64 bit page size

Posted in 2000

Topics: Installation, Setup & Upgrades, Platform-Specific Issues

Parker, J — Fri, 3 Mar 2000 10:13:54 -0500 — source: Informix-list mailing list archive (1991-1998)

I would appreciate some help. As always - thanks in advance IDS:7.31 FC2 Unix:HP-UX 11 Hardware:9000/800/N4000-44 What should the Informix page size be for this environment (2K or 4K)? Our page size is currently 2K - I've been told it should be 4K. Yet I believe the page size is not tunable - it is set via install program. Is there a bug? Thanks

↪ replying to Parker, J

Madison Pruet — Fri, 03 Mar 2000 19:08:51 -0700 — source: Informix-list mailing list archive (1991-1998)

There's been a lot of confusion on this issue, mainly because the OS folks use the term 'page' for the smallest block of memory that and be allocated and/or paged to the swap file. The database engine uses the term page for the smallest size of memory that we write to/from the database files. Maybe it would be less of an issue if we used the term block for the database IO unit and page for the memory/swap-file unit. Blocks are not the same as pages and thus don't have to be the same physical size. When the engine was first developed, there was the idea that we would make blocks the same size as pages. Then someone figured out that whenever the customer upgraded their machine or operating system (and maybe got a new page size because of different memory chips or such) that they would have to go through a physical re-organization of all of their data at the same time. UGG.... So the 'older' UNIX platforms like Solaris and HP have a 2K block size. Some of the more recent platforms (like DEC-Alpha and NT) have 4K. "Parker, J" wrote: > I would appreciate some help. > As always - thanks in advance > > IDS:7.31 FC2 > Unix:HP-UX 11 > Hardware:9000/800/N4000-44 > > What should the Informix page size be for this environment (2K or 4K)? > Our page size is currently 2K - I've been told it should be 4K. > Yet I believe the page size is not tunable - it is set via install program. > Is there a bug? > > Thanks

↪ replying to Madison Pruet

Paul Watson — Sat, 04 Mar 2000 11:10:03 +0000 — source: Informix-list mailing list archive (1991-1998)

> > So the 'older' UNIX platforms like Solaris and HP have a 2K block size. Some > of the more recent platforms (like DEC-Alpha and NT) have 4K. I don't think Sun would happy having Solaris termed as old Unix:-)) > > "Parker, J" wrote: > > > > > Thanks -- Paul Watson # WF Software Ltd # You are only young once Tel: +44 1436 674729 # but you can be immature Fax: +44 1436 678693 # for ever www.wfsoftware.com #

↪ replying to Paul Watson

Madison Pruet — Sat, 04 Mar 2000 09:46:16 -0600 — source: Informix-list mailing list archive (1991-1998)

Sorry Sun... By that I meant that Sun was one of the orginal Unix platforms, just as Linux is one of the more recent. Paul Watson wrote: > > > > So the 'older' UNIX platforms like Solaris and HP have a 2K block size. Some > > of the more recent platforms (like DEC-Alpha and NT) have 4K. > > I don't think Sun would happy having Solaris termed as old Unix:-)) > > > > > "Parker, J" wrote: > > > > > > > > Thanks > > -- > Paul Watson # > WF Software Ltd # You are only young once > Tel: +44 1436 674729 # but you can be immature > Fax: +44 1436 678693 # for ever > www.wfsoftware.com #