Monitoring and modelling tools for high performance database systems

Abstract We have produced a suite of software tools which has proved to be highly valuable in the porting of large, complex relational database applications from conventional to parallel systems. These tools are being continually developed to extend their functionality and genericity over a range of platforms, and provide a basis for the design, implementation, optimisation and management of any parallel database system. A considerable amount of the development has been performed using a Meiko Relational DataCache — a multi-spare, multi-transputer ORACLE system. In this paper we present a summary of our activities, beginning with a brief description of the Meiko system (as currently configured), followed by a more detailed account of some of the tools, and finishing with some general comments on future work.