zfs discuss - Apr 2009 - prstat -Z and load average values in different zones give same numeric results

Folks,
 Perplexing question about load average display with prstat -Z
Solaris 10 OS U4 (08/07)
We have 4 zones with very different processes and workloads..
The prstat  -Z command issued within each of the zones, correctly displays
the number of processes and lwps, but the load average value looks 
exactly the
same on all non-global zones..I mean all 3 values (1,5,15 load averages) 
are the same
which is quasi impossible given the different workloads..
 Is there a bug here?
Thanks,
-Nobel

Hello Nobel,

On Apr 23, 2009, at 1:53 AM, Nobel Shelby wrote:
> Folks,
> Perplexing question about load average display with prstat -Z
> Solaris 10 OS U4 (08/07)
> We have 4 zones with very different processes and workloads..
> The prstat  -Z command issued within each of the zones, correctly  
> displays
> the number of processes and lwps, but the load average value looks  
> exactly the
> same on all non-global zones..I mean all 3 values (1,5,15 load  
> averages) are the same
> which is quasi impossible given the different workloads..
> Is there a bug here?
> Thanks,
No, this is correct, unless you have defined resource pools with  
separate processor sets on the system all zones will share the same  
cpu resources as thus all have the same load average.

If you bind a zone to a pool you will see the load average of the pool  
from inside the zone, it can also be observed from the global zone  
with poolstat(1M).

Hope this helps.

Regards

Henrik Johansson
http://sparcv9.blogspot.com