SUSE-RU-2018:1306-2: moderate: Recommended update for sapconf

Thu Oct 18 10:37:19 MDT 2018

   SUSE Recommended Update: Recommended update for sapconf
______________________________________________________________________________

Announcement ID:    SUSE-RU-2018:1306-2
Rating:             moderate
References:         #1026862 #1031073 #1032516 #1048550 #1064720 
                    #1070386 #1070390 #1070494 #1070495 #1070496 
                    #1070503 #1070506 #1070508 #1071539 #1087455 
                    #1091030 
Affected Products:
                    SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12-SP2-BCL
______________________________________________________________________________

   An update that has 16 recommended 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)

   - sapconf will activate the 'last used' sapconf profile during reboot of
     the system, if this information is avalailable. If not and no tuned
     profile is actually set, the sap-netweaver profile will be used by
     default. (bsc#1091030)

Patch Instructions:

   To install this SUSE Recommended 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-SP2-BCL:

      zypper in -t patch SUSE-SLE-SERVER-12-SP2-BCL-2018-927=1

Package List:

   - SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12-SP2-BCL (noarch):

      sapconf-4.1.12-33.15.1

References:

   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1026862
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1031073
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1032516
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1048550
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1064720
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1070386
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1070390
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1070494
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1070495
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1070496
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1070503
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1070506
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1070508
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1071539
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1087455
   https://bugzilla.suse.com/1091030