XMLSERVICE Performance

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Performance at a glance

The following tests are full browser simulations (Apache ab tool), not PHP loop tests

  • Apache ab web site stress tests are performed from the 5250 command line (call qp2term) or ssh myibmi using PASE (see Apache ab link install instructions)
    • > ab -t 15 -c 10 http://lp0264d/level/xxtoolkit_new.php
      • You can run stress tests from 2-tier Linux/Windows using Apache ab tool, but i am using Apchae ab from PASE.
      • Apache ab tool is not perfect, but if you use relatively “sane” number of browsers like -c 10 it will work.
      • Apache ab test is designed to drive CPU to 100% (a good thing), so don’t panic about CPU
Connection Sample (ab tool)
Apache <H1>Hello world</H1> …………………………… Requests per second: 767.87
PHP <?php echo "Hello world"; ?> ……………………. Requests per second: 560.05
ibm_db2

$conn = db2_connect($database,$user,$password); ……. Requests per second: 64.54

$conn = db2_pconnect($database,$user,$password); …… Requests per second: 504.04

$ipc     = "";
$ctl     = "*justproc";          // *justproc (no progam call)
$clobIn  = "<?xml version='1.0'?>";
$clobOut = "";
$stmt = db2_prepare($conn, "call XMLSERVICE.iPLUG4K(?,?,?,?)");
$ret  = db2_bind_param($stmt, 1, "ipc", DB2_PARAM_IN);
$ret  = db2_bind_param($stmt, 2, "ctl", DB2_PARAM_IN);
$ret  = db2_bind_param($stmt, 3, "clobIn", DB2_PARAM_IN);
$ret  = db2_bind_param($stmt, 4, "clobOut", DB2_PARAM_OUT);
$ret  = db2_execute($stmt);
echo "success";
XMLSERVICE

$ipc = ''; $ctl = '*here'; ………………………. Requests per second: 69.58

$ipc = '/tmp/packers'; $ctl = '*sbmjob'; …………… Requests per second: 320.72

<?php
require_once('connection2.inc');
if ($i5persistentconnect) $conn = db2_pconnect($database,$user,$password);
else $conn = db2_connect($database,$user,$password);
if (!$conn) echo "Bad connect: $conn,$database,$user,perm=$i5persistentconnect";
$ipc  = '/tmp/packers';    // *here no need ipc
$ctl  = "*sbmjob";         // *here for no additional private job
// $ipc  = '';
// $ctl  = '*here';
$clobIn = "<?xml version='1.0'?>
<pgm name='ZZCALL' lib='$libxmlservice'>
 <parm  io='both'>
   <data type='1A'>a</data>
 </parm>
 <parm  io='both'>
   <data type='1A'>b</data>
 </parm>
 <parm  io='both'>
   <data type='7p4'>11.1111</data>
 </parm>
 <parm  io='both'>
   <data type='12p2'>222.22</data>
 </parm>
 <parm  io='both'>
  <ds>
   <data type='1A'>x</data>
   <data type='1A'>y</data>
   <data type='7p4'>66.6666</data>
   <data type='12p2'>77777.77</data>
  </ds>
 </parm>
 <return>
  <data type='10i0'>0</data>
 </return>
</pgm>";
$clobOut = "";
$stmt = db2_prepare($conn, "call XMLSERVICE.iPLUG4K(?,?,?,?)");
$ret=db2_bind_param($stmt, 1, "ipc", DB2_PARAM_IN);
$ret=db2_bind_param($stmt, 2, "ctl", DB2_PARAM_IN);
$ret=db2_bind_param($stmt, 3, "clobIn", DB2_PARAM_IN);
$ret=db2_bind_param($stmt, 4, "clobOut", DB2_PARAM_OUT);
$ret=db2_execute($stmt);
// var_dump($clobOut);
if (strpos($clobOut,"4444444444.44")>0) echo "success";
else echo "fail";
?>
Toolkit

setToolkitServiceParams(array('stateless'=>true)); ….. Requests per second: 62.97

