[ From:	CRDGW2::CRDGW2::MRGATE::"SMTP::CRVAX.SRI.COM::RELAY-INFO-VAX"  2-AUG-1990 07:55:54.08  To:	MRGATE::"ARISIA::EVERHART" CC:	 Subj:	Re: LOAD_AVERAGE  * Received:  by crdgw1.ge.com (5.57/GE 1.70)) 	 id AA07958; Tue, 31 Jul 90 19:43:21 EDT M Received: From TGV.COM by CRVAX.SRI.COM with TCP; Tue, 31 JUL 90 13:10:20 PDT % Date:     Tue, 31 Jul 90 11:41:51 PDT ' From: adelman@TGV.COM (Kenneth Adelman) + Reply-To: Adelman@TGV.COM (Kenneth Adelman) + Message-Id: <900731113036.2a401734@TGV.COM>  Subject:  Re: LOAD_AVERAGE To: wilton%hg.uleth.ca@TGV.COM Cc: info-vax@sri.com  I >  In the VMS 5.2 Release notes, section 3.24.2 there is a description of N > the LAT dynamic service rating algorithm.  On of the factors in the equationL > is a number called LOAD_AVERAGE which is described as "a moving average ofJ > the number of computable processes waiting in the VMS scheduler queues."P > This sounds like it could be a very useful number to be able to display.  DoesO > anybody know if this is available through a system call or something similar? N > I see no mention of LOAD_AVERAGE in the master index to the doc set.	When weJ > switched from TOPS-20 to VMS a few years back, we really missed the loadL > average number on the CTRL-T line.  So if there is some way to get at thisC > LOAD_AVERAGE, I would like to hear about it.	Thanks for any help.   B     Here is a VMS driver you can load which will keep track of theF load average in a way you can retrieve it. The algorithm used by it is@ not necessarily the same as LAT, but closer to TOPS. To read the@ load average, $ASSIGN or open a channel to the device _LAV0: andC read 36 bytes from it. The first 12 bytes are three "F"-type floats A which are the 1, 5, and 15 minute load averages respectively. The G next 12 bytes are the 1, 5, and 15 minute average blocking priority (if G your process is below the average blocking priority you aren't going to E get much CPU, if above it you will get a lot). The last three are the I 1, 5, and 15 minute averages of the longest I/O queue length on any disk, 8 a decent indication of how backed up your I/O system is.   							Kenneth Adelman
 							TGV