Informix Disk Storage
Question: on Informix 11.50.FC6 under a Solaris 10 zone, how should new SSD storage be presented for best performance — raw chunks, and whether to use ZFS, zvols or metasets? Consensus answer was to use raw (character) devices, not ZFS/zvols: build a RAID10 virtual drive, partition it (using a volume manager such as Solstice/SVM for more than six partitions), create raw device files, and point Informix chunks at symbolic links to those devices. A later reply gave zone-specific steps: create a metadevice on the SSD LUN, make a soft partition per chunk, export the raw metadevice partitions into the local zone with zonecfg, and link to /dev/md/rdsk entries — plus a caution that not all dbspaces benefit from SSD and that SSD lifespan should be planned for. The poster passed the advice on; no final outcome reported.
Auto-generated by DrWatson from the posts below — may be imperfect; read the full thread.
Hello, We are running Informix 11.50.FC6 on Solaris 10. Our sys-admins just got new SSD storage to test for our Informix Environment. What do you recommend for them to present them as raw chunks to the OS? What would give us best performance? Thank You, --Dave --089e0160b884cdb31904dddd4dfc
RAW is ALWAYS best (OK maybe not on windows). Art Art S. Kagel Advanced DataTools (www.advancedatatools.com) Blog: http://informix-myview.blogspot.com/ Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own opinions and do not reflect on my employer, Advanced DataTools, the IIUG, nor any other organization with which I am associated either explicitly, implicitly, or by inference. Neither do those opinions reflect those of other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated nor those of the entities themselves. On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 11:48 AM, Informix DBA <in4mixdba@gmail.com> wrote: > Hello, > > We are running Informix 11.50.FC6 on Solaris 10. Our sys-admins just got > new SSD storage to test for our Informix Environment. What do you > recommend for them to present them as raw chunks to the OS? What would > give us best performance? > > Thank You, > > --Dave > > --089e0160b884cdb31904dddd4dfc > > > > ******************************************************************************* > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > --001a11c33ffc6a97e104ddde0fcf
Yes we want to use raw. Though the Sys Admin wants to know how present the raw disk to the database on Solaris (technically, Informix is on a solaris 10 zone which is on a solaris 11 global). We use 2 GB chunks currently. He was using terms like zfs, zvols and metasets. Any recommendations? --David On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 12:42 PM, Art Kagel <art.kagel@gmail.com> wrote: > RAW is ALWAYS best (OK maybe not on windows). > > Art > > Art S. Kagel > Advanced DataTools (www.advancedatatools.com) > Blog: http://informix-myview.blogspot.com/ > > Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own opinions > and do not reflect on my employer, Advanced DataTools, the IIUG, nor any > other organization with which I am associated either explicitly, > implicitly, or by inference. Neither do those opinions reflect those of > other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated nor > those of the entities themselves. > > On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 11:48 AM, Informix DBA <in4mixdba@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > Hello, > > > > We are running Informix 11.50.FC6 on Solaris 10. Our sys-admins just got > > new SSD storage to test for our Informix Environment. What do you > > recommend for them to present them as raw chunks to the OS? What would > > give us best performance? > > > > Thank You, > > > > --Dave > > > > --089e0160b884cdb31904dddd4dfc > > > > > > > > > > ******************************************************************************* > > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > > > > > --001a11c33ffc6a97e104ddde0fcf > > > > ******************************************************************************* > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > --089e011615f2ef946204dddf06c9
No ZFS, no Zvols, no metasets. Just RAID10 the drives to build a very big, very fast, very safe, mirrored virtual drive. Then partition the virtual drive into as many partitions as you want (for more than six you'll need a virtual disk manager like Solaris Solstice or something like it) and create RAW (ie character) device driver files for each partition. Finally, create symbolic links for each chunk device in a logical place other than /dev (like in a subdirectory under the parent directory under which you created the Informix install directory). Use the links to define your chunks and Poof! Oh, and remember that the lifespan of an SSD drive used for databases is about four years, no more, so plan on planned replacements sometime in 2017 making sure that one side of every mirrored pair is always a newer drive than the other (and from a different production lot number!) Art Art S. Kagel Advanced DataTools (www.advancedatatools.com) Blog: http://informix-myview.blogspot.com/ Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own opinions and do not reflect on my employer, Advanced DataTools, the IIUG, nor any other organization with which I am associated either explicitly, implicitly, or by inference. Neither do those opinions reflect those of other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated nor those of the entities themselves. On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 1:51 PM, Informix DBA <in4mixdba@gmail.com> wrote: > Yes we want to use raw. Though the Sys Admin wants to know how present the > raw disk to the database on Solaris (technically, Informix is on a solaris > 10 zone which is on a solaris 11 global). We use 2 GB chunks currently. > He was using terms like