Congratulations to Ron as the winner of the Intel Xeon Workstation Sweepstakes.  He has been a member of The Server Room for over a year and was able to complete the quiz on the first attempt. 

Good job!

"I was excited to hear that I won the Intel Xeon workstation sweepstakes.  With its incredible performance, the system offers me the flexibility to use it in so many ways that I'm not sure how to best utilize it at the moment. It's a welcome problem to have and I look forward exploring the possibilities. Thanks to Intel and the Server Room team for providing a great resource to everyone!"

Thank you all for entering and look for more sweepstakes offerings in the near future.

- Your 'The Server Room' Admin's

With the Intel Xeon 5500 series (Nehalem) based processors, the X5500 chipset and instrumented power supplies, you can start with the most basic use case for Intel Node Manager - monitoring the power usage of your servers.

As you can see in the Intel Datacenter Manager (DCM) screen below - there are multiple servers configured into logical units:  HF2-EIL is the lab that these servers are located in.  Rack 1 and Rack 2 are the physical location of these servers, and each Rack contains 2 servers each.

When you highlight one server (as above in DCM)- you can see the power characteristics over a certain time period.  The time period shown gives you the idle power, max power, and thermal measurement.  The 'hump' in the graph is a SQL workload which creates 'work' for the server and the process runs for about 5 1/2 minutes with no power capping.

Here's a graph of the 2nd server in that rack, performing a similar workload.  As you can see, the 2nd server power usage is different than the first.

The Intel Datacenter Manager SDK console can monitor multiple systems as well.  The next graph, is both of those servers in the rack, which accounts for both servers power usage during the same timeframe.

Finally, here is the final graph, showing the accumulation of all 4 servers, in both Rack #1 and Rack #2.  This shows the maximum power utilized during the workload, the minimum power (idle) and the inlet thermal temperature in the lab.  Something that hasn't been able to be done before without expensive equipment in the datacenter.

My next power based blog will show how power-capping can give you more effience use of your workload power while using Xeon 5500 series platforms.

A virtual workstation uses both virtualization hardware and software technologies that, when combined, provides end users with an uncompromised workstation experience.  It gives engineers and IT user’s concurrent access to key workstation hardware functions previously not available with traditional virtualization technologies. Through this approach, you get near native access to key workstation services, such as those delivered by graphics cards or NICS, needed to run multiple high-performance applications regardless of the operating system they run on. . Best of all, with Intel® Virtualization technology for directed I/O, delivered by Parallels Workstation Extreme, you will be able to leverage this new virtual workstation capability in ways that improve workflows across operating systems while reducing IT management requirements.  This is a win/win for both you and IT.

Ok we have segregated compute resources between IT and the user. 

What can you get with Intel’s VT/d technology? 

How many times have you been faced with a need to run an application that runs on a prehistoric OS, or that runs 32 bit OS when your entire environment is running on 64 bit? Or maybe you need run two different graphics-intensive workloads in a LINUX and Microsoft Windows® environment.  With Intel VT-d and Parallels™ Workstation Extreme software you may be able to do just that at near-native speeds.

What else can you do with a virtualized workstation?

Have you ever been in a situation where one application requires version X and another application you use daily requires version Y of the same OS.  With Intel VT/d and Parallels™ Extreme® software you may be able run both at near native performance at the same time.  No rebooting, no dual booting or emulation required.  Just fast, seamless answers to complex problems – across multiple segments like Oil & Gas, DCC, Manufacturing, and Research.

Ever hear of a digital workbench?

It is a tool that designers and engineers use to perform what many call digital prototyping or simulation based engineering.  It is usually a set of tools that combine needs for LINUX and Microsoft Window® based applications to create and test their ideas.  Think of a virtual wind tunnel where simulations are performed in a LINUX environment and the design and visualization is performed in a friendly Microsoft Windows® environment.  With Intel VT-d and Parallels Workstation Extreme you can do both at near native speed.  That means interactive product development and engineering, and that leads to potentially better deigns in less time.

Do you need a virtualized workstation?

If you have a need to run applications in different OSes, diverse OS levels or types, or you need to visualize in different OSes, then answer is probably yes.

To learn more about Intel Virtualization Technology please visit www.intel.com/go/workstation.

To see an online demo of Parallels™ Workstation Extreme software please visit http://www.parallels.com/products/extreme

Learn about Intel IT’s proof-of-concept testing and total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis to assess the virtualization capabilities of Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series. Our results show that, compared with the previous server generation, two-socket servers based on Intel Xeon processor 5500 series can support approximately 2x as many VMs for the same TCO.

http://communities.intel.com/servlet/JiveServlet/downloadBody/3425-102-1-5699/VirtualizationXeon5500.pdf

In my last blog I talked about working on great projects which were “special”. Special in that everyone enjoyed coming to work, they worked well together, and part of the “magic” was we all knew we were working on something revolutionary.  Well that special, revolutionary project is now available for all to see, and it is known as the Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series and Intel Xeon® 5500 series chipset.

