For more information about millions of service units (MSU) ratings, see the IBM z Systems Software Contracts page of the IBM IT infrastructure website. 

## 12.2 LSPR workload suite 

Historically, LSPR capacity tables, including pure workloads and mixes, were identified with application names or a software  characteristic; for example, CICS, IMS, OLTP-T,$^{1}$ CB-L,$^{2}$ LoIO-mix,$^{3}$ and TI-mix.$^{4}$ However, capacity performance is more closely associated with how a workload uses and interacts with a particular processor hardware  design. 

The CPU Measurement Facility (CPU MF) data that was introduced on the z10 provides insight into the interaction of workload and hardware design  in production workloads. CPU MF data helps LSPR to adjust workload capacity curves that are based on the underlying hardware sensitivities; in particular, the processor access to caches and memory. This processor access to caches and memory is called nest . By using this data, LSPR introduces three workload capacity categories that replace all older primitives and mixes. 

LSPR contains the internal throughput rate ratios (ITRRs) for the z14 ZR1 and the previous generation processor families. These ratios are based on measurements and projections that use standard IBM benchmarks in a controlled environment. 

The throughput that any user experiences can vary depending on the amount of multiprogramming in the user’s job stream, the I/O configuration, and the workload processed. Therefore, no assurance can be given that an individual user can achieve throughput improvements that are equivalent to the performance ratios that are stated. 

## 12.3 Fundamental components of workload performance 

## 12.3.1 Instruction path length 

Workload performance is sensitive to the following major factors: 

GLYPH<SM590000> Instruction path length 

GLYPH<SM590000> Instruction complexity 

GLYPH<SM590000> Memory hierarchy and memory nest 

These factors are described in this section. 

A transaction or job runs a set of instructions to complete its task. These instructions are composed of various paths through the operating system, subsystems, and application. The total count of instructions that are run across these software components is referred to as the transaction  or job path length . 

The path length varies for each transaction or job, and depends on the complexity of the tasks that must be run. For a particular transaction or job, the application path length tends to stay the same, assuming that the transaction or job is asked to run the same task each time. 

