1. zSeries Update
2. January 2001 CPU Chart is Available
3. 1991-2000 CD-ROMs Mailed

1. zSeries Update 

I’ve received feedback from two z900 sites who did not receive their expected performance when running SAS-based work (up to 30% less capacity than expected). Another user reported a 13% under-capacity reading on SAS work on the MXG list forum. At least one Natural user is experiencing the same problem.

The current surmise, although not confirmed by any parties, is that the change in the hardware design of the z900s is affecting 4GL languages. The design change was to separate the Data cache and Instruction cache for each CP. This makes for faster processing of instructions and data, but can be counter-productive for any application that intersperses data and instructions or that creates instructions on the fly in a data area and attempts to execute them. The additional locking and resultant movement of instructions from the data cache to the instruction cache apparently increases the CPU time for these applications. IBM and SAS are looking into the problem in more detail at this time. Other 4GL software vendors should look into this situation as well.

At this point we don’t know if all SAS programs will be affected or if these are isolated cases. But we’d love to know! If you’ve run some tests on your z900 (especially SAS tests), please let us know the results. Send them to technical@watsonwalker.com. Your name and company can remain confidential. (For a tool to measure the performance of a new processor or software change, don’t forget our software product, BoxScore at http://www.watsonwalker.com/boxscore.html.)

2. January 2001 CPU Chart is Available

The PDF and Excel version of our January 2001 CPU Chart was sent to electronic TUNING Letter subscribers on February 2nd. The print version is being mailed today. This chart contains the z900 processors and MIPS based on the OS/390 R10 LSPRs. Additions to the chart include the STSI models and Architectural Level Sets (ALS).

Here are the file names:

Jan2001.xls – Excel 97 format of the chart.
Jan2001.pdf – The first 12 pages of the chart linkable from the xls file.
CW20011C.pdf – The entire 36 page chart suitable for printing.

Although Lotus users can read the xls chart, there are some incompatibilities. If you did not receive the note listing the differences, please let us know.

As an alternative, Philip Foster of La Confederation des Caisses Populaires et d’Economie Desjardins du Quebec (CCPEDQ) recommended downloading a free Excel 97/2000 viewer from the Microsoft Web site: http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/2000/downloadDetails/xlviewer.htm.

Speaking of Excel 2000, Norman Hollander of Candle pointed out that Excel 2000 doesn’t translate the column comments well. In order to read more than two lines of the comments, you have to move the spreadsheet to an unprotected document.

3. 1991-2000 CD-ROMs Mailed

Yesterday, the latest CD-ROMs were mailed to all electronic subscribers. This CD-ROM contains all of our issues through 2000 No. 6, the November 2000 CPU Chart in PDF and Excel format, and an additional 42 papers and presentations by me. Electronic subscribers will also receive any presentation I make within a week of its presentation; so if you can’t come to SHARE or CMG, you can still see my presentations on a timely basis.

Stay tuned!