What amazes me the most about this project/platform is the incredible leap in performance compared to its previous generation platform which was based on the Intel Xeon processor 5400 series. For a new generation platform, 20-30% improvements in performance is typical.  And 50% vs. the previous generation platform is above normal, but the new Xeon 5500 series platform out performs the previous generation platform (Xeon 5400) by 2X or more on many benchmarks.  That’s right…nearly twice the performance!  (Click here for performance details.)

So how did they achieve this monster leap in performance? 

-          Did they double the core frequency? 

-          No…in fact core frequency has gone down slightly.

-          Did they double the number of cores?

-          No…same number of cores.

-          Did they make major changes to the CPU micro-architecture…like issuing and retiring many more instructions per clock? 

-          No.  Same 4-instruction per clock issue/retire capabilities.

-          Did they use a new silicon process technology? 

-          No…both use the same 45nm process.

-          Did they increase cache size? 

-          No…total L2 + L3 cache size actually went down (9MB vs 12MB).

So how did they “double’ the performance?  This is what truly amazes me.  This team was able to essentially double the performance of the platform, without changing the most obvious (e.g. # of cores, CPU frequency, major micro-architecture changes, Si process technology or cache size).  Instead, they made many changes and optimizations to the entire “platform” as well as some incremental enhancements to the processor micro-architecture (like deeper queues)…which collectively removed bottle necks in many different places and the results are nothing short of fantastic. 

The various changes added up to “major” improvements in performance.  Some of these changes are listed below…shown in comparison to the previous generation Xeon 5400 series platform which was/is no slouch.  Even today, more than a year after its introduction, the Xeon 5400 was still was the highest performing 2-scoket platform on many benchmarks.  That is until the Xeon 5500.

All I can say is wow!  And all this performance comes in a lower platform power envelope than the Xeon 5400.  The performance and power savings are a true testament to this team’s ability to work together and deliver a truly revolutionary product. Congratulations to the entire “Nehalem” team (aka Xeon 5500)!    Click the link below to find out more about “Nehalem”. http://www.intel.com/products/processor/xeon5000/index.htm

Yesterday – Intel officially launched the Intel® Xeon® 5500 processor (formerly codenamed “Nehalem”) for servers and workstations. One of the most exciting uses of this new platform will be as a key building block in cloud computing infrastructure. Whether you’ve bought into the hype of cloud computing or are a jaded IT realist – you can’t afford to pass up this list of 10 reasons the Intel Xeon 5500 processor is perfect for the cloud.

