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| Research Note
Technology 20 March 2000 |
| The Unisys CMP Design: A Grown-Up Windows 2000 Server
J. Enck |
Unisys has raised the ceiling of Windows 2000 performance through the design of a Cellular MultiProcessing (CMP) server architecture. CMP supports configurations of as many as 32 processors — well beyond the limits of high-volume eight-way SMP configurations. Furthermore, CMP performance is on par with SMP performance due to low-latency crossbar interconnects for memory, processors and I/O subsystems. CMP servers will be marketed by Unisys, Compaq Computer (see Note 1) and ICL.
Note 1
Unisys and Compaq
On 15 February 2000, Compaq announced that it had signed a letter of intent to resell 32-processor CMP servers from Unisys under the ProLiant brand. As a result of this agreement: 1) Unisys wins validation of its CMP hardware design as well as a new source of revenue; 2) Compaq wins a high-end Windows 2000 Datacenter Server solution that complements its current ProLiant line; 3) Microsoft wins access to a new market segment; and 4) enterprises win by having three competing sources for CMP technology — Compaq, Unisys and ICL — each source with different products, services and peripheral offerings.
The Unisys CMP design is based on four-processor building blocks. Thus, eight-way, 16-way, 24-way and 32-way CMP configurations can be constructed using Intel 32-bit (IA-32) processors or, in late 2000, Intel 64-bit (IA-64) processors. A CMP server can be configured with multiple partitions of mixed processor types, or a server can run as a large single partition using one processor type. The Unisys model (and presumably the OEM models) is packaged in a fault-resistant configuration with redundancy of all major components and extensive systems management facilities. (Note 2 lists overall CMP strengths and challenges.)
Note 2
CMP Strengths and Challenges
Strengths
1. Investment protection — future expansion and reconfiguration
2. Flexible configuration — partitions can be created in increments of four processors
3. Fault tolerance — greater redundancy in the hardware
4. Ability to integrate new processors — new IA-32 or IA-64 processors can be added with less disruption
5. Lower-cost processors — third-level cache boosts lower-end processor performance
6. Out-of-band system management — better mechanisms for configuration/diagnostics
7. Partition interconnect — memory interconnect between partitions for messaging and clustering
8. Cost of ownership — potential cost reductions when CMP is deployed to replace multiple SMP servers
Challenges
1. Proprietary memory — memory subsystem and replacement components are not "Intel standard"
2. Purchase price — more expensive than high-volume Intel-based SMP systems
3. Vendor lock-in — cost and proprietary nature make it hard to replace or decommit
4. Lack of widespread technical services — CMP sophistication demands knowledgeable professionals
5. Services required — Unisys or Compaq services must be engaged to plan, install and maintain CMP servers
6. Unclear IA-64 road map — upgrade path to second-generation IA-64 ("McKinley") needs clarification
The CMP design is initially targeted at Windows 2000; support for Unisys ClearPath IX and NX will be available later in the life cycle. Partitions can be free-standing instances of Windows 2000 (or any supported operating system), or partitions can be interconnected for failover purposes. Implementing a large (more than eight processors) partition requires Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. Datacenter Server is also an appropriate solution for multiple partitions, because its license permits multiple instances of Windows 2000 on a single physical server.
Initially, the combination of Windows 2000 Datacenter Server software and CMP hardware only supports static partitions. Without availability of dynamic Windows 2000 partitioning, the CMP solution does not significantly differ from a traditional rack-mounted, fault-resilient solution. We do, however, expect to see dynamic partitioning in Windows 2000 Datacenter Server in 2H03 (0.6 probability).
Single-partition 16-way or 32-way CMP server configurations can dramatically increase performance for stand-alone applications that scale well — notably Exchange, SQL Server, Oracle and file serving. We believe that performance of a single-instance database running on a 32-way, IA-32 CMP server will exceed 110,000 tpmC. Performance at this level allows Windows 2000 to be more competitive with Unix as a back-end database server, and it facilitates consolidation of multiple servers running the same application into a single, large partition. However, we do not recommend CMP for mixed application consolidation in a single partition, due to the constraints of workload management in Windows 2000 Datacenter Server.
CMP is the first of a breed of high-end Intel servers designed using proprietary technology. Hardware vendors with high-end design capability, such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard, will follow with their own proprietary designs during the next 12 to 24 months. Even Compaq may choose to design a proprietary solution in time. Some of the new designs may eclipse the current CMP design, so Unisys must continue to advance CMP technology to stay competitive. Hardware vendors with limited high-end design capability, such as Dell Computer, will be forced to forge OEM partnerships to compete in the high end of the Windows 2000 market.
This rate of change puts enterprises in a position where they must decide to "go now" or wait for the next best thing — whether that is a next generation of CMP or a competitive solution. However, enterprises looking for dramatic performance improvements have no other place to turn in the short term.
Acronym Key
OEM Original equipment manufacturer
SMP Symmetric multiprocessing
tpmC Transactions per minute on Transaction Processing Performance Council Benchmark C
Bottom Line: CMP is not mainstream Windows 2000 server technology. The cost of deploying a CMP solution — in terms of hardware and related services — will exceed the cost of deploying an equivalent number of high-volume Intel SMP servers. However, using a CMP server for consolidation (to the extent that consolidation is possible under Windows NT/2000) can potentially provide cost reductions. The number of deployed CMP servers will be between 2,000 and 4,000 units by year-end 2002 (0.7 probability), and this level of shipments will not exceed 0.5 percent of all Windows 2000 server shipments (0.7 probability). However, enterprises searching for alternative investment protection strategies and enterprises hungry for extreme Windows 2000 performance should seriously evaluate CMP servers.
| This document has been published by: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Service | Date | Document # |
| NT Technology and Selection | 20 March 2000 | T-10-5744 |
| NT Strategies | 20 March 2000 | T-10-5744 |
| NT/Unix: Selection & Negotiation | 20 March 2000 | T-10-5744 |
| PRISM for Distributed Computing | 20 March 2000 | T-10-5744 |
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