BMC Remedy Action Request System 7.1.00: Configuring

Thread manager
Working with a portmapper service in AR System
The thread manager is responsible for ensuring that a thread is restarted if it dies.
Determining how many threads you need
A major benefit of a multithreaded server is not having “fast” operations held up
behind a slow “list” operation. Deciding how many fast and list threads you need
depends on your particular setup and situation. For example, not specifying
enough list threads might mean you have idle fast threads but an overloaded list
queue.
Another consideration is that list threads require more memory than fast threads.
For example, a complicated query might require a great deal of memory at a given
moment. A few of these large queries can temporarily exhaust your system
resources.
To determine how many threads of each type you need, start by examining the
types of API calls in your API log file. If your system processes many fast
operations, you might decide to increase the number of fast threads. A different
rule of thumb is to specify a larger maximum of list threads than fast threads,
simply because fast operations are generally performed more quickly than list
operations.
Do not specify an artificially high number of maximum threads because the
threads would essentially get in one another’s way by consuming resources that
other threads need. To set the number of minimum and maximum threads, see
“Server information—Server Ports and Queues tab” on page 128.
Working with a portmapper service in
AR System
A portmapper functions as a “directory” of services and the ports on which those
services are running. Processes can opt to register or not register their location with
a portmapper. A common reason for not registering with a portmapper is security.
If an AR System server is registered with a portmapper, your clients do not need
to know what port the server is listening on because the clients can identify the
port using the portmapper and direct API calls to the appropriate TCP port. If a
server is not registered with a portmapper, you need to assign a TCP port number
to that server. Otherwise, the system must search for an open port to communicate
on each time the server is restarted. Your clients will not know where to find your
AR System server because the port might be different if the AR System server is
restarted.
Registering with a portmapper and assigning TCP port numbers are not mutually
exclusive options. You can do both. If you specify a particular port for a server and
register the server with a portmapper, clients within the firewall do not need to be
configured to access the specified port number.
Chapter 1 BMC Remedy Action Request System 7.1.00 architecture 29