[comp.sys.hp] X11 display server for HP9000 SRX ??

sysrick@cfht.hawaii.edu (Rick McGonegal) (04/24/91)

We are taking a lot of flak from our user base lately due to the poor response
of our GUI. After looking into it we have found, for our most complicated form,
the following statistics:

			System A:			System B:
code executes on:	HP9000/835 32 Mb RAM		same
display server		HP9000/825 16 Mb RAM, SRX	HP9000/340 8 Mb RAM
form "popup" time	15 seconds			5 seconds

This would seem to indicate a factor of three performance penalty in using an
800 with SRX over a vanilla 340 ?? [the code reads a lot of files each time 
which explains the 4-5 seconds]

Is there any one else out on the net with experience in this area - i.e. running
X11 on an SRX display? Is there, perhaps, an X11 display server optimized for 
the SRX?

any help, comments would be appreciated.

thanks in advance
rick mcgonegal
CFHT Corp.

ian@rathe.cs.umn.edu (Ian Hogg) (04/25/91)

In article <sysrick.672447410@cfht.hawaii.edu> sysrick@cfht.hawaii.edu (Rick McGonegal) writes:
>We are taking a lot of flak from our user base lately due to the poor response
>of our GUI. After looking into it we have found, for our most complicated form,
>the following statistics:
>
>			System A:			System B:
>code executes on:	HP9000/835 32 Mb RAM		same
>display server		HP9000/825 16 Mb RAM, SRX	HP9000/340 8 Mb RAM
>form "popup" time	15 seconds			5 seconds
>
>This would seem to indicate a factor of three performance penalty in using an
>800 with SRX over a vanilla 340 ?? [the code reads a lot of files each time 
>which explains the 4-5 seconds]
>
  Not necessarily.  Since you are using remote displays you have to account for
  possible delays in the networking.  Also, how many users/processes are 
  running on the 825?  It is a multi-user or some kind of server machine?

>Is there any one else out on the net with experience in this area - i.e. running
>X11 on an SRX display? Is there, perhaps, an X11 display server optimized for 
>the SRX?
>
>any help, comments would be appreciated.
>
>thanks in advance
>rick mcgonegal
>CFHT Corp.


-- 
Ian Hogg                        email:  rathe!ian@cs.umn.edu
                                        ...!umn-cs!rathe!ian
Rathe, Inc                              ianhogg@cs.umn.edu
366 Jackson Street              phone:  (612) 225-1401

jwright@cfht.hawaii.edu (Jim Wright) (04/26/91)

ian@rathe.cs.umn.edu (Ian Hogg) writes:
 >sysrick@cfht.hawaii.edu (Rick McGonegal) writes:
 > >                     System A:                    System B:
 > > code executes on:    HP9000/835 32 Mb RAM         same
 > > display server       HP9000/825 16 Mb RAM, SRX    HP9000/340 8 Mb RAM
 > > form "popup" time    15 seconds                   5 seconds
 > >
 > > This would seem to indicate a factor of three performance penalty in using
 > > an 800 with SRX over a vanilla 340 ?? [the code reads a lot of files each
 > > time which explains the 4-5 seconds]

 > Not necessarily.  Since you are using remote displays you have to account for
 > possible delays in the networking.  Also, how many users/processes are 
 > running on the 825?  It is a multi-user or some kind of server machine?

All machines are within a single, dedicated subnet.  For all machines,
the only user logged in is the one doing the benchmarks.  Both the 825
and 340 should have roughly the same number and kind of processes
executing.  The 835 should be in a virtually identical state regardless
of where the X display is.

--
Jim Wright
jwright@cfht.hawaii.edu
Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Corp.

harry@hpcvlx.cv.hp.com (Harry Phinney) (04/29/91)

Rick McGonegal writes:
>Is there any one else out on the net with experience in this area - i.e. running
>X11 on an SRX display? Is there, perhaps, an X11 display server optimized for 
>the SRX?

Well, yes, we have a fair amount of experience running X on an SRX :-)
From the performance comparison you posted I would guess that the 340
has a "CH" (i.e.  98550A) display card.  The "CH" display system has
several hardware features which are quite useful for the X server, and
that the SRX lacks.  Given equal levels of software tuning, an X server
for a CH will be quite a bit faster than one for an SRX.  I am, however,
surprised at the ~3x difference you are seeing.  It may be that you are
hitting an unusually bad spot in the SRX server.  Is there any chance
you could make available a sample program which demonstrates this level
of difference?  An executable would be fine.  I can't guarantee that we
can offer an improvement, but I'm certainly willing to take a further
look at the problem.

Harry Phinney   harry@hp-pcd.cv.hp.com