How Often Should We IPL
Francesco Candia
sm...@ccisd1.ccf.org (Rick Smith) wrote:
> We just recently hired an old time 38/400 programmer. This new
>programmer and I have been going in circles discussing how often we need
>to IPL our AS/400 running V3R1. Whereas I have been doing System
>Management on VAX's for a long time I have only worked on AS/400's for
>four years. I IPL only when necessary based on hardware work or PTF
>installs. I have never gone more then a quarter without loading PTF's.
>Usually we endup IPLing every six to eight weeks. This programmer tells
>me that we should be IPLing at least weekly and even more frequently if
>time permits. Whereas I realize that various temporary files get cleaned
>up at IPL time and I do see DASD utilization drop by as much as two
>percent after an IPL; are there any MEASURABLE ways to document the
>benefits of more frequest IPL's. I monitor our systems closely using
>Performance Tools and I do not see differences before and after an IPL.
>Can anybody give me some insight/enlighten me about the benefits of
>IPLing?
>--
> -Rick-
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> E-MAIL: sm...@ccisd2.ccf.org
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I suggest IPL at least once a week.
If you want learn more, I suggest to order from DUKE Communications,
the fantastic book "INSIDE AS/400" and you learn more.
Francesco Candia
Torino, Italy
can...@inrete.it
Francesco Candia
Via Monte Cervino 1/9
10090 Gassino Torinese
Italy
fca...@mbox.vol.it
Dennis Pearson
Francesco Candia wrote:
> sm...@ccisd1.ccf.org (Rick Smith) wrote:
> > We just recently hired an old time 38/400 programmer. This new
> >programmer and I have been going in circles discussing how often we need
> >to IPL our AS/400 running V3R1. Whereas I have been doing System
> >Management on VAX's for a long time I have only worked on AS/400's for
> >four years. I IPL only when necessary based on hardware work or PTF
> >installs. I have never gone more then a quarter without loading PTF's.
> >me that we should be IPLing at least weekly and even more frequently if
> >time permits. Whereas I realize that various temporary files get cleaned
> >up at IPL time and I do see DASD utilization drop by as much as two
> >percent after an IPL; are there any MEASURABLE ways to document the
> >Performance Tools and I do not see differences before and after an IPL.
> >Can anybody give me some insight/enlighten me about the benefits of
> >IPLing?
> If you want learn more, I suggest to order from DUKE Communications,
> the fantastic book "INSIDE AS/400" and you learn more.
>
> Francesco Candia
I suggest that you IPL at least weekly. The AS/400 needs to clean
itself
up (work files, etc.) every now and then. The IPL can be set up to run
in off (nonworking) hours (this helps unless you are in a 24 hour shop).
You might want to look into cleaning up your logs too. This can also be
set up to run in off hours. I assist as a consultant on some AS/400's,
and
I like to set them up to IPL daily. They are not running 24 hours a
day.
That is a good book (INSIDE AS/400), but I prefer fiction.
--
Dennis Pearson
email; Dennis_...@Compuserve.com.nojunk
Please remove "nojunk" before replying.
Please, no unsolicited mail.
Samiam1525
Hi...I'm the vanilla guy with a 400 model 300 on 3.1. For about a 6 month
period, my 400 was tied to another 400 (F10, 3.1) running my ATMs (I'm in
a bank). Due to DDM problems we were unable to separate the 400s without
taking down the ATM network. We kept the link up and did not IPL either
400. We had no degradation nor did we notice any improvement when we
finally did break the two and IPL'd. I now IPL the 300 weekly, using the
scheduled IPL. The ATM 400/F10 doesn't get IPL'd, maybe twice a year.
Sam in Panama City FL
Dan Riehl
>I suggest that you IPL at least weekly. The AS/400 needs to clean
>itself
>up (work files, etc.) every now and then. The IPL can be set up to run
>in off (nonworking) hours (this helps unless you are in a 24 hour shop).
Refer to "AS/400 System Operation" IBM pub#SC41-3203 Page 8-45.
"...you can improve performance by doing an IPL periodically, perhaps
monthly."
"One way to gauge whether you should IPL is to observe the '% of
addresses used' field on the ( WRKSYSSTS) display. (It) should not
exceed 90."
"Another indication that you should IPL is the '% of system storage
used'. Avoid running your system with a small amount of disk space
left. If you cannot avoid this, IPL more frequently."
