About this Course

This 3-day instructor-led course teaches students how to tune WebSphere Application Servers for improved performance.

In this course, students learn about performance tuning methods and best practices that apply to both the application server environment and the Java EE application. These methods and tools for load testing, monitoring, and tuning can be applied to various WebSphere components such as the application server's Java Virtual Machine (JVM), connection pools, and general runtime environment.

Instructor-led lectures cover topics such as performance tuning concepts and tasks, tools for load testing, monitoring server performance, best practices for tuning the JVM and connection pools, and application profiling.

Hands-on lab exercises provided throughout the course give students practical experience using tools to generate user loads on an application and monitor key performance metrics such as response time and throughput. Students also learn how to gather information from WebSphere's built-in performance advisors and how to use this information to tune, test, and monitor sample Java EE applications.

Audience Profile

This intermediate course is designed for anyone who works on WebSphere-related applications and projects, including administrators, business partners, independent software vendors (ISVs), and consultants.

At Course Completion

Upon completing this course, students will be able to:

• Apply performance tuning methods to WebSphere Application Servers
• Perform load testing using the Rational Performance Tester (RPT)
• Monitor application server performance using WebSphere and the IBM Support Assistant (ISA)
• Monitor and tune the JVM for optimum throughput and response time
• Monitor and tune connection pools for optimum performance
• Implement best practices for general WebSphere runtime performance
• Use the Rational Application Developer to profile and tune Java EE applications

Prerequisites

Students must have:

• WebSphere administration skills, which can be obtained by successfully completing an IBM WebSphere Application Server V7 Administration course (WA170) (VA170) (WA370) (VA370) (ZA370) (WA570) or (VA570) or through practical experience administering a WebSphere Application Server environment.

Students should also have:

• basic operating skills for the Linux operating system.

Course Outline

1. Course introduction
2. Overview of WebSphere Application Server systems and components
3. Overview of performance concepts
4. Performance tasks
5. Load testing and Rational Performance Tester
6. Exercise: Rational Performance Tester basics
7. IBM Tivoli Composite Application Manager for Application Diagnotics
8. Demonstration: Introduction to IBM Tivoli Composite Application Manager for Application Diagnostics
9. WebSphere performance data and tools
10. Exercise: Day Trader Benchmark installation and load testing
11. Performance tuning methodology
12. Exercise: Performance monitoring infrastructure and performance tuning
13. Tuning the JVM
14. Exercise: Exploring GC policies and monitoring JVM performance
15. Exercise: Troubleshooting the JVM
16. Connection pool tuning
17. Exercise: Monitoring, testing, and tuning connection pools
18. WebSphere runtime performance tuning
19. Application profiling and tuning
20. Exercise: Using the IBM Page Detailer
21. Exercise: Using the IBM Rational Application Developer profiler
22. Course summary