Administration Guide

Chapter 29. Scaling Your Configuration Through Adding Processors

You may find that the characteristics of your configuration are not appropriate for your current and planned needs. As a result, you should consider actions that would increase your configuration's capacity, performance, or both. For example, adding containers to your configuration increases your capacity to store data, but also can improve performance during utility use (such as when loading data). Other ways to improve capacity or performance include: adding memory and adding processors in either a symmetric multiprocessor or partitioned database environment.

The focus of this chapter is on improving performance by increasing the number of processors in your configuration.

You should consider scaling your configuration as discussed in the remainder of this chapter if:

• You had a single-partition configuration with a single processor that was being used to its maximum capacity. As a result, you have decided to change configurations and have:
  • Determined a symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) configuration is your best choice for a new environment. You perhaps made this choice because you want to take advantage of the processing power available with more than one processor. Each processor shares memory and storage system resources. All of the processors are within one system, so there are no additional considerations such as communication lines between systems, perhaps no additional administration staff to support any new systems, and coordination of tasks between systems is not an issue. DB2 Universal Database supports this environment.
  • Determined a partitioned database configuration is your best choice for a new environment. You perhaps made this choice because you want to take advantage of the processing power available with more than one processor that is physically separate from the first. Each processor has its own memory and storage system resources without having to share with the other processor. While you may have the additional considerations mentioned above (communications, staff, and coordination of tasks), there are advantages to this choice such as the ability to balance data and user access across more than one system. DB2 Universal Database supports this environment.
• You currently have a SMP configuration and you are planning to add one or more additional processors. In this case, you are already familiar with those considerations associated with this type of environment. By adding one or more additional processors, you are simply adding computing power to your environment without adding new considerations. DB2 Universal Database supports this environment.
• You have a partitioned database configuration and you are planning to add one or more additional database partitions. In this case, you are already familiar with those considerations associated with this type of environment. By adding one or more additional database partitions, you are simply adding computing power to your environment without adding new considerations other than making the transition to the larger number of partitions. DB2 Universal Database supports this environment.

  A variation on the partitioned database configuration is one where the database partitions are SMP machines. DB2 Universal Database supports this environment.

When you scale your system by changing the environment, you should be aware of the impact that such a change can have on your database procedures such as loading data, backing up the database, and restoring the database.

When you add a new database partition, you cannot drop or create a database that takes advantage of the new partition until the procedure is complete, and the new server is successfully integrated into the system.