Using the File Sharing Parameters and Statistics (NFSADMIN)

This section describes how to view NFS server statistics and set the system parameters.


Displaying the NFS Server Parameters Form (NFSADMIN)

  1. From the NFSADMIN Main Menu, click NFS Server > Options.

  2. Edit the parameters as necessary and click OK.

    If you enter an incorrect value, the range of values allowed for the parameter is displayed.

    The form contains the following fields:

    Number of NFS Threads---the number of NFS service processes that can be handled simultaneously.

    If this number is too low, two things happen:

    Requests must wait for processing, thereby hindering performance.
    The request queue can overflow, with requests being dropped before they can be processed.

    If this value is too large, the demand on resources (such as memory) is increased at the expense of responsiveness.

    Number of Open File Cache---the number of files the NFS server can have open simultaneously. Increasing the value makes it more likely that information in files being accessed by NFS clients is found in cache.

    Open File Aging Interval---how many seconds the NFS server keeps a file's information in cache memory. When a file is held in cache, NetWare® users cannot access it. Larger values produce better performance, but they also make NetWare users wait longer to access files that are being manipulated by NFS.

    NOTE: Set this parameter to 0 only if you are using cross-platform applications where there is a need for the NFS server to close a file immediately after a read/write operation so that the file is available for another read/write operation from a DOS NetWare client. When data access through the NFS Server is random, setting the Aging Interval to 0 might increase performance. However, if data access forms a pattern, setting the Aging Interval to 0 might decrease performance.

    Number of Request Cache Entries---the number of requests that can be held in cache memory.

    If this value is too small and the server is overloaded, a duplicate request can arrive after the first request is removed from memory. The server does not know what action was taken on the first request and tries to comply with the second request, such as deleting a file that has already been removed. The server reports an error when it tries to service a request that was already performed.

    When this value is set high enough, the first request and its response remain in memory. Upon receiving a duplicate request, the server responds with the same response used for the first request.

    If the request cache is too large, unnecessary memory usage results.

    Enable Cache Write Through---whether NFS holds modified file information in cache memory or writes the modified information directly to the disk before acknowledging to the client that the request has been completed. Disabling cache write through dramatically improves disk performance. However, with the data held in cache memory instead of being written immediately to disk, there is a possibility that data can be damaged or lost if the server fails before the data can be written to the disk.

    Enable cache write through if either of the following are true and the NetWare server is not connected to an uninterruptible power supply:

    Clients are running database applications where database integrity is a critical issue.
    Diskless clients are using the NetWare volume for their swap space.

    IDXlock manager service:NFS server:grace period/IDXIDXparameters:NetWare NFS server:description of <$endrange>/IDXLock Manager Grace Period---how long the NetWare NFS lock manager accepts client requests to reset locks that were in effect prior to a system crash.


Displaying the NFS Server Client Requests Screen (NFSADMIN)

The NFS requests screen displays statistics relating to NFS requests.

  1. From the NFSADMIN Main Menu, click NFS Server > Statistics > NFS Requests.

    The NFS Client Requests screen is displayed.


    The following information is displayed:

    Event Name---the name of the remote procedure call issued by the NFS client.

    No. of Calls---the number of times the call was issued.

    Percent of Calls---the percentage of total calls this number represents.

    Seconds/Call---the average number of seconds required to execute the procedure.

    Total Seconds---the total number of seconds that the server has spent executing the procedure for all calls.

  2. Click Save to save the details into a file.

    The path and the name of the file onto which the details will be saved are displayed. You can overwrite this file with the new information.

  3. Click Reset if you want to initialize the NFS Client Requests file.


Displaying the NFS Server Utilization Percentage Screen (NFSADMIN)

The NFS Server Utilization Percentage screen displays NFS server activity.IDXmemory utilization:NFS Server/IDX

  1. From the NFSADMIN Main Menu, click NFS Server > Statistics > Utilization.

    The information in this screen's fields is a snapshot of NFS server usage at the time the menu option is selected. The information is displayed in the following columns:

    CPU---what percentage of the time the NFS server is accessing the CPU.

    Disk---what percentage of the time the NFS server is accessing the hard disk.

    Network---what percentage of the time the NFS server is accessing the network.

    Idle---what percentage of the time the NFS server spends waiting or idle between requests.

    Data Processed---data sent to the client and data read from the disk.

    Total Bytes Processed---the total number of bytes processed for each type of data.

    KBytes/Second---the number of kilobytes processed in 1 second.

  2. Click Save to save the details into a file.

    The path and the name of the file onto which the details will be saved are displayed. You can overwrite this file with the new information.

  3. Click Refresh to update the screen with the details of the current server activity.

  4. Click Reset if you want to initialize the NFS Server Utilization file.


NFS Gateway Parameters Form (NFSADMIN)

The NFS Gateway parameters form displays Gateway tunable parameters.

