Compaq ProLiant 6000 Performance of Microsoft Exchange Server 5.0 on Compaq Pr - Page 13

NOTE: CPU scalability in Configuration A was limited by disk I/O at 3000 users. The processor was waiting on the disk subsystem (see Disk Subsystem ). When the disk is no longer a bottleneck (Configuration B), CPU scaling is greatly improved (up to two processors). ECG052.0897 WHITE PAPER (cont.) 1...3 Average Total CPU % 80.000% 70.000% 60.000% 50.000% 40.000% 30.000% 20.000% 10.000% 0.000% 500 1000 1500 2000 User Load 2500 3000 Conf iguration A Conf iguration B Figure 3. Total CPU Utilization at various user loads A Note on Processor Technology The Pentium Pro processor represents Intel's latest innovation and engineering in multiprocessor technology. With the advent of the Pentium Pro, X86 processor technology has been brought on a par with competing RISC technologies. Integer performance (what we care about in client/server applications) in the mainstream Pentium Pro is equivalent to or greater than that of competing technologies such as MIPS, PowerPC, and Alpha. The Pentium Pro boasts such performance-enhancing technologies as Superscalar Pipelining, Branch Prediction, Out-of-order Execution, and Register Renaming that have made it the volume processor technology in the industry today. The X86 application base is one of many reasons that Compaq has built its entire server line around the Pentium and Pentium Pro processor technologies A further important point is that a "chip" does NOT make a server. Contrary to what competing RISC-based server vendors would like the industry to believe, a server should be engineered for performance throughout all subsystems (not just the processor subsystem) and integrated with industry-leading applications such as Microsoft Exchange Server. These design goals have made Compaq the leader in the Intel-based server market.