Tuning SYSVR3 (Esix Rev D) (LONG!)

[Karl Lehenbauer]

In article <PCG.90Nov21225304 at teachb.cs.aber.ac.uk> pcg at cs.aber.ac.uk (Piercarlo Grandi) writes:
>Do raise the buffer cache; 2MB will be nice, more than 4MB is probably
>wasted. I would go for 2MB initially. Should give some dramatic
>improvement. Rule of thumb: devote about 25% of RAM to the buffer cache.

One annoying thing I've found about having 2 MB of cache is that the
system will periodically get incredibly sluggish for a few seconds.

This happens right after big compiles and links.  I assume it is because
"sync" is flushing all the dirty buffers.

Anyone have any idea how to reduce these sluggish periods without reducing
the cache size and without reducing the reliability of the file system
with respect to power outages or the performance?

-- 
-- uunet!sugar!ficc!karl (wk),   "Any excuse will serve a tyrant."  -- Aesop
   uunet!sugar!karl (hm)