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AUTOGEN executes in phases. Depending on which phases you direct it to execute, AUTOGEN performs some or all of the following operations:
To invoke AUTOGEN, enter a command in the following format at the DCL prompt:
@SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN [start-phase] [end-phase] [execution-mode]
where:
| start-phase | Is the phase where AUTOGEN is to begin executing. Section 14.4.3 lists the AUTOGEN phases. |
| end-phase | Is the phase where AUTOGEN is to complete executing. Section 14.4.3 lists the AUTOGEN phases. |
| execution-mode |
Is one of the following:
|
For detailed information about invoking AUTOGEN, and the command line parameters you can specify, see the AUTOGEN section of the OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual.
Controlling AUTOGEN Operations
Table 14-1 summarizes the methods for controlling AUTOGEN behavior.
| To Control... | Use This Method... |
|---|---|
| Which operations AUTOGEN is to perform | Specify a start phase and an end phase when you invoke AUTOGEN. |
| Parameter values set by AUTOGEN |
Specify values in the AUTOGEN parameter file MODPARAMS.DAT.
Periodically examine the results of calculations that AUTOGEN makes to determine whether AUTOGEN has drawn the correct conclusions about your hardware configuration and to be sure the system parameter values are appropriate for your workload requirements. If the values are not appropriate, adjust them by specifying desired values in MODPARAMS.DAT. For more information on MODPARAMS.DAT, see Section 14.4.4. |
| AUTOGEN's use of feedback information |
Specify an execution mode when you invoke AUTOGEN.
AUTOGEN can often improve system performance by using dynamic feedback gathered from the running system. However, feedback information is not always valid or appropriate. For more information, see Section 14.4.1. |
AUTOGEN feedback minimizes the need for you to modify parameter values or system file sizes. Instead, feedback allows AUTOGEN to automatically size the operating system based on your actual work load. Sizing is the process of matching the allocation of system resources (memory and disk space) with the workload requirements of your site.
Feedback is information, continuously collected by the operating system executive, about the amount of various resources the system uses to process its work load. The information is collected when exception events occur, so the collection does not affect system performance. When run in feedback mode, AUTOGEN analyzes this information and adjusts any related parameter values.
Note
When running AUTOGEN after making a major configuration change, specify nofeedback to assure the use of initial AUTOGEN settings. See Section 14.4.
AUTOGEN feedback affects the following resources (for a complete list of the affected system parameters, see the AUTOGEN section of the OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual):
Feedback is gathered during AUTOGEN's SAVPARAMS phase and is written to the file SYS$SYSTEM:AGEN$FEEDBACK.DAT. This file is then read during the GETDATA phase. (See Section 14.4.3 for more information on AUTOGEN phases.)
Feedback is useful only if it accurately reflects the system's normal work load. For this reason, AUTOGEN performs some basic checks on the feedback and issues a warning message for either of the following conditions:
Whenever you modify the system (for example, a hardware upgrade, a change in the number of users, an optional product installation), you should operate in the new system environment for a period of time, and then execute AUTOGEN again starting from the SAVPARAMS phase.
On VAX systems, you can define the logical name AGEN$FEEDBACK_REQ_TIME to specify, in hours, a minimum age required for feedback. For more information, see Section 14.5.2.
When AUTOGEN runs, it displays whether feedback is used, as follows:
Feedback information was collected on 21-JAN-1996 14:00:08.53 Old values below are the parameter values at the time of collection. The feedback data is based on 21 hours of up time. Feedback information will be used in the subsequent calculations
Decides whether to use the system parameter values and system file sizes calculated by AUTOGEN. To help in your decision making, AUTOGEN generates a report file (SYS$SYSTEM:AGEN$PARAMS.REPORT) that includes the following information:
Suppressing Informational Messages
To suppress the display of informational messages, define the AGEN$REPORT_NO_INFORMATIONALS logical to TRUE. Messages are entered in SYS$SYSTEM:AGEN$PARAMS.REPORT regardless of the value of AGEN$REPORT_NO_INFORMATIONALS.
