IBM has scored the highest TPC-C benchmark performance result ever achieved by an x86-64 processor-based server. The IBM System x3850 X5 server handled 2,308,099 tpmC (transactions per minute C) at price/performance of $.64 USD / tpmC.
Running on the latest Intel Xeon 7500 Series processor, with IBM DB2 9.7 and Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (SP1), and equipped with IBM's MAX5 technology, the System x3850 X5 showed a 27% performance boost over HP's result of 1,807,347 tpmC.
The new result demonstrates the leadership performance that is possible with MAX5, a technology that decouples memory from the processor, allowing memory to be expanded independently of the processor to increase the productivity of a single system. By increasing the memory capacity of the x3850 X5 by 50%, MAX5 allows the system to process more transactions per minute.
The TPC-C benchmark simulates an order-entry environment of a wholesale supplier - entering and delivering orders, recording payments, checking the status of orders, and monitoring the level of stock at the warehouses. TPC-C represents any industry that must manage, sell, or distribute a product or service.
"IBM's line of advanced System x servers are designed for a range of high-end applications and workloads, enabling clients to maximize memory, minimize cost, and simplify deployment," states Alex Yost, vice president, IBM System x and BladeCenter. "With innovations such as MAX5, clients can increase the scalability and performance of their IBM BladeCenter and System x servers beyond the constraints of typical industry-standard servers, which is key for both transaction-intensive workloads and virtualized data centers."