st: number of processes/threads open and used under StataMP

[László Sándor <sandorl@gmail.com>]

I would also like to understand StataMP 13 threading. I am running
StataMP 13 batches on a Windows server where I have no access to job
scheduling. I can only submit a job and see it slowly progressing.

Now I checked the details of the jobs, and usually I see six threads
open for any of my jobs, but only 4 having used the CPU at all. (The
monitoring tool does keep a running account of CPU usage.)

The Stata license is for 8 cores.

I think I have three related questions:

1. For my information: is it normal that Stata open more threads than
it uses (which depends on the operations, obviously). If so, why not
open all 8?

2. More operationally: Do the two open threads slow Stata down because
it hopes to access them but never gets scheduled on our server? Am I
better off with ramping -set processor- down to 4?

3. Related to both previous points: Shall I contact our IT staff that
maybe the scheduling setup holds me back because I could benefit from
the use of 8 cores and it is unlikely that Stata would never opened
them if it were allowed? (In case it matters, my operations involved
-sum-, -replace- and third-party Mata code.)

Thanks,

Laszlo
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