1. Efficiency. To get the greatest efficiency – the leaders of large-scale Internet providers place their datacenters next to hydroelectric power or other low-cost energy sources. Each watt saved flows straight to the bottom line. Similarly – cloud computing companies intensely scrutinize their server purchases – weighing some variation of this question: how much performance (and by extension, revenue) can I squeeze out of the equipment – versus the cost of procurement and operations. This is the essence of “efficiency”. And now – with Intel’s new Xeon 5500 processor – there’s great news for anyone building efficient cloud infrastructure. The Xeon 5500 can deliver up to 2.25X the computing performance at a similar system power envelope compared to Intel’s previous generation Xeon 5400 series¹. (By the way – the Xeon 5400 is no efficiency slouch – as it’s been leading the industry-standard SpecPower results for two socket systems since the benchmark was created.²) Need more evidence of Xeon 5500 efficiency? Look no further than the amazing results announced by IBM – a score of 1860, which is a 64% leap over the previous high score for a two socket system.³ Results like this clearly demonstrate that the Xeon 5500 has the extremely efficient performance that cloud operators are seeking.
2. Virtualization performance. If a cloud service provider has leveraged a virtualization layer in its architecture - the performance of virtual machines and the ratio of VMs to servers are key concerns. Enter the Xeon 5500 which boasts a stellar jump in virtualization performance, up to 2 times the previous generation Xeon 5400 series⁴ allowing virtualized clouds to squeeze even more capability out of their infrastructure.
3. Adaptable. Cloud computing environments tend to be highly dynamic as usage ebbs and flows during the day, some applications scale rapidly while some shut down, and so on. To meet such shifting demand – it’s critical to have adaptable cloud building blocks. And here Intel’s Xeon 5500 shines: this processor has unique new intelligence to increase performance when needed (Intel Turbo Boost) and to reduce power consumption when demand falls (Intel Intelligent Power Management Technology).
4. Designed for higher operating temperatures. Across the datacenter industry – there’s growing interest in the notion of running datacenters at warmer temperatures to conserve energy. For cloud computing mega-datacenters, this concept has been in practice for several years. But it’s not just the datacenter staff that needs to handle warmer climates - the equipment must tolerate the conditions as well. Intel’s Xeon 5500 has been designed to run at higher temperatures providing one more piece of the puzzle to enable more efficient cloud infrastructure environments⁵.
5. 50% lower idle power. Cloud computing providers – like airlines and phone companies – need to run at the highest utilization possible to maintain a healthy P&L. Yet there are times when usage – and thus server utilization – drops and at these times, cloud service providers desire processors with low power consumption. The Xeon 5500 processor now boasts an idle power that’s up to 50% lower than the prior generation systems, reducing energy costs⁶.
6. Advanced power management. Intel has incorporated special platform level power technologies into the Xeon 5500 platform – which open new avenues to managing server energy consumption beyond what’s already built into the processor. Intel Intelligent Power Node Manager is a power control policy engine that dynamically adjusts platform power to achieve the optimum performance-power ratio for each server. By setting user-defined platform energy policies – Node Manager can enable datacenter operators to increase server rack density while staying within a given power threshold. While results vary based on the type of application and server – Intel demonstrated up to 20% improvement in rack density by using Node Manager in a recent proof-of-concept with Baidu, a leading search engine⁷.
7. High Performance Memory Architecture. Cloud computing and other highly scalable Internet services are often relying on workloads where it makes more sense to keep large volumes of memory in DRAM, close to the CPU, rather than on slower, more distant hard drives. “Memcached” – a distributed caching system used by many leading Internet companies – is but one example. The Intel Xeon 5500 offers several exciting memory architecture benefits over the previous generation: (1) Up to 3.5X the memory bandwidth⁸ by leveraging an integrated memory controller and Intel Quick Path Interconnect (QPI), (2) supports a larger memory footprint (144GB versus 128GB), and (3) DIMMs and QPI links automatically move to lower power states when not active. In these new caching and distributed workloads, where large memory architectures are crucial, the Intel Xeon 5500 offers real advantages.
8. Perfect when paired with SSDs. Few technologies get datacenter gurus more excited than solid state drives – which can offer impressive performance gains over their rotating hard drive cousins at far lower energy consumption. But with SSDs that can read 1000 times more data into the CPU versus a HDD – you want a ravenous processing beast to handle the traffic. And – you’re catching on to the blog theme – the Xeon 5500 can provide up to 72% better performance using SSDs than even the previous generation Xeon systems⁹. Intel Xeon 5500 is truly a perfect engine to complement SSDs.
9. Ideal for optimized server boards. For cloud infrastructure – where every watt is a pernicious tax – you need more than just an extremely efficient processor such as the Xeon 5500. You also need an optimized server platform that has been stripped of every unneeded feature, configured with world-class energy efficient components, and designed for reduced airflow that minimizes the use of fans. One such product is an Intel server motherboard – codenamed “Willowbrook” which has an impressively low idle power below 70W, considering it’s a dual Xeon 5500 performance rocket¹⁰.
10. A competitive lever for cloud operators. Lastly, for a service provider scaling out its infrastructure – systems based on Intel Xeon 5500 processors could offer a competitive advantage versus service providers whose servers are 2 to 3 years old. Because of the performance leaps in Intel server processors in the past few generations – Intel Xeon 5500 based servers can handle the same performance load as up to three times the number of 3-year old dual core servers¹¹. The benefit is clear: providing the same performance level but with far fewer servers means a leg-up on those service providers with more antiquated, less efficient infrastructure.

If you have made it through this lengthy top 10 list – you should have a better sense for the advantages of Intel’s latest processor for cloud computing environments. Of course, the best way to really see the benefits is to get an Intel Xeon 5500 based system from your preferred vendor and test with your own code.

^{1 - 11}For Footnotes, Performance Background, and Legal information, please refer to the attached document.

Have you ever worked on a project, or with a team than just “clicked”?  Everyone was excited to be at work.  They worked well together.  And while there were of course many challenges, everyone worked through them and the end result was something special? I worked on one such team back in the mid-90’s.  The team was a silicon design and marketing team here at Intel, and the end result was the P6 processor (the official name was the Pentium Pro processor).  That may be too long ago for many of you to remember this product…I guess I’m showing my age.  But the P6 was a revolutionary product.

So what made this team click?  I think it was the fact that we all knew we were doing something special; something that had never been done before. The P6 was the first out-of-order, Super-scale, Super-pipelined, Speculative execution, glue less MP x86 processor every produced.  And the jump in performance as compared to previous generation x86 processors was the biggest ever seen at that time.

What is interesting is that most people, who worked on that project, have a very similar view.  All look very fondly back at that project, there were special friendships created during that project which exist today, and even though many years have past, and many project have come and gone since them, the P6 was something special; a once-in-a-lifetime project which most remember as the best project the ever worked on.  I’ve been at Intel for 23 years, and the P6 is still the best project I ever worked on.

So why all the reminiscing?  Because the soon to be released Nehalem project (aka Intel(r) Xeon(r) processor 5500 Series for servers and workstations, and also known as the Intel® Core i7 processor for desktop)  has many of the same attributes as the P6 project.  While times have changed, and working in a global environment means you cannot duplicate all the things that made the P6 team so special (in particular a close, tight nit group of people working at a single site), there are many things about the Nehalem project which make it special.  While I can’t disclose all the details just yet, look for follow-on to this blog after the product launch where I can describe some if the things which truly make the Nehalem product revolutionary.  Things that make me just sit back and say wow!  What this team accomplished is truly amazing!