Capping?
• Cap the Test, QA environments only?
– How do you modify it?
• What kind of approval is required?
– Follow what the experts say?
• Set it low and adjust as required?
• Reset at the beginning of the month?
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
zCost – AutoSoftCapping (ASC)
• AutoSoftCapping:
Optimizes the performance of your system while controlling your Workload
License Charge.
• The LPARs’ DCs (Defined Capacity) are dynamically modified in real time by
taking into account the behavior and needs of all the LPARs.
• Keeps the total DC (CPCMAX) constant and guarantees software cost
optimization.
• Web reporting which allows for control on your activity and your System
z/resources.
• ASC adjusts the DC line, WLM handles z/OS resources
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
General Terminology
–
CPCMAX: Maximum value allowed by ASC for the
sum of the LPAR’s DCs
–
CPCMIN: Minimum value for the SUM of the
LPAR’s DCs
–
–
MSUMAX: Maximum Defined Capacity that LPAR is
allowed to reach
MSUMIN: Minimum Defined Capacity that LPAR is
allowed to reach
–
White Space = CPC Capacity - SUM (LPAR’s DCs)
–
LPAR: givers and takers
CPC
CPC Capacity
Minimum
White Space
CPCMAX
SUM ( LPAR’s DCs)
CPCMIN
White Space
CPC Free Space
Time
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
ASC – Prerequisites
• Configuration prerequisites :
– Running in vWLC, aWLC mode
– Using IBM Soft-Capping feature.
– HMC:
•
Must be accessible for the LPAR that support the ASC
Started Task.
• HMC API must be configured and active (API SNMP)
• Data Gathering
– two ways:
• RMF:
– RMF III started on all LPARs.
– RMFDDS (GPMSERVE): at least one active on each SYSPLEX
(Multi-system or Monoplex)
• CMF:
– Mainview Explorer (BMC) started on each server (CPC)
• WLM:
– with or without ASC: the SoftCapping activation needs
attention on a well-managed WLM policy .
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
General Principle
Setting the Defined Capacity line
Enforce AutoSoftCapping Defined Capacity parameters
CPC: CPCMAX, CPCMIN
LPAR: MSUMAX, MSUMIN
PERIOD statements
If IMSU < R4H
Decrease DC to just above the R4H to optimize the SCRT and avoid
capping, releasing DC MSUs to the pool.
If IMSU > R4H
Increase DC to just above the R4H to avoid capping, taking from the
pool or enforce capping as you have defined
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
ASC Setting
•
ASC performs dynamic Settings:
– Sends DC modification orders to the HMC, and the DCs are set according to
the algorithm decisions.
•
ASC performs period Settings:
– Period Settings allow ASC to modify some settings at predefined date/time. It
can:
• Modify the DC by setting a predefined value to the parameter DEFCAP
• ASC Reset Profile: set the DEFCAP and WEIGHT parameters of all LPARs to
the initial value (contained in DFCBASE and WBASE)
• Modify parameters by taking into account predefined parameters values
or by reloading predefined parameters members.
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
ASC – Product Flow
ZCASC Main ASC Started Task
Data Collection RMF or CMF
- LPARs (DC, IMSU, R4H, WLM Capping, …)
- CPCs (capacity, CPs, ..)
ASC Parameters
ooCOD LPAxx member
Period Definitions
Market Open and Close
LPAR’s behavior analysis
Make decisions to modify DCs
ASC Commands
Grab ooCOD increase
Rexx script ASC cmd f,
LPAR settings (via HMC API)
ZCASCW ASC Web SERVER
Web reporting (update HTML files)
Sending alarms (WTO, emails)
Writing SMF records
Operator
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
Data Collection
• Collection Interval
• RMF or CMF
- at the CPC level: serial number, family, type, number of
CPs...
