Recommended update for sapconf

Announcement ID: SUSE-RU-2018:1131-1
Rating: moderate
References:
Affected Products:
  • SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 12 SP3
  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3
  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3

An update that has 15 fixes can now be installed.

Description:

This update for sapconf provides the following fixes:

  • Refactoring sapconf parameter settings together with SAP Linux Lab. (fate#324491) ATTENTION: One main feature of this sapconf package update is a consolidation of all sapconf configuration settings into the central /etc/sysconfig/sapconf configuration file (except those settings related to ASE or BOBJ and those settings which can only be set via tuned.conf). This will result in a lot of configuration file changes concerning the following files:
  • /etc/sysconfig/sapconf
  • /etc/sysconfig/sapnote-1557506
  • /usr/lib/tuned/sap-netweaver/tuned.conf

  • /usr/lib/tuned/sap-hana/tuned.conf. This means that your system configuration will be changed after a restart of tuned or during a system reboot. Please read carefully the following information about configuration file handling before restarting tuned or rebooting the system. (bsc#1070508)

  • The configuration file handling during the package installation has changed (bsc#1070496, bsc#1070508):

  • During an initial package installation the new sysconfig file, which includes the pagecache values from the former file sapnote-1557506 are copied to /etc/sysconfig/sapconf and the changes will take effect immediately after the package installation.
  • During a package update, previously created /etc/sysconfig files will exist. The file /etc/sysconfig/sapconf is saved to /etc/sysconfig/sapconf.rpmsave and the new sysconfig file is copied to /etc/sysconfig.
  • If the pagecache handling is enabled in the file /etc/sysconfig/sapnote-1557506, the values from this file are copied to /etc/sysconfig/sapconf and the obsolete file /etc/sysconfig/sapnote-1557506 is removed. The changes will take effect immediately after the package installation.
  • If the file /etc/sysconfig/sapconf.rpmsave exists and contains system specific modifications, please check after the package installation and merge these changes manually into /etc/sysconfig/sapconf.

  • Remove the file /etc/sysconfig/sapconf.rpmsave before you restart the sapconf service to get the changes take effect.

  • Add a systemd unit file sapconf.service to start tuned, uuidd.socket and sysstat during system boot and after initial package installation and to restart tuned during package update so that the changes will take effect immediately. (fate#325471, bsc#1087455)

  • Check if pagecache limit is available at the system and if yes, set pagecache limit according to the settings in /etc/sysconfig/sapconf. If not, write a message to the log file. (bsc#1071539, fate#323778)

  • Use the same tuning values for HANA and Netweaver workloads. That means the use of the same tuned.conf and script.sh file for both profiles (sap-hana and sap-netweaver). This should lead to a better base for mixed HANA and ABAB workloads on one system. (bsc#1070508)

  • The pagecache configuration is now integrated in the general sapconf sysconfig file and the old sysconfig file sapnote-1557506 is obsolete. As before pagecache handling is disabled by default.

  • The following parameters are additionally specified (instead of static tuning inside the tuning script or defined in other configuration files like tuned.conf or sapnote-1557506) or changed in the central configuration file /etc/sysconfig/sapconf (bsc#1070494, bsc#1070495, bsc#1070496, bsc#1070508):

  • vm.max_map_count, vm.dirty_bytes, vm.dirty_background_bytes, kernel.shmmni, net.ipv4.tcp_slow_start_after_idle, ksm, transparent_hugepages, numa_balancing: parameters added and value changed.
  • vm.pagecache_limit_ignore_dirty, vm.pagecache_limit_mb: parameters added and commented out

  • kernel.shmall, kernel.shmmax, kernel.sem: parameters changed. But keep in mind: higher system value will ever remain unchanged. sapconf will respect higher values set by the system or by the administrator using sysctl configuration files. Values set with sysctl command will respect too, but they will not survive a system reboot. Every tuning action is logged to /var/log/sapconf.log

  • The following parameters were specified in tuned.conf of profile sap-hana and/or sap-netweaver before but were removed from tuned.conf because they are redundant, not mentioned in any SAP Note, replaced by another parameter, moved to another configuration file or commented out, or because they are only valid for a special architecture or special tasks (like the [cpu] part was only valid for Intel architecture and only performance related):

  • vm.swappiness, kernel.sched_min_granularity_ns, kernel.sched_wakeup_granularity_ns, readahead: parameters removed.
  • [cpu] section with governor, energy_perf_bias, min_perf_pct: parameters commented out.
  • vm.dirty_ratio, vm.dirty_background_ratio: parameters removed from tuned.conf, replaced by vm.dirty_bytes, vm.dirty_background_bytes defined in sysconfig/sapconf.

  • kernel.sem, net.ipv4.tcp_slow_start_after_idle, transparent_hugepages: parameters moved to sysconfig/sapconf. ATTENTION: these changes will take effect immediately after restarting tuned. Unless the administrator is using a custom copy of the tuned.conf file in /etc/tuned/<profile> (where <profile> may be sap-hana or sap-netweaver) to set own or changed values, the tuned.conf files in /etc/tuned/<profile> remain untouched during package installation. To get the new behavior SAP recommends, remove the profile copy from /etc/tuned or copy the new tuned.conf file from /usr/lib/tuned/<profile> to /etc/tuned/<profile> or compare the files in /etc/tuned/<profile> with the files in /usr/lib/tuned/<profile> manually and adjust the content, if needed. (bsc#1070494, bsc#1070495, bsc#1070496, bsc#1070503, bsc#1048550, bsc#1064720)

  • Setting of UserTasksMax, a parameter of the systemd login manager, will be done in the post script during the package installation. The value is set to 'infinity'. NOTE: A reboot is needed after the first setup to get the changes to take effect. A message will indicate if a reboot is necessary. As before there is no automatic rollback. (bsc#1070386)

  • Enable and start sysstat service during post script of the package installation (see SAP Note 1310037). (bsc#1070390)

  • Add package requirements including a short description to the man page of sapconf and to the central configuration file /etc/sysconfig/sapconf. (bsc#1070390)

  • Update the sapconf man page and associated man pages to reflect all the changes of this sapconf version. (bsc#1070506)

  • Respect active tuned profile during reboot of the system even if it is not a 'sap' profile. sapconf only activates sap-netweaver profile by default, if NO tuned profile is actually set. (bsc#1026862)

  • Re-insert 'elevator=noop' to tuned.conf of profile sap-hana and sap-netweaver. (bsc#1031073, bsc#1032516, bsc#1070494)

  • sapconf will set ALL values specified in the file /etc/sysconfig/sapconf irrespective of the current system value. The values will not only be increased, but also decreased if the value in the sysconfig file is lower than the current system value. All actions are logged to /var/log/sapconf.log. (fate#325547)

  • Change variable names in sysconfig file to avoid confusion. (bsc#1070495)

  • Remove unnecessary TMPFS_SIZE_MIN from sysconfig file. (bsc#1070496)

Patch Instructions:

To install this SUSE update use the SUSE recommended installation methods like YaST online_update or "zypper patch".
Alternatively you can run the command listed for your product:

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3
    zypper in -t patch SUSE-SLE-SERVER-12-SP3-2018-778=1
  • SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 12 SP3
    zypper in -t patch SUSE-SLE-SERVER-12-SP3-2018-778=1
  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3
    zypper in -t patch SUSE-SLE-SERVER-12-SP3-2018-778=1

Package List:

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 (noarch)
    • sapconf-4.1.12-40.47.1
  • SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 12 SP3 (noarch)
    • sapconf-4.1.12-40.47.1
  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3 (noarch)
    • sapconf-4.1.12-40.47.1

References: