Improving Interprocess Communication (IPC) Performance

28 Improving Interprocess Communication (IPC) Performance

Learn how to use interprocess communication (IPC) to improve performance in Oracle Communications Billing and Revenue Management (BRM) system.

Topics in this document:

Improving IPC Performance

By default, CM and DM processes communicate through AF_INET sockets. You can increase your system's IPC performance by configuring it to use AF_UNIX sockets between CMs and DMs that reside on the same machine and AF_INET sockets between CMs and DMs that reside on separate machines.

Both socket types are described in Table 28-1.

Table 28-1 IPC Socket Types

Socket type	Description
AF_UNIX	Provides communication through a local socket file that the DM creates each time it starts. Note: If the DM finds a socket file when it starts, it deletes the existing file and creates a new one. These sockets provide the fastest IPC performance but can be used only by processes located on the same machine.
AF_INET	Provides communication through an IP address. These sockets are slower than AF_UNIX sockets, but they allow communication between processes on separate machines.

Socket type

Description

AF_UNIX

Provides communication through a local socket file that the DM creates each time it starts.

Note: If the DM finds a socket file when it starts, it deletes the existing file and creates a new one.

These sockets provide the fastest IPC performance but can be used only by processes located on the same machine.

AF_INET

Provides communication through an IP address. These sockets are slower than AF_UNIX sockets, but they allow communication between processes on separate machines.

To improve IPC performance by configuring your system to use both AF_UNIX and AF_INET sockets, perform these steps:

On machines containing both a CM and a DM, set the following entry in your CM configuration file (BRM_home/sys/cm/pin.conf):
```
- cm dm_pointer 0.0.0.1 local BRM_home/sys/dm/dm_port
```
If your CM also connects to DMs on other machines, such as in a multischema system, add the following entry:

Note:

Ensure you add a dm_pointer entry for each DM to which the CM connects.
```
- cm dm_pointer 0.0.0.x ip HostName PortNumber
```
where:
- HostName is the associated DM machine's host name or IP address.
- PortNumber is the associated DM's port number. The default port number is 12950.
For an example of how to configure this file for multischema systems, see "Sample Configuration Settings for a Multischema System".
On machines containing both a CM and a DM, set the following entries in your DM configuration file (BRM_home/sys/dm/pin.conf):
```
- dm dm_port PortNumber
- dm dm_local_socket_name BRM_home/sys/dm/dm_port
```
where PortNumber is the DM's port number. The default port number is 12950.
On machines containing a DM but no CM, set the following entry in your DM configuration file:
```
- dm dm_port PortNumber
```
where PortNumber is the DM's port number. The default number is 12950.
Save and close all files.

Sample Configuration Settings for a Multischema System

This section shows how to set your CM and DM configuration files for the following sample multischema system shown in Figure 28-1:

Figure 28-1 Sample Multischema System

Description of "Figure 28-1 Sample Multischema System"

CM pin.conf file

- cm dm_pointer 0.0.0.1 local BRM_home/sys/dm/dm_port
- cm dm_pointer 0.0.0.2 ip HostName2 PortNumber2
- cm dm_pointer 0.0.0.3 ip HostName3 PortNumber3

DM1 pin.conf

- dm dm_port PortNumber1
- dm dm_local_socket_name BRM_home/sys/dm/dm_port

DM2 pin.conf

- dm dm_port PortNumber2

DM3 pin.conf

- dm dm_port PortNumber3