Filtering DCL Statements from Your Report
The feedback report will contain DCL statements in MODPARAMS.DAT that are not simple assignments to system parameters or the ADD_, MAX_, or MIN_ extensions. To filter these statements out of the report, begin each statement in MODPARAMS.DAT with a dollar sign ($).
Example 14-1 Sample AUTOGEN Feedback Report
AUTOGEN Parameter Calculation Report on node: NODE22
This information was generated at 23-APR-1996 01:45:47.87
AUTOGEN was run from GETDATA to TESTFILES using FEEDBACK
** No changes will be done by AUTOGEN **
The values given in this report are what AUTOGEN would
have set the parameters to.
Processing Parameter Data files
-------------------------------
** WARNING ** - The system was up for less than 24 hours when the feedback
information was recorded. This could result in feedback information
that does not accurately reflect your typical work load.
Including parameters from: SYS$SYSTEM:MODPARAMS.DAT
The following was detected within MODPARAMS.DAT
Please review immediately.
** INFORMATIONAL ** - Multiple MIN values found for MIN_CHANNELCNT.
Using MODPARAMS value (550) which is superseding OpenVMS value (255)
** INFORMATIONAL ** - Multiple MIN values found for MIN_SWPOUTPGCNT.
Using MODPARAMS value (1000) which is superseding OpenVMS value (500)
** INFORMATIONAL ** - Multiple MIN values found for MIN_PQL_DWSEXTENT.
Using MODPARAMS value (11000) which is superseding OpenVMS value (1024)
** INFORMATIONAL ** - Multiple MIN values found for MIN_PQL_MWSEXTENT.
Using MODPARAMS value (11000) which is superseding OpenVMS value (1024)
Feedback information was collected on 22-APR-1996 14:00:07.70
Old values below are the parameter values at the time of collection.
The feedback data is based on 13 hours of up time.
Feedback information will be used in the subsequent calculations
Parameter information follows:
------------------------------
MAXPROCESSCNT parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 100, New value is 80
Maximum Observed Processes: 52
Information on VMS executable image Processing:
Processing SYS$MANAGER:VMS$IMAGES_MASTER.DAT
GBLPAGFIL parameter information:
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 1024. The new value is 6024.
GBLPAGFIL has been increased by 5000.
GBLPAGFIL is not allowed to be less than 6024.
GBLPAGES parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 43300, New value is 50000
Peak used GBLPAGES: 36622
Global buffer requirements: 6024
GBLSECTIONS parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 400, New value is 400
Peak used GBLSECTIONS: 294
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 350. The new value is 400.
GBLSECTIONS is not allowed to be less than 400.
LOCKIDTBL parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 2943, New value is 3071
Current number of locks: 1853
Peak number of locks: 3200
LOCKIDTBL_MAX parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 65535, New value is 65535
RESHASHTBL parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 1024, New value is 1024
Current number of resources: 957
MSCP_LOAD parameter information:
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 1. The new value is 0.
MSCP_LOAD has been disabled by a hard-coded value of 0.
MSCP_BUFFER parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 128, New value is 128
MSCP server I/O rate: 0 I/Os per 10 sec.
I/Os that waited for buffer space: 0
I/Os that fragmented into multiple transfers: 0
SCSCONNCNT parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 5, New value is 5
Peak number of nodes: 1
Number of CDT allocation failures: 0
SCSRESPCNT parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 300, New value is 300
RDT stall count: 0
SCSBUFFCNT parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 512, New value is 512
CIBDT stall count: 0
NPAGEDYN parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 686592, New value is 783360
Maximum observed non-paged pool size: 815616 bytes.
Non-paged pool request rate: 47 requests per 10 sec.
LNMSHASHTBL parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 1024, New value is 1024
Current number of shareable logical names: 1194
ACP_DIRCACHE parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 88, New value is 88
Hit percentage: 99%
Attempt rate: 0 attempts per 10 sec.
ACP_DINDXCACHE parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 25, New value is 25
Hit percentage: 97%
Attempt rate: 1 attempts per 10 sec.
