Configuring a server for optimal performance

The preceding posts have illustrated the major building blocks that effect server configuration; I explained the importance of each one and the priority of adding it to the system.
If you missed them you can check these links:

• Introduction to DDR3
• DIMM Ranks and configuration
• Intel Xeon 5600 (Westmere) family
• Populating DIMMs considerations, Order and Ranks

In this final post of server configurations, I will present examples of configurations and areas where they should be applied.

Major Configurations
The configuration of a server is derived from its target application requirements. There are four major configurations

1. Maximum Performance 
2. Balanced Performance 
3. Maximum Capacity 
4. RAS configurations

Maximum Performance 

This configuration is intended to get the maximum CPU frequency, and maximum memory bandwidth. It usually uses low count of memory, as you populate only one DIMM per channel (i.e 6 DIMMS overall). The common use for such servers is for High Performance Computing ( HPC) in research organization, Oil & Gas industry and Chip Design.  

 Figure 1:  Maximum Performance

Best configuration at the time of publishing this post:

• CPU - Intel Xeon X5680 (3.33GHz), 6 cores per processor.
  
• Memory - 6 PC3-10600 DIMMS (such as Kingston KVR1333D3D4R9SK3/24G) to allow 48GB of RAM, at 10.6GB/s bandwidth to memory.

  Balanced Performance 

This configuration is focused on getting a balanced configuration between the maximum CPU frequency, and maximum capacity of memory. It usually uses medium count of memory, up to 96GB per host. The common use for such servers is for virtualization and other standard enterprise applications.  

 Figure 2:  Balanced Performance

Best configuration at the time of publishing this post:

• CPU - Intel Xeon X5680 (3.33GHz), 6 cores per processor.
  
• Memory - 2 DPC, 12 PC3-8500 DIMMS (such as Kingston KVR1066D3Q8R7SK3/24G) to allow 96GB of RAM, at 8.5GB/s bandwidth to memory. 

  Maximum Capacity

This configuration is focused on getting a configuration that will support the maximum capacity of memory, with a considerable compute power. It usually designed to use as much as 144GB of RAM per host  ( 296GB with the upcoming 16GB modules). The common use for such servers is for very large scale database servers.  

 Figure 3:  Maximum Capacity

Best configuration at the time of publishing this post:

• CPU - Intel Xeon X5680 (3.33GHz), 6 cores per processor.
  
• Memory - 3 DPC, 18 PC3-8500 DIMMS (such as Kingston KVR1066D3Q8R7SK3/24G) to allow 144GB of RAM, at 6.4GB/s bandwidth to memory. 

 RAS Configuration

RAS stands for Reliability, Availability and Serviceability.  Although the ECC technology offers error correction, it does not provide any failover capability. Replacing a DIMM in case of failure requires a power down of the system. The RAS configurations offer three memory protection options:

1. Online spare memory mode
2. Mirrored memory mode
3. Lockstep memory mode

 

          This configuration uses only two out the three channels.

 Figure 4:  RAS configuration

   Online spare memory mode

In this mode, one of the channels is designed as spare. This channel is not used in normal system operation. If a working DIMM exceeds the threshold of correctable memory errors, the system switches to the standby channel and the faulty channel is taken offline. 

 

   Mirrored memory mode

In this mode, the same data is written to each channel and the read is alternated between the two channels. If a working DIMM exceeds the threshold of correctable memory errors in one of the channels, the faulty channel is taken offline and the system switches to using only one channel. 

 

   Lockstep memory mode

This mode uses two memory channels at a time, and the work as a single channel. Each read and write operations moves a data word two channel wide. To provide double 8-bit error correction within a single DRAM. This mode is the most reliable but it reduces the maximum memory capacity as the third channel is not used.

Summary
By now you should have the tools to configure your server for the optimal performance you will need for your application. You should focus on the application's memory requirements and start from that point to configure how much memory you should use and in which configuration of ranking and population.

-Partykof