Get a Performance Jump on Sun Blade X6270
The newly announced Sun Blade X6270 server module
integrates the new intelligent Intel Xeon processor 5500 series (code name Nehalem). The
new Xeon processor delivers better performance by adapting to the
workload - automatically increasing processor frequency and engaging
hyper-threading when needed. It adapts to application behavior by
scaling energy usage to the workload, and offering best in class
virtualization.
This write-up looks at the performance of
running IBM DB2 database on the Sun Blade X6270 with an OLTP workload
that has been built in-house.
The workload is based on a
customer benchmark and comprises a mix of light-weight and heavy-weight
transactions. By using the same workload with different servers, it is
possible to compare performance of different hardware in the OLTP space
and understand the advantages and disadvantages that each server has to
offer.
The Sun Blade X6270 under test is built on 2 sockets
of the Intel Xeon L5520 processor and the Solaris 10 10/08 Operating
System. IBM DB2 UDB version is V9.5 FixPak 3.
The workload
uses two machines setup with database tier and workload generating
client. The DB2 UDB v9.5.3 database was installed on a Sun Blade X6270
with Solaris 10 10/08. The Sun StorageTek 2540 was configured with 12
disks for DB2 table space containers and log containers. Two LUNs were
created. A file system was created on each LUN and mounted with
“forcedirectio” option. The load generating client was deployed on an
other X4100 with Solaris 10 10/08, which runs the workload driver to
generate a database workload through IBM DB2 Universal Type 4 JDBC
driver.
The Intel Xeon processor 5500 series provides Turbo
mode and Hyper-Threading mode options in the BIOS setup. The Turbo mode
enables automatically increasing processor frequency when the system
has plenty head room for power consumption. The Hyper-Threading mode
enables engaging hyper-threading when needed, so that each socket
containing 4 cores can effectively scales 8 threads. The test results
were generated with both modes enabled.
The Sun Blade X6270
server running DB2 achieved a peak of 254,218 transactions per minute
with an average power consumption of only 194 watts (reported through
the ILOM interface).
A summary of the result is as the follows:
-
Transactions Per Minute
254,218 tmpM
Average Power Consumption
194 Watts
Average Response Time
0.021 ms
So how good is the result above? Let's
compare the DB2 performance on the Sun Blade X6270 with two other Intel
Xeon-based servers to see how much performance gains we have on the Sun
Blade X6270. The configurations of the three servers in comparison are:
- Sun Blade X6270: 2 x Intel Xeon L5520@2.27 GHz, 24G RAM
- Sun Fire X4450: 4 x Dual Core Intel Xeon E7220@2.93 GHz, 24G RAM
- Sun Fire X4150 : 2 x Quad Core Xeon X5460@3.16GHz, 8G RAM
The same workload was run on all the three servers.
The
following diagram illustrates the DB2 transaction throughput comparison
on the three servers. The throughput on the X6270 is 2.5 times more than the X4450 and the X4150!
DB2 running Solaris 10 on the Sun Blade X6270 shows amazing performance benefit. DB2 can run 2.5
times more efficient with no code changes necessary on the Sun Blade
X6270, compared to the other Xeon-based Sun Fire X4150 and X4450
servers. The Sun Blade X6270 server, with the optimizations from the
new Intel Xeon processor 5500 series, and the innovation from Solaris
10 operating system, enable DB2 to achieve new levels of performance
with increasing throughput, faster responsiveness, scalability and less
heat and power consumption.
Want to read more applications proof points? My colleagues have done quite a bit of writing on the new Sun blade and servers based on the Intel Nehalem processors, please check out Sun Rise Over Nehalem.