% Used IPL Frequency
95% Daily
90% Weekly
Below 90% As needed
ok?
Greg Herman
I agree with the other comments about IPLing once a week. The only
addition is to say that this IPL should be a "Power Off" IPL. During this
type of IPL all hardware is checked for potential problems that are not
found with a "Restart *YES" IPL.
Dennis Pearson <Dennis_...@compuserve.com.nojunk> wrote in article
<3392E7...@compuserve.com.nojunk>...
> I suggest that you IPL at least weekly. The AS/400 needs to clean
> itself
> up (work files, etc.) every now and then. The IPL can be set up to run
> in off (nonworking) hours (this helps unless you are in a 24 hour shop).
Buster
Dan Riehl wrote:
> "Another indication that you should IPL is the '% of system storage
> used'. Avoid running your system with a small amount of disk space
> left. If you cannot avoid this, IPL more frequently."
>
> % Used IPL Frequency
> 95% Daily
> 90% Weekly
> Below 90% As needed
>
>
> ok?
Anything above 80% and I worry. Above 90% and I panic.
I was up to 84% a couple of weeks ago, and someone printed a
25,000 page report. That brought me up to something like 95%.
If I were at 90%+ and that happened, oooo boy.
Of course that's with a small amount of DASD(strange how 4Gb is
considered small nowadays:) I'm down to 80% now, and monitoring
it daily. I imagine you _could_ get away with percentages like
that if you had say.. 12Gb of DASD.
As for the IPL frequency. I do it weekly. The system sits idle
most nights and early mornings, so it's scheduled to do an IPL
once a week early one morning.
IPL frequency is a warmly debated topic. I don't think anyone
will think less of you if you IPL too often. Weekly IPL seems
to be about average. Then some folks do it monthly.
I've gotten away with only doing it whenever PTF's got applied.
Of course keeping up with Cumulative PTF's from IBM would almost
make IPLing a monthly thing. Man, when RISC first came out, they
were really pumping out the PTF's, weren't they.
Buster
In the process of getting more DASD.
-- "Net boy, net girl, Send your impulse 'round the world
Put your message in a modem, And throw it in the Cyber Sea"
Virtuality by Rush
Network User
Francesco Candia <fca...@mbox.vol.it> wrote in article
<5m2erp$o...@everest.vol.it>...
> sm...@ccisd1.ccf.org (Rick Smith) wrote:
<snip>
> >I IPL only when necessary based on hardware work or PTF
> >installs. I have never gone more then a quarter without loading PTF's.
> >me that we should be IPLing at least weekly and even more frequently if
> >time permits. Whereas I realize that various temporary files get
cleaned
> >up at IPL time and I do see DASD utilization drop by as much as two
> >percent after an IPL; are there any MEASURABLE ways to document the
> >Performance Tools and I do not see differences before and after an IPL.
> >Can anybody give me some insight/enlighten me about the benefits of
> >IPLing?
>
Alot of what you do depends on what box you are on and what application
you are running. If you don't see a difference with Performance Tools you
are probably OK. One area to check for potential problems is the %
addresses
used (with WRKSYSSTS). Some apps use up so many temp addresses
that shops need to IPL just to keep running. Moving to 64 bit RISC really
helps this problem.
That said, I like to IPL once a week.
Steve Cotes
cot...@data-io.com
> >--
> > -Rick-
> >---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > E-MAIL: sm...@ccisd2.ccf.org
> > PHONE: (216) 444-4631
> >---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Wherever You Go, There You Are...
>
> > This mail message was carried on 100% recycled electrons...
> I suggest IPL at least once a week.
> If you want learn more, I suggest to order from DUKE Communications,
> the fantastic book "INSIDE AS/400" and you learn more.
>
> Francesco Candia
Tchiowa
Buster wrote:
>
>
> Anything above 80% and I worry. Above 90% and I panic.
<snipped for space, sorry>
I agree. Anything above 95% the system will crash. Anything above 90%
it's getting ready to crash. Anything above 80% and you've got serious
performance deterioration. If you've got that much space utilization,
buy some DASD.
We IPL all machines every night immediately after running backups. We're
running about 60% DASD utilization.
Paul Nicolay
Anything above 95%.... :-) due to temporary projects we've worked several
months at 98%... not that I recommend it, and yes you can feel the
difference in speed.
Regards,
Paul
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