Environment evaluation

mjgmc · Post by **mjgmc** » Wed May 27, 2009 2:28 pm

Hello,

I have a client using Datastage Server as ETL software, but unfortunately for now I don't know much more: version, OS, Server's capability (processors, memory, and so on). He's having performance troubles and asked an expert advise. Since, he hasn't beeing touch his development for a long time, I imagine he's working on an ancient version.

I'd like to know if someone could provide me something like an "evaluation questionnary", as a support to start my work. I shall investigate as much as possible to be able to provide a complete architecture.

I'd love to get some information also about update viability between versions.

Thanks a lot.

ArndW · Post by **ArndW** » Wed May 27, 2009 3:18 pm

I'm not quite sure of all you are asking; but performance issues are seldom, if ever, solved by merely changing versions.

mjgmc · Post by **mjgmc** » Wed May 27, 2009 4:05 pm

I'm looking for a "checklist" with all the pertinent questions to ask.

And as I don't know which version my client has, I'd like to know if there are some uncompatibilities on a possible migration. For instance, between v4.1 to v7.5.

ray.wurlod · Post by **ray.wurlod** » Wed May 27, 2009 4:24 pm

Question: why isn't your client (or you) hiring someone who knows what they're doing?

mjgmc · Post by **mjgmc** » Thu May 28, 2009 1:41 am

ray.wurlod wrote:Question: why isn't your client (or you) hiring someone who knows what they're doing? ...

I'm just trying to find out if there is a checklist of the important things to know, something I will use for other similar situations. But if you can not provide me that, then I would ask you, who's the one who doesn't know what is doing?

ArndW · Post by **ArndW** » Thu May 28, 2009 2:15 am

What sort of a checklist are you trying to put together - if you could list a couple of items, then I am sure others here will assist in adding other items. I'm afraid I'm still rather at a loss as to what exactly you are looking for.

ray.wurlod · Post by **ray.wurlod** » Thu May 28, 2009 3:49 am

How do you or your client know that there are "performance problems"? What is "performance" in an ETL context? Maybe the issue is more one of expectation management.

mjgmc · Post by **mjgmc** » Thu May 28, 2009 6:25 am

ArndW wrote:What sort of a checklist are you trying to put together - if you could list a couple of items, then I am sure others here will assist in adding other items. I'm afraid I'm still rather at a loss as to what exactly you are looking for.

Maybe you're right.

Here are some of the questions I've been thinking about:
1. Which OS is used?
2. Which version of Datastage?
3. Quantity of Servers? Processers? Memory?
4. Internal developer's knowledge? Possibility to form them? Possibility to outsourcing?

and so on. Does this help?

How do you or your client know that there are "performance problems"? What is "performance" in an ETL context? Maybe the issue is more one of expectation management.

He knows he has a "performance" problem, because with the increasing of his volumetrie, the treatments are becoming too long. He should pass to PX or only optimize the developpment, that I can't say for now. But he's asking himself the question: "Shell I keep DS or change to Informatica?"[/list]

ArndW · Post by **ArndW** » Thu May 28, 2009 7:00 am

A badly written system will be slow - regardless of what platform and what tool is being used.

Ray, myself and several others here occasionally get hired to sites with "performance" issues. Analyzing the causes and finding viable solutions (meaning that they satisfy cost, cost & implementation timeframes and other customer requirements) is much more of an art than a science and there is no simple checklist possible.

I think I posted something about performance tuning a little while ago that might help getting you started... see Performance Tuning

mjgmc · Post by **mjgmc** » Fri May 29, 2009 6:32 am

ArndW wrote:A badly written system will be slow - regardless of what platform and what tool is being used.

Ray, myself and several others here occasionally get hired to sites with "performance" issues. Analyzing the causes and finding viable solutions (meaning that they satisfy cost, cost & implementation timeframes and other customer requirements) is much more of an art than a science and there is no simple checklist possible.

I think I posted something about performance tuning a little while ago that might help getting you started... see Performance Tuning

I don't have access to the premium content, so I cannot read your full message. Could you send it to me in an open format, please?