Performance Tuning

The art of performance tuning can encompass the utilization and manipulation of several different tools. However, some common axioms are true no matter where or how tuning is being applied:

1. Tuning is most effective when done closest to where the work is performed.
2. Not all levels of tuning are appropriate for a given circumstance (in this regard, tuning is measued as a function of appropriateness).
3. Tuning is often only valid at a specific point in time.

Systems performance tuning often falls into two broad categories: application and hardware. The largest performance wins often happen when tuning the application level; however, these wins are often only gained after a thorough inspection of the hardware reveals where application tuning is needed.