- at the LPAR level: R4H, DC, IMSU, Weight, number of
Logical Processors…
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
PDS member ASCGENxx
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
PDS member ASCLPAxx
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
HMC Settings
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©2010 SoftwareOnZ
Sending Alarms(ASCALTxx)
There are 4 types of action:
WTO
WRL
EML
ERL
sends a message to the SYSLOG and the console when the condition is fulfilled.
suppresses the alert if the condition is no longer fulfilled.
sends an Email when the condition is fulfilled.
sends an Email when the condition is no longer fulfilled.
Simple actions
WTO Warning DEFCAP>150 FOR LPAR &CPC..&LPAR
Complex rules
STARTRULE LPAR
IF CPC='SEDICPCA' & LPAR='CP10'
IF DC>150 & R4h<DC
WTO Warning DEFCAP>150 (&DC.) FOR LPAR &CPC..&LPAR.
ENDRULE
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
ASC – Product Flow
ZCASC Main ASC Started Task
Data Collection RMF or CMF
- LPARs (DC, IMSU, R4H, WLM Capping, …)
- CPCs (capacity, CPs, ..)
ASC Parameters
Period Definitions
ASC Commands
LPAR’s behavior analysis
Make decisions to modify DCs
LPAR settings (via HMC API)
ZCASCW ASC Web SERVER
Web reporting (update HTML files)
Sending alarms (WTO, emails)
Writing SMF records
Operator
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
What about OOCoD !
• Works just the way you want it to
• When new CPs are added to CEC ASC automatically
responds by adjusting to the new resources
• How ASC responds is up to you.
•
•
•
•
•
Set MSUMAX to the new MSU rating?
Set MSUMAX to 50% of the new MSU Rating?
Change LPAR-B to PRIORITY = 10 ?
Set REACTIVITY = 10?
Set SECURITYMARGIN = 20?
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
Group Capacity Limit
• Group Capacity Limit is an extension of Defined Capacity
• It’s setup for a group not individual LPARs
• It allows an installation to define a “softcap” for multiple logical partitions on the same CPC
•The group limit is a defined capacity for all partitions defined in the group
• A “CPCMAX” for group of LPARs to share
• Created on the HMC
• Can help reduce “softcapping”
• Creates it’s own problems
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
Group Capacity Limit
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
Warning…
MVS Planning: Workload Management SA22-7602-14
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
Putting ASC into action
• You provide us with:
–
–
–
–
Mutual NDA
On-site technical discussion of AutoSoftCapping
SMF records 70 over a significant period
The SCRT of the last month for each CPC
• We process the data through our simulator.
• We schedule a meeting to present:
– Review the results of the simulations
– Review the Financials, Costs and ROI
– Schedule a POC
– Run in Simulation mode and validate results
– Turn it on
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
Conclusion
©2010
SoftwareOnZ
©2010
SoftwareOnZ
zCost ASC – In Summary….
•
ASC SAVES MONEY by controlling the z/OS license charge.
– Very short ROI: All our current customers got an ROI between 3 and 12 months!
– An average of saved MSU between 7 and 14%.
• ASC opens new opportunities in how you run your operations
•
ASC is a simple tool:
– Easy to set up on the machine (can be installed and a day or 2).
– Compatible with all existing System z servers.
– A sophisticated Web Reporting interface allows more control of the system.
•
ASC receives excellent customer feedback.
©2010 SoftwareOnZ
Q&A
©2010
SoftwareOnZ
©2010
SoftwareOnZ
Group Capacity Limit
•Group Capacity Limit (GCL) introduced in 2008
•ShareW% This is the %SHARE calculated from the WEIGHT of the LPAR
•ShareW_GCL% This is the %SHARE calculated from the WEIGHT in the GCL of the LPAR
•ShareD% %HARE calculated from the DEFINDED CAPACITY of the LPAR
•Target MSU from Weight: ShareW% translated in MSU
•Target MSU from GCL Weight: ShareWGCL% translated in MSU
©2010 SoftwareOnZ