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Date:      Thu, 13 Dec 2001 13:00:39 -0500
From:      The Anarcat <anarcat@anarcat.dyndns.org>
To:        "Bruce A. Mah" <bmah@FreeBSD.ORG>
Cc:        Holtor <holtor@yahoo.com>, stable@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Load Averages
Message-ID:  <20011213180038.GC2701@shall.anarcat.dyndns.org>
In-Reply-To: <200112131738.fBDHcm235905@bmah.dyndns.org>
References:  <20011213172108.10411.qmail@web11606.mail.yahoo.com> <200112131738.fBDHcm235905@bmah.dyndns.org>

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On Thu Dec 13, 2001 at 09:38:48AM -0800, Bruce A. Mah wrote:
> If memory serves me right, Holtor wrote:
>=20
> > Reason being I use load averages to determine if a
> > computer needs upgrading. When things go above a
> > constant 2.00 or higher it either means upgrade to
> > better hardware or reduce the amount of things running
> > on that server to another server.
>=20
> The load average by itself isn't really a good metric of system
> performance.  For example, it won't help you find disk or network
> bottlenecks.  If it was me, I'd take a look at developing some
> performance metrics that depended on specific applications I was
> running, and some values that were (or were not) acceptable to me. (For
> example, how many Web hits can the machine process per unit time, for
> some offered workload?)  I'd also use some of the other system metrics
> (such as CPU utilization) for additional corroborating evidence.

Indeed, I must emphasis (sp?) Bruce's words here:

load average can be a useful *quick* metric of a the cpu load, but you
shouldn't use it to meter general system performace, *especially* since
you're using this mesure to decide wether to upgrade or not.

You decide upgrade depending on wether or not the machine does its job.
Even if it doesn't, you have to figure out if there is a way to
fix/customize/tune the box to make it fit your needs, or else you'll
might just end up with the same problems on the next box. :)

Just my CAN$0.02 (that's really cheap).

a.

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