01-21-2009
So this problem used to be rather "simple". Just use some CPU metric (MPIS, FLOPS, SPECint, SPECfloat, whatever) and divide it by the cost of a computer. Then we had a clear choice: 2 CPUs per "1U" system. Now the choice has expanded to cores per chip and we have 2, 4, and even 8-way systems (AMD). You could build a rack of Sunx6400, each containing 64 cores. But we also shouldn't forget Sun's T1 processor line, with 128 "virtual" cores.
Further complicating the issue: cost is no longer just for the compute node. Now you have to consider the networking costs between them. 100 Mbit Ethernet switches are cheap, but may not be suitable for a cluster of very fast machines. Infiniband gives you great performance, but scaling is very expensive -- just the cabling alone can cost as much as your CPUs!
Further complications: the operating costs of cooling and electricity are not insignificant. For every watt used by the CPU, you can count on needing 2 watts to cool it (depends on the climate you're in). Thus, if every computer node requires 1.5 A, and you have 256 compute nodes, you will need 1.5 * 256 * 3 = 1152 Amps of power and maybe 2 30-ton chillers.
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LEARN ABOUT CENTOS
pmdapostgresql
PMDAPOSTGRESQL(1) Performance Co-Pilot PMDAPOSTGRESQL(1)
NAME
pmdapostgresql - PostgreSQL database PMDA
DESCRIPTION
pmdapostgresql is a Performance Co-Pilot PMDA which extracts live performance data from a running PostgreSQL database.
INSTALLATION
pmdapostgresql uses a configuration file from (in this order):
o /etc/pcpdbi.conf
o $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/postgresql/postgresql.conf
This file can contain overridden values (Perl code) for the settings listed at the start of pmdapostgresql.pl, namely:
o database name (see DBI(3) for details)
o database username
Once this is setup, you can access the names and values for the postgresql performance metrics by doing the following as root:
# cd $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/postgresql
# ./Install
If you want to undo the installation, do the following as root:
# cd $PCP_PMDAS_DIR/postgresql
# ./Remove
pmdapostgresql is launched by pmcd(1) and should never be executed directly. The Install and Remove scripts notify pmcd(1) when the agent
is installed or removed.
FILES
/etc/pcpdbi.conf
configuration file for all PCP database monitors
$PCP_PMDAS_DIR/postgresql/postgresql.conf
configuration file for pmdapostgresql
$PCP_PMDAS_DIR/postgresql/Install
installation script for the pmdapostgresql agent
$PCP_PMDAS_DIR/postgresql/Remove
undo installation script for the pmdapostgresql agent
$PCP_LOG_DIR/pmcd/postgresql.log
default log file for error messages from pmdapostgresql
SEE ALSO
pmcd(1), pmdadbping.pl(1) and DBI(3).
3.8.10 Performance Co-Pilot PMDAPOSTGRESQL(1)