RE: Guidance with OpenVMS IA64 8.3 with Java 1.5 Problems

-----Original Message-----
From: mjjerabek [mailto:mjjerabek@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: September 27, 2007 4:56 PM
To: Info-VAX@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Guidance with OpenVMS IA64 8.3 with Java 1.5 Problems

I have been given the task of determining whether I should port/
rewrite a rather large HMI program from x-windows and 'C' to java.

I went through an install of java 1.5 on an rx2620 duo core with 3gb
ram, a radeon video card, mouse, keyboard, and OpenVMS 8.3. I followed
the patching and tuning recommendation from the java release notes and
from the java$check_environment.com DCL file. I then started running
the jdk demo applications to get an idea of java performance versus
the same applications running on an 2.8ghz P4 XP PC with 256mb of ram.

The performance of these java apps on the OpenVMS ia64 system was
extremely poor as compared to a much slower PC running XP. I followed
these tests up with a re-tune of the VMS authorize and sysgen
parameters, taking these parameters from their recommended values to
ridiculously large values (1gb wsquo, wsmax 1gb, everything big). The
performance of these apps got better, but had lots of rough spots.

For example, the java2d app has a tabbed dialog where each tab
displayed different classes of graphics operations. When the app ran,
the graphics operations ran OK, but when I tried to select a different
dialog tab, it took 4 minutes 30 seconds (clock time) to switch dialog
tabs and start the display of the new graphics operations. Once the
tab was fully rendered, the new graphics operations ran at a
reasonable speed.

I tried to get help from HP by sending en email to java-bugs@xxxxxx
and exchanged some email with an HP engineer. The engineer blamed the
applications, and not java. I pointed out that these applications came
with the JDK, but that made no difference.

I also tried to use the java plugin with the CSWB/Mozilla. I tried to
display and operator a web page with embedded java. In my case, it was
an hp procurve managed switch management interface web page. These
simple html/java pages hung after a few java apps were loaded and run.
The HP engineer point to the procurve web page which was generated in
2000 and specified that only IE5 and the MSVM could be used to display
the procure pages (lame excuse from HP).

What I am looking for (I guess) is guidance from experienced people on
how to get performance out of java under OpenVMS Ia64 and Alpha
systems. I need access to better information than what HP chooses to
provide.

I could use the following:

1) VMS tuning advice for java. What are typical authorize and sysgen
values for java usage.

2) More example applications to test with. My application will be a
rather large app and the demo apps that come with the JDK are not.

3) Suggest some URL's, books, etc that will guide me.

Also, anyone who is willing to describe their experience in using java
with OpenVMS and have a conversation with me on or off-line,
please ...

All help will be appreciated and acknowledged.

Mjjerabek


Just curious, but can you expand on why your company wants to re-write something
already Working to Java?

Is it possible to install the sample programs with any performance monitoring tools
to determine where the issues are? That is something you would likely want to do
in porting anything to any platform.

Btw, I assume that you have the latest VMS V8.3 maint patches installed?
ftp://ftp.itrc.hp.com/openvms_patches/i64/V8.3/I64_V83I_MASTER_ECO_LIST.txt

Also, check the typical OpenVMS OS perf tuning stuff e.g. no disk frag, highwater
marking off, and you might also look at a basic difference between VMS and Windows/UNIX
ie. write back (speed - Unix-Windows)) vs write thru (data safety - OpenVMS). If you
would like to setup OpenVMS for same behaviour (write-back), there is a dynamic system
parameter that will allow you to do this (I forget the actual parameter)

There is also a cookbook for OpenVMS Java that also had a number of suggestions.


Regards


Kerry Main
Senior Consultant
HP Services Canada
Voice: 613-592-4660
Fax: 613-591-4477
kerryDOTmainAThpDOTcom
(remove the DOT's and AT)

OpenVMS - the secure, multi-site OS that just works.



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