HP OpenVMS Systems

Configuring sufficient PAGEFILE and SWAPFILE?

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The Question is:

 
While running EDIT/TPU on a large file the swap flle dumps to 0.  Does the
page file settings being changed have anything to do with this or can it be
something else?
 

The Answer is :

 
  First clean the cruft out of MODPARAMS.DAT, then following up with
  a full pass of AUTOGEN appears a reasonable course of action to remedy
  the reported problem.  Allow AUTOGEN to gather all current settings, to
  resize the PAGEFILE and SWAPFILE (as it deems appropriate based on the
  saved system FEEDBACK data), and to perform a subsequent system reboot.
  (When shutting down an OpenVMS system, requesting that the accumulated
  FEEDBACK data be saved is usually a beneficial course of action...)
 
  You will also want to review the amount of physical memory configured
  in this system, as well as the current process working set and virtual
  memory settings.
 
  TPU uses virtual memory to buffer the contents of the target file,
  meaning that sufficient swapfile and pagefile need be reserved.  (The
  former is traditionally used to buffer the physical memory required
  for the process working set should it need be swapped out, while the
  latter is used as the backing storage for the virtual memory required
  for the application.)
 
  If insufficient physical memory is available in the process working set
  to meet the virtual memory requirements, the pagefile will be used.  If
  insufficient swapfile space is available (when the process needs to be
  swapped out), the pagefile will again be used.  If insufficient space
  is available in the pagefile, the system will attempt to warn the user
  via the system console, and both the OpenVMS system and the application
  performance will typically degrade (when the available pagefile storage
  is finally and completely exhausted) to a halt.
 
  Also see the OpenVMS FAQ section entitled "MGMT17. Why do I have negative
  number in the pagefile reservable pages?" for some related details.
 

  

     

     
answer written or last revised on ( 29-DEC-1999 )
     
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