Record-Breaking TPC-C Benchmark Performance: NetApp and IBM Achieve Scalable Results

Strategic Insights -

Network Appliance, Inc. and IBM have announced a record-high TPC-C Benchmark performance result, demonstrating the robust scalability of NetApp storage for enterprise online transaction processing workloads, especially in storage area network (SAN) environments. The benchmark achieved 492,307 transactions per minute (tpmC), with a price/performance of $6.37 USD/tpmC, using NetApp storage systems and an IBM xSeries 460, powered by 16 Dual-Core Intel Xeon Processor 7040 3.00GHz with 2MB L2 cache per core. This result raises the bar for 16 processor and Xeon processor-based performance on the TPC-C online transaction processing benchmark.

Key Takeaways:

  • The TPC-C Benchmark result was achieved on an IBM eServer xSeries 460 server configured as a client/server system with NetApp fabric-attached storage (FAS) systems, demonstrating the scalability of NetApp storage for enterprise online transaction processing workloads.
  • The benchmark achieved 492,307 tpmC, with a price/performance of $6.37 USD/tpmC, using NetApp storage systems and an IBM xSeries 460, powered by 16 Dual-Core Intel Xeon Processor 7040 3.00GHz with 2MB L2 cache per core.
  • The result raises the bar for 16 processor and Xeon processor-based performance on the TPC-C online transaction processing benchmark.
  • The system configuration will be available on May 20, 2006.
  • NetApp and IBM's collaboration demonstrates the potential for combined solutions to deliver enterprise-class performance to SQL Server 2005 environments.
  • NetApp Global Services (NGS) provides complementary service offerings for enterprise customers moving to SQL Server 2005, including assessment, design, and fully implemented storage strategies.

Statistics:

  • Transactions per minute (tpmC): 492,307
  • Price/performance: $6.37 USD/tpmC
  • Number of processors: 16
  • Number of cores: 32
  • Number of threads: 64
  • Processor frequency: 3.00GHz
  • L2 cache per core: 2MB

Sources:

  • "Leadership TPC-C Result for NetApp(R) Storage Systems and IBM X3 Architecture-Based xSeries Running Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Applications" (no date provided)
  • Network Appliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP) press release (no date provided)
  • TPC-C Benchmark Result (www.tpc.org/results/individual_results/IBM/ibm.x460.tpc-c.5.5.es.11220 5.pdf)