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Conference 7.286::fddi

Title:FDDI - The Next Generation
Moderator:NETCAD::STEFANI
Created:Thu Apr 27 1989
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2259
Total number of notes:8590

820.0. "Is FDDI cpu bound?" by HTSC19::KENNETH (Kenneth Leung HKCS) Wed Dec 23 1992 06:43

Hi there,

A customer ask me a question about the performance on VAXstation 4000-90
with FDDI connected.  I am not familiar with FDDI so I would like 
to ask anybody know that and give me a hand.

The customer have two VAXstation 4000-90 and installed with FDDI controller
on them.  Each system has 64 M memory and it is standalone (just station).

They found that everytime when they use the network, (through FDDI), for
example copy files between the two machine.  The CPU's usage is almost 
full.  They use monitor system and check that it is alomst about 100%.

Is it normal?  Does FDDI is CUP bound?  

I never play with a FDDI system before, I don't wheter it is normal or not.
Is there anybody knows that it is normal or not?

Thanks for your help in advance.

Kenneth Leung
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
820.1yes the CPU is busy, and that's goodMUDDY::WATERSWed Dec 23 1992 11:3916
    If the network is relatively idle (the normal case), DECnet file
    transfers over FDDI will saturate all but the fastest CPUs.  (The same
    is true for TCP/IP protocols.)  If the network is quite busy, then the
    transfer may slow down and some CPU time may be left over.

    If you have a multiprocessor machine, moving data through the FDDI
    adapter may saturate one CPU, but the other one will be free for
    applications.

    If the user of a uniprocessor runs another program in parallel with
    the DECnet file-copying program, he should see that each program makes
    progress.  The file transfer slows down so it doesn't consume the whole
    CPU by itself.

    That FDDI adapters can keep the CPU busy is good!  This means that the
    CPU isn't sitting around waiting for more data from the network any more.
820.2STAR::GILLUMKirt GillumMon Dec 28 1992 16:239
    
    Yes, using the DEFZA will commonly eat the CPU (VAX and Alpha).  The
    DEFTA will correct most of this behaviour.
    
    Something that may help use less CPU or increase throughput is to set
    the SYSGEN parameter 'POOLCHECK' to 0...
    
    Kirt