zfs, zvols and metasets. Any recommendations? > > --David > > On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 12:42 PM, Art Kagel <art.kagel@gmail.com> wrote: > > > RAW is ALWAYS best (OK maybe not on windows). > > > > Art > > > > Art S. Kagel > > Advanced DataTools (www.advancedatatools.com) > > Blog: http://informix-myview.blogspot.com/ > > > > Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own opinions > > and do not reflect on my employer, Advanced DataTools, the IIUG, nor any > > other organization with which I am associated either explicitly, > > implicitly, or by inference. Neither do those opinions reflect those of > > other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated > nor > > those of the entities themselves. > > > > On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 11:48 AM, Informix DBA <in4mixdba@gmail.com> > > wrote: > > > > > Hello, > > > > > > We are running Informix 11.50.FC6 on Solaris 10. Our sys-admins just > got > > > new SSD storage to test for our Informix Environment. What do you > > > recommend for them to present them as raw chunks to the OS? What would > > > give us best performance? > > > > > > Thank You, > > > > > > --Dave > > > > > > --089e0160b884cdb31904dddd4dfc > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ******************************************************************************* > > > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > > > > > > > > > --001a11c33ffc6a97e104ddde0fcf > > > > > > > > > > ******************************************************************************* > > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > > > > > --089e011615f2ef946204dddf06c9 > > > > ******************************************************************************* > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > --089e0158c73829d3d804dddf2e49
David If your sysadmin is chatting metasets he might well mean Solstice/ODS/etc Cheers Paul -----Original Message----- From: ids-bounces@iiug.org [mailto:ids-bounces@iiug.org] On Behalf Of Art Kagel Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 1:02 PM To: ids@iiug.org Subject: Re: Informix Disk Storage [30390] No ZFS, no Zvols, no metasets. Just RAID10 the drives to build a very big, very fast, very safe, mirrored virtual drive. Then partition the virtual drive into as many partitions as you want (for more than six you'll need a virtual disk manager like Solaris Solstice or something like it) and create RAW (ie character) device driver files for each partition. Finally, create symbolic links for each chunk device in a logical place other than /dev (like in a subdirectory under the parent directory under which you created the Informix install directory). Use the links to define your chunks and Poof! Oh, and remember that the lifespan of an SSD drive used for databases is about four years, no more, so plan on planned replacements sometime in 2017 making sure that one side of every mirrored pair is always a newer drive than the other (and from a different production lot number!) Art Art S. Kagel Advanced DataTools (www.advancedatatools.com) Blog: http://informix-myview.blogspot.com/ Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own opinions and do not reflect on my employer, Advanced DataTools, the IIUG, nor any other organization with which I am associated either explicitly, implicitly, or by inference. Neither do those opinions reflect those of other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated nor those of the entities themselves. On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 1:51 PM, Informix DBA <in4mixdba@gmail.com> wrote: > Yes we want to use raw. Though the Sys Admin wants to know how present the > raw disk to the database on Solaris (technically, Informix is on a solaris > 10 zone which is on a solaris 11 global). We use 2 GB chunks currently. > He was using terms like zfs, zvols and metasets. Any recommendations? > > --David > > On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 12:42 PM, Art Kagel <art.kagel@gmail.com> wrote: > > > RAW is ALWAYS best (OK maybe not on windows). > > > > Art > > > > Art S. Kagel > > Advanced DataTools (www.advancedatatools.com) > > Blog: http://informix-myview.blogspot.com/ > > > > Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own opinions > > and do not reflect on my employer, Advanced DataTools, the IIUG, nor any > > other organization with which I am associated either explicitly, > > implicitly, or by inference. Neither do those opinions reflect those of > > other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated > nor > > those of the entities themselves. > > > > On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 11:48 AM, Informix DBA <in4mixdba@gmail.com> > > wrote: > > > > > Hello, > > > > > > We are running Informix 11.50.FC6 on Solaris 10. Our sys-admins just > got > > > new SSD storage to test for our Informix Environment. What do you > > > recommend for them to present them as raw chunks to the OS? What would > > > give us best performance? > > > > > > Thank You, > > > > > > --Dave > > > > > > --089e0160b884cdb31904dddd4dfc > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > **************************************************************************** *** > > > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > > > > > > > > > --001a11c33ffc6a97e104ddde0fcf > > > > > > > > > > **************************************************************************** *** > > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > > > > > --089e011615f2ef946204dddf06c9 > > > > **************************************************************************** *** > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > --089e0158c73829d3d804dddf2e49 **************************************************************************** *** Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum.
