PeopleSoft Ping

David Kurtz
Go-Faster Consultancy Ltd.

david.kurtz@go-faster.co.uk
www.go-faster.co.uk
 Resources

• If you can’t hear me say so now.

• Please feel free to ask questions as we go
along.
• The presentation will be available from
• Customer Connection –> Events -> UK Tech PUG
• www.go-faster.co.uk

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 Who am I?
• Independent
consultant
• System Performance
Tuning
– Oracle/Unix/Tuxedo
– PeopleSoft Apps
• www.ukoug.org
• Book
– www.apress.com

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 What is PeopleSoft Ping?
• It is a component
which runs a
‘standard’ transaction
and measures the
duration of that
transaction at each
component in the PIA.

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Browser/ Web Application Database
Network
Time
What does PS Ping Measure?
Server Server Time
Time
Time

Web Server Tuxedo PeopleTools Oracle

Access Log Service Trace SQL*Trace
Trace

Java
Java Application
Application
Browser
Browser Servlet
Servlet Server
Server DBMS
DBMS
Screen Java http / Servlet Tuxedo APPQ
Paint Script Thread
PSAPPSRV SQL (application
https Message (application
data
data&&meta-
meta-
(presentation data
data
(presentation (presentation (application
(application
&&JavaScript)
JavaScript) (presentation logic)
logic)
logic) logic)

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 Where is PeopleSoft Ping?
• DERIVED_PTP.HTMLCTLEVENT.FieldChange
• Each ping saves the results from the previous ping
to the database
– PS_PTP_TST_CASES

• Can get basic Ping graphs from PeopleSoft

– Can’t control scale
– I prefer to use Excel

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 Ping Chart

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 Example of Contention
PS Ping

PTP_TIME_D PTP_AS_TIME PTP_WS_TIME PTP_TOTAL_TIME

6
Cumulative Response Time (seconds)

0
23.5.04 16:20 23.5.04 16:30 23.5.04 16:40
Time

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 The Database Test

• Repeatedly queries same rows from

– PTP_TABLE1_VW
– PTP_TABLE1

• Poor test of database performance

– Data blocks will become cached
– %PerfTime = Application Server clock

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 The Application Server Test

• Creates and copies row sets

– Application server time
= CPU time + DB time + Cache access time +
Wait Time
– Row set operations CPU intensive
• Indication of CPU performance

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 Case1:Browser Time
PS Ping

PTP_BRW_ONLY_TIME 5 per. Mov. Avg. (PTP_BRW_ONLY_TIME)

1.8

1.6

1.4
Duration (seconds)

1.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
19.5.04 13:10 19.5.04 13:20 19.5.04 13:30 19.5.04 13:40 19.5.04 13:50 19.5.04 14:00 19.5.04 14:10 19.5.04 14:20 19.5.04 14:30
Time

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 Case 1: Desktop Specification

• 384Mhz PC, 64Mb physical memory

– Windows Commit Charge 125Mb
• It’s paging memory to/from disk

• With PS Ping running on PC, shut down

everything else (virus checking etc).
– Commit Charge reduced to 89Mb
– Response time fell from 0.8s to 0.4s

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 Case 1: Conclusion

• Paging memory from disk is slow

• General Windows performance affected
– Including the browser
• Make sure that you have enough physical
memory in your desktops
– The web browser is a critical business platform
– It’s not just for surfing

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 Case 2: Application Server CPU
Benchmark?
PS Ping

PTP_AS_ONLY_TIME

1.8

1.6

1.4
Duration (seconds)

1.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
26.5.04 17:30 26.5.04 17:40 26.5.04 17:50

Date

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 Case 2: Two Application Servers
• HP-UX 11 • Windows 2000
• 750Mhz • 3.2Ghz
• Ping Time: 1.43s • Ping Time: 0.33s

• [PT8.43.15]

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 Case 2: Conclusion

• Application server is CPU intensive

– If active and not waiting for the database, it is
using CPU to execute PeopleCode etc.
• Fewer faster –v- More slower CPUs?
– CPU speed is critical
– When executing in user mode, a clock cycle is a
clock cycle is a clock cycle?

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 Conclusion

• Ping is not a fundamental indicator of

system performance.
• It does indicate:
– contention in a particular tier.
– CPU performance of Application Server
– Performance of Browser

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 Questions

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 PeopleSoft Ping
David Kurtz
Go-Faster Consultancy Ltd.

david.kurtz@go-faster.co.uk
www.go-faster.co.uk