System resources include aspects of CPU usage, memory usage, swap usage, and disk and network throughput. Oracle Solaris Cluster enables you to monitor how much of a specific system resource is being used by an object type. An object type includes a host, node, zone, disk, network interface, or resource group. Oracle Solaris Cluster also enables you to control the CPU that is available to a resource group.
Monitoring and controlling system resource usage can be part of your resource management policy. The cost and complexity of managing numerous machines encourages the consolidation of several applications on larger hosts. Instead of running each workload on separate systems, with full access to each system's resources, you use resource management to segregate workloads within the system.
Resource management ensures that your applications have the required response times. Resource management can also increase resource use. By categorizing and prioritizing usage, you can effectively use reserve capacity during off-peak periods, often eliminating the need for additional processing power. You can also ensure that resources are not wasted because of load variability.
To use the data that Oracle Solaris Cluster collects about system resource usage, you must do the following:
Analyze the data to determine what it means for your system.
Make a decision about the action that is required to optimize your usage of hardware and software resources.
Take action to implement your decision.
By default, system resource monitoring and control are not configured when you install Oracle Solaris Cluster. For information about configuring these services, see Chapter 10, Configuring Control of CPU Usage, in Oracle Solaris Cluster System Administration Guide .