Thank you Art & Paul... I have passed that information to our sys-admins and am waiting for their feedback. --David On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 2:02 PM, Art Kagel <art.kagel@gmail.com> wrote: > No ZFS, no Zvols, no metasets. Just RAID10 the drives to build a very big, > very fast, very safe, mirrored virtual drive. Then partition the virtual > drive into as many partitions as you want (for more than six you'll need a > virtual disk manager like Solaris Solstice or something like it) and create > RAW (ie character) device driver files for each partition. Finally, create > symbolic links for each chunk device in a logical place other than /dev > (like in a subdirectory under the parent directory under which you created > the Informix install directory). Use the links to define your chunks and > Poof! > > Oh, and remember that the lifespan of an SSD drive used for databases is > about four years, no more, so plan on planned replacements sometime in 2017 > making sure that one side of every mirrored pair is always a newer drive > than the other (and from a different production lot number!) > > Art > > Art S. Kagel > Advanced DataTools (www.advancedatatools.com) > Blog: http://informix-myview.blogspot.com/ > > Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own opinions > and do not reflect on my employer, Advanced DataTools, the IIUG, nor any > other organization with which I am associated either explicitly, > implicitly, or by inference. Neither do those opinions reflect those of > other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated nor > those of the entities themselves. > > On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 1:51 PM, Informix DBA <in4mixdba@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Yes we want to use raw. Though the Sys Admin wants to know how present > the > > raw disk to the database on Solaris (technically, Informix is on a > solaris > > 10 zone which is on a solaris 11 global). We use 2 GB chunks currently. > > He was using terms like zfs, zvols and metasets. Any recommendations? > > > > --David > > > > On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 12:42 PM, Art Kagel <art.kagel@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > RAW is ALWAYS best (OK maybe not on windows). > > > > > > Art > > > > > > Art S. Kagel > > > Advanced DataTools (www.advancedatatools.com) > > > Blog: http://informix-myview.blogspot.com/ > > > > > > Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own > opinions > > > and do not reflect on my employer, Advanced DataTools, the IIUG, nor > any > > > other organization with which I am associated either explicitly, > > > implicitly, or by inference. Neither do those opinions reflect those of > > > other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated > > nor > > > those of the entities themselves. > > > > > > On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 11:48 AM, Informix DBA <in4mixdba@gmail.com> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > Hello, > > > > > > > > We are running Informix 11.50.FC6 on Solaris 10. Our sys-admins just > > got > > > > new SSD storage to test for our Informix Environment. What do you > > > > recommend for them to present them as raw chunks to the OS? What > would > > > > give us best performance? > > > > > > > > Thank You, > > > > > > > > --Dave > > > > > > > > --089e0160b884cdb31904dddd4dfc > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ******************************************************************************* > > > > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --001a11c33ffc6a97e104ddde0fcf > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ******************************************************************************* > > > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > > > > > > > > > --089e011615f2ef946204dddf06c9 > > > > > > > > > > ******************************************************************************* > > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > > > > > --089e0158c73829d3d804dddf2e49 > > > > ******************************************************************************* > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > --089e011827b654241b04dde2047a
Identify the SSD LUN in the global zone. Create a metadevice on the whole LUN. Create one soft partition for each Informix chunk. Use zonecfg to export all the metadevice raw partitions to the local zone. Within the local zone use links to the /dev/md/rdsk/dnnnn devices as the Informix chunks. Will all Informix dbspaces benefit from SSD? Perhaps not, so it would be handy to understand your i/o profile.