Scaling SunDiag Hardware Tests

4

4.1 Scalability Options

To thoroughly test single processor and multiprocessor systems, the SunDiag software has been expanded to allow a much greater breadth and depth of testing. Testing can now be scaled up as far as you need, to fully "stress" a system. The SunDiag program allows you to run multiple copies of some specific tests. This section describes the these scalability options and how to use them.

4.1.1 Scalable Tests

To stress processors adequately, some SunDiag tests have been modified so that multiple "Instances" (copies) of them can be run on a device simultaneously. These tests are known as Scalable Tests.

Scalable Tests

pmem (Read-only Physical Memory Test)
vmem (Write/Read/Compare Virtual Memory Test)
fputest (FPU Test)
fstest (Disk Filesystem Test)
rawtest (Disk Write/Read/Compare Test)
nettest (Network Interface Test, e.g. Ethernet)

4.1.2 Non-scalable Tests

All SunDiag tests that are described in Chapter 6, "SunDiag Test Descriptions" that are not listed in the "Scalable Tests" section are non-scalable. Only one copy of a non-scalable test can be run on a device at any one time.

4.1.3 Setting Scalable Test Options

Scalable test options can be set from the Set SunDiag Options menu (see Figure 4-3) or from the individual test option menus. The processors available have boxes next to their names. If a check mark appears in the box, then tests will run on that processor. Click SELECT on these check boxes to toggle the setting from enable to disable and back.

Figure 4-3 shows a Set SunDiag Options menu illustrating the scalability options near the bottom of the menu. Since no boxes are checked in this figure, the operating system will run scalable tests on any available processor. Figure 4-1 shows an fputest option menu with scalability options. In this figure, processor1 is enabled for testing.

Note - Saving scalable options to an options file is a somewhat complicated. If you set scalable options globally using the Set SunDiag Options menu and then save those options to an options file, the scalability options will appear to be lost when you then load that options file. The options are reflected on the individual test option menus, but not globally in the Set SunDiag Options menu.

4.1.4 Setting Your Own Scalable Tests

If you have added your own scalable SunDiag test, you will need to add the SCA option flag to the /opt/SUNWdiag/bin/.usertest file. The SCA flag specifies that the test will be scalable.

See Section 1.9.1, "Setting up a .usertest file," on page 1-17 for more information about the .usertest file.

4.1.5 Test Instances

"Instances" are copies of a test running simultaneously on the same device. For example, if a test has eight instances, then eight copies of that test can be run, and each copy can be run on either one or all the processors in the system being tested.

The number of instances can be set from the Set SunDiag Options menu or from the individual test option menus. The maximum number of instances for an individual test is defined, by default, as twice the number of processors in the system. You can run any number of instances of a test up to the default maximum.

The maximum number of instances can be overridden by specifying the "-i number" option when you start the SunDiag exerciser. See Section 1.4, "Starting the SunDiag Exerciser," on page 1-12 for more details.

You enable or disable testing on a processor by clicking SELECT on the check box next to each processor number.

4.1.6 Processor Affinity Mask

The Processor Affinity Mask (PAM) is a tool that enables you to specify on which processors a test will run. Masks are only used on multiprocessor systems, and each processor has one corresponding mask. When a processor's mask is checked, that processor is enabled to run the test. You can set global masks from the Set SunDiag Options menu, or you can set a mask for each test from the individual test option menus.

If no processors are specified, then the SunDiag program will let the operating system randomly distribute testing among the processors it controls. It is not recommended you use random distribution, because there is no way of verifying that all processors have been adequately tested.

4.2 A Scalability Example

Figure 4-1 shows the fputest option menu on a multiprocessing system, illustrating the scalability features. The "Scalability Options" section allows you to set the number of Instances (copies) of a test that will run on the processor you specify. Figure 4-2 shows the same option menu on a uniprocessing system.

Figure 4-1 fputest

The "# of Instances" field displays how many copies of a scalable test are available to run. The default maximum number of instances is twice the number of processors in the system under test. The system in Figure 4-1 has four processors, so there are eight available test instances.

The Instance field in Figure 4-1 shows that the second of the eight instances of this test will be run on processor1.

Any of the instances of a scalable test can be set to any one of the processors available. That processor selection is set with the "Affinity Mask" field. That field contains a check box for each of the processors available.

Click SELECT on the check box next to the processor you wish to enable for testing. Click SELECT again to disable testing on that processor. A checked box shows which processor the test will be run on. You can only check one processor to run the test on; if no processors are selected, the test is run on all of the processors.

Figure 4-2 fputest

Processor Affinity Masks (PAM) for scalable and

non-scalable tests.

Figure 4-3 Processor Affinity Masks

· How to Set up Scalable Testing

Decide which SunDiag tests you want to run and enable them on the control panel.
Set the testing parameters using the SunDiag control panel buttons. Open the Set SunDiag Options menu and assign global Scalable and Non-scalable tests to specific processors.
The choices you make here will be constant across all tests and processors. Remember, if you save these options to an options file and then load that options file again, the tests won't appear on the Set SunDiag Options menu. They will, however, be reflected in the individual option menus.
Adjust the scalability options in the individual test option menus, if desired.
The Set SunDiag Options menu and individual test option menus can override each other. The SunDiag exerciser uses the settings applied last.