<?php
require_once('connection2.inc');
require_once("ToolkitService.php");
if ($i5persistentconnect) $conn = db2_pconnect($database,$user,$password);
else $conn = db2_connect($database,$user,$password);
if (!$conn) echo "Bad connect: $conn,$database,$user,perm=$i5persistentconnect";
try { $ToolkitServiceObj = ToolkitService::getInstance($conn); }
catch (Exception $e) { die($e->getMessage()); }
// $ToolkitServiceObj->setToolkitServiceParams(array('stateless'=>true,
           'plug'=>'iPLUG32K'));
ToolkitServiceObj->setToolkitServiceParams(array('InternalKey'=>'/tmp/packers',
            'plug'=>'iPLUG32K'));
$param[] = $ToolkitServiceObj->AddParameterChar   ('both',  1,  'INCHARA', 'var1', 'Y');
$param[] = $ToolkitServiceObj->AddParameterChar   ('both',  1,  'INCHARB', 'var2', 'Z');
$param[] = $ToolkitServiceObj->AddParameterPackDec('both',  7,4,'INDEC1',  'var3',
            '001.0001');
$param[] = $ToolkitServiceObj->AddParameterPackDec('both', 12,2,'INDEC2',  'var4',
            '0000000003.04');
   $ds[] = $ToolkitServiceObj->AddParameterChar   ('both',  1,  'DSCHARA', 'ds1',  'A');
   $ds[] = $ToolkitServiceObj->AddParameterChar   ('both',  1,  'DSCHARB', 'ds2',  'B');
   $ds[] = $ToolkitServiceObj->AddParameterPackDec('both',  7,4,'DSDEC1',  'ds3',
             '005.0007');
   $ds[] = $ToolkitServiceObj->AddParameterPackDec('both', 12,2,'DSDEC1',  'ds4',
             '0000000006.08');
$param[] = $ToolkitServiceObj->AddDataStruct($ds);
$clobOut  = $ToolkitServiceObj->PgmCall('ZZCALL', $libxmlservice, $param, null, null);
// var_dump($clobOut);
$value = "what is ...".$clobOut["io_param"]["ds4"];
if (strpos($value,"4444444444.44")>-1) echo "success";
else echo "fail";
?>

How many users?

Apache ab tool is designed to “exercise” CPU/Apache engine as fast as possible, therefore ‘ab tool’ requests/second multiply by a factor of 5-10x to estimate ‘user capacity’ assuming humans actually read/scan each browser page (~ 5-10 seconds per page). So, on this machine using just ibm_db2 without toolkit, the following is about as fast as any given connection can run using only ONE job.

Drive the CPU to 100% capacity, then estimate actual users supported to drive the same CPU 100%.
>> ab -t 15 -c 15 http://lp0264d/ibm_db2_fetch.php?pool
      483 requests/second..............483 users/second (varies widely per application base line)
    28,980 requests/minute..............600 users/minute (relatively constant user capacity ibm_db2 scripts persistent connections)
1,738,800 requests/hour.............36,000 users/hour   (relatively constant user capacity ibm_db2 scripts persistent connections)
41,731,200 requests/day (24 hours)..864,000 users/day    (relatively constant user capacity ibm_db2 scripts persistent connections)

Things to consider:

  • Who am i testing with ab tool?
    • lighting fast ab tool “no delay” push CPU 100% (superman users faster than a speeding bullet … a machine)
    • normal thinking users “10 second delay user actions” to push CPU 100% (average Joe … a human)
    • your application complexity may go far beyond simple ibm_db2_fetch.php above, but most any web ‘load runner’ tool (like ‘ab tool’) or worse php script ‘loop call test’ requires human action calculation to understand user capacity, so don’t believe blog people until you actually run your application specific performance test.

If you want to run Apache ab tool on PASE (IBM i) …

  • ab — Apache ab tool from old Zend Core (simulate browsers)

XMLSERVICE still evolving

Toolkit/XMLSERVICE performance will evolve over time, we understand performance is important and we intend push data through faster (perhaps much faster).

  • What runs fast?
    • calling PGMs/SRVPGMs (RPG, CLP, Cobol, System API, etc.)
      • loading your program is relatively slow so keep process alive (see below)
      • use persistent connections (db2_pconnect/i5_pconnect)
      • use IPC state full XMLSERVICE (‘InternalKey’=>’/tmp/packers’)
      • turn off PHP debug, logs, traces toolkit all ini files
  • What runs slower?
    • CMDs, especially CMDS that return data (RTVJOBA, etc.)
      • CMDs return data use REXX, which is slow first time
      • CMDs that do NOT return data, will run fairly quickly
      • call CLP using the program interface (not command interface)
      • use IPC state full XMLSERVICE (‘InternalKey’=>’/tmp/packers’)
      • turn off PHP debug, logs, traces toolkit all ini files
  • What runs slowest?
    • PASE sh utilities (system wrkactjob, ls, ps, etc.)
      • not much can be done because most time due to fork of another job (Unix/PASE style)
      • what little can be done is mostly same all call types
      • use IPC state full XMLSERVICE (‘InternalKey’=>’/tmp/packers’)
      • turn off PHP debug, logs, traces toolkit all ini files