ACP_HDRCACHE parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 88, New value is 106
Hit percentage: 98%
Attempt rate: 17 attempts per 10 sec.
ACP_MAPCACHE parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 8, New value is 8
Hit percentage: 2%
Attempt rate: 4 attempts per 10 sec.
PAGEDYN parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 521728, New value is 542208
Current paged pool usage: 304160 bytes.
Paged pool request rate: 1 requests per 10 sec.
PFRATL parameter information:
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 0. The new value is 1.
PFRATL has been disabled by a hard-coded value of 1.
WSDEC parameter information:
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 35. The new value is 19.
WSDEC has been disabled by a hard-coded value of 19.
MPW_LOLIMIT parameter information:
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 120. The new value is 2100.
MPW_LOLIMIT is not allowed to be less than 2100.
MPW_HILIMIT parameter information:
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 1310. The new value is 4500.
MPW_HILIMIT is not allowed to be less than 4500.
LONGWAIT parameter information:
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 30. The new value is 10.
LONGWAIT has been disabled by a hard-coded value of 10.
WSMAX parameter information:
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 8200. The new value is 12000.
WSMAX is not allowed to be less than 12000.
PROCSECTCNT parameter information:
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 32. The new value is 40.
PROCSECTCNT is not allowed to be less than 40.
PQL_DWSEXTENT parameter information:
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 400. The new value is 11000.
PQL_DWSEXTENT is not allowed to be less than 11000.
PQL_MWSEXTENT parameter information:
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 2048. The new value is 11000.
PQL_MWSEXTENT is not allowed to be less than 11000.
VAXCLUSTER parameter information:
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 1. The new value is 0.
VAXCLUSTER has been disabled by a hard-coded value of 0.
Page, Swap, and Dump file calculations
Page and Swap file calculations.
PAGEFILE1_SIZE parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 45200, New value is 50500
Maximum observed usage: 25265
PAGEFILE1_SIZE will be modified to hold 50500 blocks
PAGEFILE2_SIZE parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 154000, New value is 194400
Maximum observed usage: 97175
PAGEFILE2_SIZE will be modified to hold 194400 blocks
** WARNING ** - The disk on which PAGEFILE2 resides would be
over 95% full if it were modified to hold 194400 blocks.
NODE22$DKA300:[SYSTEM_FILES]PAGEFILE.SYS will not be modified.
NODE22$DKA300:[SYSTEM_FILES]PAGEFILE.SYS will remain at 154002 blocks.
SWAPFILE1_SIZE parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 15000, New value is 15000
Maximum observed usage: 14280
Override Information - parameter calculation has been overridden.
The calculated value was 21400. The new value is 15000.
SWAPFILE1_SIZE is not allowed to exceed 15000.
SWAPFILE1 will not be modified.
SWAPFILE2_SIZE parameter information:
Feedback information.
Old value was 50000, New value is 26300
Maximum observed usage: 1680
SWAPFILE2_SIZE will be modified to hold 26300 blocks
** WARNING ** - The disk on which SWAPFILE2 resides would be
over 95% full if it were modified to hold 26300 blocks.
NODE22$DKA300:[SYSTEM_FILES]SWAPFILE.SYS will not be modified.
NODE22$DKA300:[SYSTEM_FILES]SWAPFILE.SYS will remain at 50001 blocks.
Dumpfile calculations:
No dump file modifications would have been made.
Dumpfile will remain at 34116 blocks.
When you invoke AUTOGEN, you specify a start phase and an end phase for AUTOGEN to execute. AUTOGEN executes all phases from the start phase to the end phase. Depending on the start phase and end phase you specify, AUTOGEN can execute any of the following phases, in the order shown in Table 14-2.
| Phase | Description |
|---|---|
| SAVPARAMS | Saves dynamic feedback from the running system. |
| GETDATA | Collects all data to be used in AUTOGEN calculations. |
| GENPARAMS | Generates new system parameters; creates the installed image list. |
| TESTFILES | Displays the system page, swap, and dump file sizes calculated by AUTOGEN (cannot be used as a start phase). |
| GENFILES | Generates new system page, swap, and dump files if appropriate (cannot be used as a start phase). |
| SETPARAMS |
Runs SYSMAN to set the new system parameters in the default parameter
file, saves the original parameters, and generates a new parameter
file, AUTOGEN.PAR.
