Subject: Using "topas -R" to Record Cross Partition Performance

Audience: All

Date: June 29, 2007

Starting in AIX 5.3 ML5, there is a new "topas -R" option that records the performance of all partitions on a physical server. The command is run on just one server, and the output is stored in the /etc/perf directory. The "topasout" command converts the output file into a CSV or XML file. The CSV file can be imported into the nmon Analyser 3.2.3+. (Requires AIX 5.3 TL5 Service pack 4 with APAR IY87993)

The advantage is that topas is a supported tool. (Some shops prohibit the use of unsupported public domain tools like nmon or Ganglia). The disadvantage is that it is not well documented, and you have to do the parsing. Be prepared to do some "trailblazing".

For more information, see the man pages for "topas". Other sources of information include:

AIX /usr/lpp/perfagent/README.perfagent.tools

Write up by Doug Ranz http://rainsux.dyndns.org/topas-recording-reporting.pdf

VIOS Monitoring Wiki (There's a section on "topas -R") http://www-941.ibm.com/collaboration/wiki/display/WikiPtype/VIOS_Monitoring

Implementing Micro-Partitioning on the IBM p5 595 Server (Sys Admin Magazine) http://www.samag.com/documents/s=10132/sam0715b/0715b.htm