HP-UX IPFilter Version A.03.05.14 Administrator's Guide

Performance Guidelines
Performance Monitoring
Appendix C 191
Performance Monitoring
The performance of an IPFilter system depends primarily on four major
factors:
• Number and length of rule searches (rule organization)
•Types of rules
• Network traffic
• System configuration
Monitor your system performance to ensure proper operation. HP
recommends they following:
•Use ipfstat -ioh to monitor the rule searches. If a rule has a high
hit count, this indicates that the rule can be optimized.
•Use other ipfstat options to monitor IPFilter activities. If you know
the normal operating behavior statistics, you can diagnose problems
during peak hours more easily.
• Use a performance tool, such as PerfView, to monitor system usage.
Most performance problems can be resolved by changing the system
configuration and the IPFilter rule configuration. In some instances,
systems may be overwhelmed by network traffic. In these cases, you can
implement other traffic-sharing alternatives, such as APA, cluster, and
load balancer.