System Performance Optimization

Our consultants can perform work at your location or work remotely to analyze and tune your database system.  PTC has the skills and tools to quickly determine the “root cause” of problems and improve the performance of the entire system environment. Our focus generally includes the entire architecture including the database, applications, servers, storage, and network infrastructure.

Our approach to the problem is scientific in nature. For example, a hypothesis is formulated and parameters (variables) are changed and measured to determine cause and affect relationships. Because there are many variables that impact system performance, tuning is really an iterative process.  Therefore, most tuning engagements are 2-3 weeks in duration and some longer, depending on the size and complexity of the environment.

Every tuning engagement is different; however, below are some of the more common tasks performed during this type of engagement.

• Hardware Assessment.
  We'll monitor system performance and check for disk I/O rates and latencies, CPU, and memory usage. We'll attempt to identify and isolate specific performance issues and I/O bottlenecks. This includes an analysis of your entire system, including the network, server and storage systems.
  
  
• System Performance Analysis.
  We'll collect and analyze various performance counters and data over a period of time that best represents your business operations and application usage. This information provides us with solid understanding of how the application is used and a baseline for performance analysis and comparisons.
  
  
• Database Server Analysis.
  We'll analyze Oracle or SQL Server and operating system statistics to determine the overall health and usage of the system.

• Stored Procedure and SQL Analysis.
  We'll evaluate the system in terms of execution and try to determine if performance can be improved by either modifying SQL statements or execution plans.
  

• Schema Analysis.
  We'll analyze the database schema in order to determine whether or not changes should be made. These changes may be immediate, such as a new index, or long term, such as partitioning or distributing the database.
  
  
• Application Architecture.
  Where appropriate, we'll recommend architectural changes, such as the use of a transaction monitor, cluster, or changes to LUN assignment, indexes or database layout.
  
  
• Final Recommendations and Report.
  Our final analysis will include an executive summary with recommendations and supporting details for improving your overall system design or configuration or defining and documenting a system configuration tailored to your specific application usage and growth requirements. System sizing is one area growing in popularity with many application providers and their customers.
  

Application Workload Analysis (Simulation)

PTC can help you perform load testing on your system to determine system capacity and to test new versions of an application, new software upgrades, functionality, and performance under a simulated user workload. We have experience working with Mercury Interactive’s LoadRunner and Borland's SilkPerformer in the areas of application workload simulation design, configuration and application. We can also help you design and run your own customized load test that simulates your application.

System Sizing Requirements for Application Providers

PTC can assist application providers in the definition and documentation of system sizing and configuration requirements for their customer's application environments. We can analyze and recommend system configurations optimized for a specific application design and planned user and workload growth. A typical requirements document includes the following:

• Server and storage specifications (including number of disks and RAID levels)
• Operating system and database configuration (including database file layout)
• System configuration and usage recommendations for small, medium, and large sized clients