On VAX systems, the default parameter file is VAXVMSSYS.PAR. The original parameters are saved in the file VAXVMSSYS.OLD. On Alpha systems, the default parameter file is ALPHAVMSSYS.PAR. The original parameters are saved in the file ALPHAVMSSYS.OLD. |
| SHUTDOWN | Prepares the system to await a manual reboot. |
| REBOOT | Automatically shuts down and reboots the system. |
| HELP | Displays help information to the screen. |
For detailed information about each AUTOGEN phase and the files affected by each phase, see the AUTOGEN section of the OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual.
AUTOGEN reads a parameter file named MODPARAMS.DAT during the GETDATA phase. You can add commands to this file to control the system parameter values and file sizes that AUTOGEN sets. You can use MODPARAMS.DAT to do the following:
| Operation | For More Information |
|---|---|
| Increase the value of any numeric system parameter | Section 14.5.1.1 |
| Set a minimum value for a numeric system parameter | Section 14.5.1.2 |
| Set a maximum value for a numeric system parameter | Section 14.5.1.3 |
| Specify an absolute value for a system parameter | Section 14.5.1.4 |
| Include an external parameter file | Section 14.5.3 |
| Specify sizes of page, swap, and dump files | Section 15.15.1.2 |
| +Define the number of VAXcluster nodes | Section 14.5.1.5 |
| +Define the number of Ethernet adapters | Section 14.5.1.6 |
| +Preset parameter values before adding memory | Section 14.5.1.7 |
| Specify an alternate default startup command procedure | Section 4.5.2 |
To help track changes you make to MODPARAMS.DAT, make sure you add comments, preceded by the exclamation point (!), each time you change the file.
Caution
The recommended method of changing system parameters and system file sizes is to edit MODPARAMS.DAT to include parameter settings. If you change a system parameter value or file size using SYSMAN, SYSGEN, or a conversational boot, and you do not specify the value in MODPARAMS.DAT, AUTOGEN will recalculate the value or file size the next time it runs. For more information, see Section 14.5.1.
Example
The following example shows the contents of a sample MODPARAMS.DAT file:
!
! ***************** A Sample MODPARAMS.DAT for Node NODE22 ***************
!
! MODPARAMS.DAT for "NODE22"
! REVISED: 04/29/96 -CHG- Upped GBLPAGES to account for ADA.
!
SCSNODE = "NODE22" ! This is not calculated by AUTOGEN.
SCSSYSTEMID = 19577 ! This is not calculated by AUTOGEN.
TTY_DEFCHAR2 = %X0D34 ! This is not calculated by AUTOGEN.
ADD_ACP_DIRCACHE= 150 ! Hit rate was only 65% on directory cache.
MIN_PAGEDYN = 500000 ! PAGEDYN must be at least 1/2 Mbyte to
! account for a large number of logical names.
!
MAX_PAGEFILE1_SIZE = 15000 ! Maximum size for primary page.
MAX_SWAPFILE = 5000 ! Maximum size for swap file space.
MAX_DUMPFILE = 32768 ! Maximum size for dump file space.
ADD_GBLPAGES = 425+507+157 ! Account for MCS, BLISS32 and ADA.
ADD_GBLSECTIONS = 4 + 5 + 2 ! Account for MCS, BLISS32 and ADA.
VIRTUALPAGECNT = 144264 ! So that we can read MONSTR's 68Mb dumps.
!
! end of MODPARAMS.DAT for NODE22
The recommended method of modifying system parameters is to execute AUTOGEN in two passes, as follows:
$ @SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN SAVPARAMS GENPARAMS
$ @SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN GENPARAMS REBOOT
If, after examining the AGEN$PARAMS.REPORT or SETPARAMS.DAT file, you decide to correct hardware configuration data or modify system parameter values chosen by AUTOGEN, edit the MODPARAMS.DAT file as described in this section to manually specify parameter values.
