RE: Why is the iSeries so slow

["Joe Pluta" <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Buck
> 
> > Uh huh.  And exactly how many users could run
> > interactive database applications on that 486SX-25?
> 
> Scott didn't make that comparison.  Look specifically at his list,
quoted
> above.  My experience mirrors his.  I have a web application that's
about
> to
> get off the ground here, and with the exact same iSeries back end
(that's
> where our OLTP runs, as does Scott's and yours), we get roughly 10%
better
> performance running Tomcat 4.1.24 on a PC than on our 820 24AA.  On
the
> same network.  With the exact same Java servlets.

Yeah, Buck, but WHAT ELSE IS THE PC DOING?  Nothing!  Meanwhile, your
820 is doing all the things that OS/400 does.  These comparisons are
absolutely lopsided, which is why I bring in the issue about running
multiple users.

You're comparing a multi-user multi-purpose server box to a dedicated
controller.  The iSeries IS NOT MEANT TO BE A DEDICATED PROCESSOR.
Whereas, a PC or even better a Linux box is perfect for that, because
the OS sits right on the metal, doesn't have to worry about silly things
like security and interactive users and I/O processors - there's really
no overhead.

I can't make myself any clearer than that - comparing performance on a
dedicated PC as a web server to an iSeries, even a lightly loaded
iSeries, is a fundamentally flawed comparison.

Joe