  1. Start at the NFSADMIN Main Menu and click NFS Gateway > Options.

  2. Modify these parameters as required and click OK to return to the main menu.

This form contains the following fields:

Number of Cache Processes---the number of cache processes used by the Gateway. The cache processes move data between the cache buffers and the remote NFS server. You can increase performance by increasing the number of processes. Valid parameter values are integers from 1 to 20. The default value is 10. Change the number of cache processes by typing a number in this field. You must stop and restart the Gateway before a change to this field takes effect.

Lifetime of Cache Buffers---how many seconds the Gateway retains a file's data and attributes in cache memory. Valid parameter values are integers from 1 to 600. The default value is 10. Change the lifetime of cache buffers by typing a number in this field. The change takes effect immediately.

Larger values produce better performance but can lead to data inconsistencies between the information in the cache buffer and the information on the NFS server.

Directory Comparison Frequency---how often Gateway checks file information on the remote NFS server for changes made by UNIX® users. This comparison ensures that the file tracking information maintained in the shadow file on the Gateway is consistent with the file information on the remote NFS server.

Valid parameter values are integers from 0 to 600. The default value is 300. Change the directory comparison frequency interval by typing a number in this field. The change takes effect immediately.

Decrease this number as more UNIX users access the same remote file system. Changes made by NetWare DOS clients do not require a comparison check because changes are updated immediately. Therefore, if a remote file system is used exclusively by NetWare users, you can increase performance by increasing this number. This reduces the number of calls Gateway must make to the server.

Minimum Size of Cache---the minimum amount of memory allocated to cache buffers. Cache buffers store file information such as data, attributes, and directory tables. Valid parameter values are integers from 256 to 1024. The default value is 512 KB. Change the minimum size of the cache buffers by typing a number in this field. The change takes effect immediately.

Increasing this value allows more information to be stored in the cache buffers, making it more likely that directory information being accessed by NFS clients will be found in cache.

Maximum Size of Cache---the maximum amount of memory allocated to cache buffers. Cache buffers store file information such as data, attributes, and directory tables. Valid parameter values are integers from 1024 to 204800. The default value is 1024 KB. Change the maximum size of the cache buffers by typing a number in this field. The change takes effect immediately.


NFS Gateway Client Requests Screen (NFSADMIN)

The NFS Client Requests screen displays statistics relating to NFS requests.

  1. Start at the NFSADMIN Main Menu and click NFS Gateway > Statistics > Client Requests.

    The following screen will be displayed.


  2. Click Save if you want to save these statistics onto a file. You will be prompted for the file name as follows:

    The default log file name along with the path is displayed. You can modify this if required.

    1. Check the OverWrite the Logfile check box and click Ok if you want to overwrite the log file with the latest statistics.

    2. Do not the check the OverWrite the Logfile check box if you do not want to overwrite the log file. In this case, if you specify the file name and click OK, the statistics will be added to the existing file.

  3. Click Clear if you want to clear the Log file in which the statistics are saved.

  4. Click Cancel to return to the NFSADMIN main menu.

This form contains the following fields:

Event Name---identifies the call issued by the NFS client.

Number of Calls---This field lists how many times the remote procedure has been called.

Number of Timeouts---lists the number of timeouts or failures encountered in executing the procedure. If the number of timeouts (failures) is greater than 5 percent of the number of calls for any given procedure, the network is overloaded. If the number of timeouts or failures is close to or equals the number of calls for any procedure, there might be a problem with the NFS server.

NOTE: These statistics can also be useful in helping technical support determine the exact cause of a problem with the NetWare NFS server.


Memory Utilization Screen (NFSADMIN)

The Memory Utilization screen provides statistics about how the Gateway is using memory.IDXmemory display/IDXIDXperformance:memory screen/IDX

  1. Start at the NFSADMIN Main Menu and click NFS Gateway > Statistics > Memory Utilization.

  2. If you want to save these statistics, click Save. You are prompted for the file name. Specify the file name and click OK.

  3. Click Clear to clear the settings and initialize the memory.

  4. If you do not want to perform either of these operations, click Cancel to return to the main menu.

This screen contains the following fields:

Minimum---the value set for Minimum Size of Cache in the NFS Gateway Parameters form described on "NFS Gateway Parameters Form (NFSADMIN)."

Maximum---the value set for Maximum Size of Cache in the NFS Gateway Parameters form described on "NFS Gateway Parameters Form (NFSADMIN)."

In Use---the amount of cache memory in use. This amount is always less than or equal to the value specified by the Maximum Size of Cache parameter in the NFS Gateway Parameters form described on "NFS Gateway Parameters Form (NFSADMIN)." If this value is equal to the Maximum Size of Cache value, the memory available to cache buffers is insufficient.