Caution
Always edit MODPARAMS.DAT to specify values for parameters. Do not edit PARAMS.DAT; modifying the contents of this file might prevent AUTOGEN from operating correctly.
For information on editing MODPARAMS.DAT to control sizes of page, swap, and dump files, see Section 15.15.1.2.
You can define symbols in MODPARAMS.DAT using the following formats to control parameter values:
| Control Method | Symbol Format | For More Information |
|---|---|---|
| Increase a value by a specified amount | ADD_* | Section 14.5.1.1 |
| Specify a minimum value | MIN_* | Section 14.5.1.2 |
| Specify a maximum value | MAX_* | Section 14.5.1.3 |
| Specify an absolute value | Parameter name | Section 14.5.1.4 |
When defining symbols in MODPARAMS.DAT, make sure of the following:
Caution
When AUTOGEN reads MODPARAMS.DAT or any other parameter file, it checks to determine if the symbol names specified in the file are valid. If they are not, AUTOGEN writes a warning message to AGEN$PARAMS.REPORT. However, AUTOGEN checks only the symbol name; it does not check the validity of the value specified for the symbol.If a value is invalid, the line is not ignored. AUTOGEN attempts to use the specified value.
A symbol is not checked if it is specified in a line that contains a DCL expression other than the equal sign (=). For example, AUTOGEN does not check the validity of a symbol name specified in a line with the DCL IF statement. Instead, AUTOGEN writes a warning message to AGEN$PARAMS.REPORT.
To help track changes you make to MODPARAMS.DAT, make sure you add comments preceded by an exclamation point (!) each time you change the file.
Use the ADD_ prefix to increase the value of any numeric parameter. The new values are updated in subsequent AUTOGEN calculations during the GENPARAMS phase. The following example demonstrates the use of the ADD_ prefix:
ADD_GBLPAGES=500 ADD_NPAGEDYN=10000An ADD_ parameter record for a parameter that AUTOGEN calculates will add the value to AUTOGEN's calculations. An ADD_ parameter record for a parameter that AUTOGEN does not calculate will add the value to the parameter's default (not current) value. (See the AUTOGEN section on the OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual for a table of parameters affected by AUTOGEN.)
Note
The ADD_ value is added to the calculated value once, and does not accumulate with successive runs for feedback calculations.Typically, you would not use the ADD_ prefix for modifying parameters that are calculated by the feedback mechanism, because the feedback results should accurately reflect your work load. However, if you do use the ADD_ prefix with feedback, AUTOGEN adds a value only once if AUTOGEN is run to the SETPARAMS phase or beyond. To maintain a minimum level above AUTOGEN's calculation, use the MIN_ prefix.
Use the MIN_ prefix if you do not want AUTOGEN to set a parameter below a specified value. MIN_ refers to the minimum value to which a parameter can be set by AUTOGEN. The following example sets the minimum value to 400,000:
MIN_PAGEDYN = 400000
Use the MAX_ prefix if you do not want AUTOGEN to set a parameter above a specified value. MAX_ refers to the maximum value to which a parameter can be set by AUTOGEN. The following example sets the maximum value to 400,000:
MAX_PAGEDYN = 400000
Use this method to specify a value for a parameter that AUTOGEN does not calculate. (See the AUTOGEN section of the OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual for a table of the system parameters modified in AUTOGEN calculations.)
Note
Digital strongly recommends that you use this method only for parameters that describe the system environment (for example, SCSNODE and SCSSYSTEMID). For the parameters that AUTOGEN calculates, specifying a value with this method disables AUTOGEN's calculations. Instead of specifying an absolute value, use one of the following methods:
- Specify a minimum value with the MIN_ prefix
- Specify a maximum value with the MAX_ prefix
- Increase the value with the ADD_ prefix
6017P046.HTM OSSG Documentation 22-NOV-1996 14:22:23.64
Copyright © Digital Equipment Corporation 1996. All Rights Reserved.