Linux Tuning Parameters

Kernel
To successfully run enterprise applications, such as a database server, on your Linux distribution, you may be required to update some of the default kernel parameter settings. For example, the 2.4.x series kernel message queue parameter msgmni has a default value (for example, shared memory, or shmmax is only 33,554,432 bytes on Red Hat Linux by default) that allows only a limited number of simultaneous connections to a database. Here are some recommended values (by the IBM DB2 Support Web site) for database servers to run optimally:
- kernel.shmmax=268435456 for 32-bit
- kernel.shmmax=1073741824 for 64-bit
- kernel.msgmni=1024
- fs.file-max=8192
- kernel.sem="250 32000 32 1024"
Shared Memory
To view current settings, run command:
# more /proc/sys/kernel/shmmax
To set it to a new value for this running session, which takes effect immediately, run command:
# echo 268435456 > /proc/sys/kernel/shmmax
To set it to a new value permanently (so it survives reboots), modify the sysctl.conf file:
...
kernel.shmmax = 268435456
...
Semaphores
To view current settings, run command:
# more /proc/sys/kernel/sem
250 32000 32 1024
To set it to a new value for this running session, which takes effect immediately, run command:
# echo 500 512000 64 2048 > /proc/sys/kernel/sem
Parameters meaning:
SEMMSL - semaphores per ID
SEMMNS - (SEMMNI*SEMMSL) max semaphores in system
SEMOPM - max operations per semop call
SEMMNI - max semaphore identifiers
ulimits
To view current settings, run command:
# ulimit -a
To set it to a new value for this running session, which takes effect immediately, run command:
# ulimit -n 8800
# ulimit -n -1 // for unlimited; recommended if server isn't shared

Alternatively, if you want the changes to survive reboot, do the following:

- Exit all shell sessions for the user you want to change limits on.
- As root, edit the file /etc/security/limits.conf and add these two lines toward the end:
user1 soft nofile 16000
user1 hard nofile 20000
** the two lines above changes the max number of file handles - nofile - to new settings.
- Save the file.
- Login as the user1 again. The new changes will be in effect.
Message queues
To view current settings, run command:
# more /proc/sys/kernel/msgmni
# more /proc/sys/kernel/msgmax
To set it to a new value for this running session, which takes effect immediately, run command:
# echo 2048 > /proc/sys/kernel/msgmni
# echo 64000 > /proc/sys/kernel/msgmax

Network
Gigabit-based network interfaces have many performance-related parameters inside of their device driver such as CPU affinity. Also, the TCP protocol can be tuned to increase network throughput for connection-hungry applications.

Tune TCP
To view current TCP settings, run command:
# sysctl net.ipv4.tcp_keepalive_time
net.ipv4.tcp_keepalive_time = 7200 // 2 hours
where net.ipv4.tcp_keepalive_time is a TCP tuning parameter.
To set a TCP parameter to a value, run command:
# sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_keepalive_time=1800
A list of recommended TCP parameters, values, and their meanings:
Tuning Parameter Tuning Value Description of impact
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
net.ipv4.tcp_tw_reuse
net.ipv4.tcp_tw_recycle 1 Reuse sockets in the time-wait state
---
net.core.wmem_max 8388608 Increase the maximum write buffer queue size
---
net.core.rmem_max 8388608 Increase the maximum read buffer queue size
---
net.ipv4.tcp_rmem 4096 87380 8388608 Set the minimum, initial, and maximum sizes for the read buffer. Note that this maximum should be less than or equal to the value set in net.core.rmem_max.
---
net.ipv4.tcp_wmem 4096 87380 8388608 Set the minimum, initial, and maximum sizes for the write buffer. Note that this maximum should be less than or equal to the value set in net.core.wmem_max.
---
timeout_timewait echo 30 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_fin_timeout

Determines the time that must elapse before TCP/IP can release a closed connection and reuse its resources. This interval between closure and release is known as the TIME_WAIT state or twice the maximum segment lifetime (2MSL) state. During this time, reopening the connection to the client and server cost less than establishing a new connection. By reducing the value of this entry, TCP/IP can release closed connections faster, providing more resources for new connections. Adjust this parameter if the running application requires rapid release, the creation of new connections, and a low throughput due to many connections sitting in the TIME_WAIT state.
Disk I/O