General Tuning Tips

As you tune your server it is important to remember that your specific environment is unique. The impacts of the suggestions provided in this guide will vary, depending on your specific environment. Ultimately you must rely on your own judgement and observations to select the adjustments that are best for you.

Be very careful when tuning your server. Always back up your configuration files before making any changes.

As you work to optimize performance, keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Work Methodically

  As much as possible, make one adjustment at a time. Measure your performance before and after each change, and rescind any change that does not produce a measurable improvement.

• Adjust Gradually

  When adjusting a quantitative parameter, make several stepwise changes in succession, rather than trying to make a drastic change all at once. Different systems face different circumstances, and you may leap right past your system’s best setting if you change the value too rapidly.

• Start Fresh

  At each major system change, be it a hardware or software upgrade or deployment of a major new application, review all previous adjustments to see whether they still apply. After a Solaris upgrade, it is strongly recommended that you start over with an unmodified /etc/system file.

• Stay Informed

  Read the Sun Java System Web Server and Solaris release notes whenever you upgrade your system. The release notes often provide updated information about specific adjustments.