RE: Main Storage on new models -- MIDRANGE-L

Scott,

Here are some thoughts triggered by your question.

- Quadrupling memory sounds ridiculous!

- Sometimes a major upgrade is the right time to add memory.  This is
more cultural than technical, but sometimes it's easier to get stuff when
management already has their wallets out.  This may or may not apply to
your organization; you will have to judge based upon what you know about
your own company and how they make decisions.

- As you look at the Enterprise software bundle, you may decide to use
some software which is not currently installed.  This would probably
require additional main storage.

- The requirement for external storage sounds bogus to me.  I don't have
a technical basis for saying that, but if a vendor made those claims to
me, I would ask for supporting technical documentation.

- The fact that you're not faulting does not necessarily mean that OS/400
could not make productive use of extra memory.  Apparently you are below
the faulting threshold on your current machine and may well be below it
on your new box.

- If you're moving up a few releases of OS/400, your memory requirements
could increase somewhat (but not hugely) as a result of the upgrade.

- I've always believed that you can't have too much in the way of good
looks, money, and main storage.  Since I don't move much of the first
two, I've always gone for more memory.

- You don't mention what 620 you're coming from, but even if it is the
largest, you are increasing your processing power (CPW) by at least 250%.
Depending on your batch workload, you may use this CPW at times.

If your company can afford it, I would add an additional two GB.  If
these are very hard times and management insists on empirical
justification, I would stay with your current amount, but ask your
company to budget for an additional two GB if performance suffers as a
result of the upgrade.  You may well be fine without additional memory
but I'm not sure that you've given enough information to make a judgment.

Regards,
Andy Nolen-Parkhouse

> On Behalf Of Ingvaldson, Scott
> Subject: Main Storage on new models
> 
> All -
> 
> We are in the process of getting quotes on a new 810-2466/7409 to
> replace an
> aging 620.  The 620 has 2 GB of main storage.  One BP is telling us
> that 2
> GB will be fine in the new 810, another is saying they would recommend
> 8 GB
> (at a cost of $25,000!)
> 
> They say that the additional memory is needed due to the new model and
> the
> possibility that we may be moving to ESS (shark) external DASD on the
> new
> box.
> 
> We don't have any apparent memory constraints on our current box, less
> than
> 20 faults/second on average.
> 
> Has anyone got any thoughts on this?
> 
> Scott Ingvaldson