I'd like to do some simple comparisons of Stata in different environments (Windows desktop, virtual Windows, unix server). Other than the timer command, I can't find any tools for measuring performance statistics.
I'm looking for something similar to the SAS fullstimer option that reports among other things "real time", "system cpu time", and "user cpu time".
I found a FAQ that answers my exact question (see link below) but my understanding is that the answer not correct. Before going further, am I correct in understanding that the Stata -timer- command measures real time and not CPU time?
Q:Is there a way to tell how much CPU time Stata takes to run a particular command or do-file?
I've noticed that a Stata job (measured using -timer-) runs quicker on my cheap desktop than our expensive virtual windows server and would like to get a better idea where the difference is.
My motivation is two-fold, firstly in deciding where to invest and secondly helping us optimise the VDI.
Traditionally, most of our users run Stata on a standalone desktop and if more resources were required then a unix server was available. With improvements in desktop computing we are finding that even a relatively modest desktop suffices for most users (even those with datasets with millions of observations). We have also introduced virtual Windows (VMware Horizon View) giving users another alternative to running larger Stata jobs.
We are currently planning the next upgrade to our unix servers and I have the role of representing the "Stata users". I am leaning towards suggesting that we push the Stata users towards Windows solutions (either the VDI or desktops) and optimising the unix servers for the people who really need it (e.g., those working with GWAS and sequencing data). We could, for example, invest in upgrading our VDI hardware or invest in more RAM for standalone desktops rather than upgrading the unix server currently optimised for Stata.
I've read what I can find (e.g., see below) but I'd like to do some simple real-world tests of performance across the three main environments we have here.
http://blog.stata.com/category/performance/
http://www.statalist.org/forums/foru...vs-clock-speed
http://www.statalist.org/forums/foru...s-or-cpu-speed
I'm looking for something similar to the SAS fullstimer option that reports among other things "real time", "system cpu time", and "user cpu time".
I found a FAQ that answers my exact question (see link below) but my understanding is that the answer not correct. Before going further, am I correct in understanding that the Stata -timer- command measures real time and not CPU time?
Q:Is there a way to tell how much CPU time Stata takes to run a particular command or do-file?
I've noticed that a Stata job (measured using -timer-) runs quicker on my cheap desktop than our expensive virtual windows server and would like to get a better idea where the difference is.
My motivation is two-fold, firstly in deciding where to invest and secondly helping us optimise the VDI.
Traditionally, most of our users run Stata on a standalone desktop and if more resources were required then a unix server was available. With improvements in desktop computing we are finding that even a relatively modest desktop suffices for most users (even those with datasets with millions of observations). We have also introduced virtual Windows (VMware Horizon View) giving users another alternative to running larger Stata jobs.
We are currently planning the next upgrade to our unix servers and I have the role of representing the "Stata users". I am leaning towards suggesting that we push the Stata users towards Windows solutions (either the VDI or desktops) and optimising the unix servers for the people who really need it (e.g., those working with GWAS and sequencing data). We could, for example, invest in upgrading our VDI hardware or invest in more RAM for standalone desktops rather than upgrading the unix server currently optimised for Stata.
I've read what I can find (e.g., see below) but I'd like to do some simple real-world tests of performance across the three main environments we have here.
http://blog.stata.com/category/performance/
http://www.statalist.org/forums/foru...vs-clock-speed
http://www.statalist.org/forums/foru...s-or-cpu-speed