Digital Equipment Corporation and Microsoft Corporation Unveil New Records in Database Transaction Benchmark Results

Strategic Insights -

Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) and Microsoft Corporation today announced breakthrough results in the highly competitive market for database, application, and PC LAN servers. The companies' audited transaction benchmark results established new records, highlighting the industry's most powerful and cost-effective open server platforms. The results achieved on the AlphaServer 2100 5/300 64-bit SMP system running Microsoft Windows NT Server operating system V3.51 and Microsoft SQL Server V6.5 client/server database management system set a new standard in database transaction processing performance and price/performance.

Key Takeaways:

  • The AlphaServer 2100 5/300 achieved 3194.4 transactions per minute (tpmC) at a price of $196/tpmC, surpassing any other Microsoft SQL Server platform from any system vendor.
  • The 3194.4 at $196/tpmC result is the industry's best price/performance using any system, any database, or any operating system.
  • No other system has ever broken the less-than-$200/tpmC barrier, making this a significant milestone in database transaction benchmarking.
  • The AlphaServer 2100 5/300 has 24% better throughput performance and is $46/tpmC less expensive than its closest competitor, the Intel-based Compaq ProLiant 5/133 Model 2.
  • The system has also outperformed a Tandem Himalaya K10000-16 system with 16 processors and costing $3.5 million in terms of performance and price/performance.
  • Digital's AlphaServer 2100 5/300 has been shown to provide better performance and price/performance than many systems costing much more than $1 million.
  • Digital and Microsoft have demonstrated their leadership in providing customers with industry-standard server platforms, along with reduce costs and increased flexibility through heterogeneous computing environments.
  • The results of 3194.4 at $196/tpmC were achieved in a heterogeneous computing environment using Visigenics ODBC client software for SCO UNIX running on Digital's Intel-based Prioris PC systems.

Statistics:

  • 3194.4 transactions per minute (tpmC)
  • $196/tpmC
  • $626,102 total system cost
  • 24% better throughput performance than Compaq ProLiant 5/133 Model 2
  • $46/tpmC less expensive than Compaq ProLiant 5/133 Model 2
  • 300MHz processor upgrade for AlphaServer 2100 and 2000 systems at $4,000 (specially priced for December)

Sources:

  • "Digital Equipment Corporation and Microsoft Corporation Unveil New Records in Database Transaction Benchmark Results" (PRNewswire)
  • Digital Equipment Corporation (NYSE: DEC)
  • Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq: NNM: MSFT)