#intelxeonprocessors

5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors

While speed and scalability have always been essential to databases, contemporary databases also need to serve AI and ML applications at higher performance levels. Real-time decision-making, which is now far more widespread, should be made possible by databases together with increasingly faster searches. Databases and the infrastructure that powers them are usually the first business goals that need to be modernized in order to support analytics. The substantial speed benefits of utilizing 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors to run SQL Server 2022 will be demonstrated in this post.

OLTP/OLAP Performance Improvements with 5th gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors

The HammerDB benchmark uses New Orders per minute (NOPM) throughput to quantify OLTP. Figure 1 illustrates performance gains of up to 48.1% NOPM Online Analytical Processing when comparing 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors to 4th Gen Intel Xeon processors, while displays up to 50.6% faster queries.

The enhanced CPU efficiency of the 5th gen Intel Xeon processors, demonstrated by its 83% OLTP and 75% OLAP utilization, is another advantage. When compared to the 5th generation of Intel Xeon processors, the prior generation requires 16% more CPU resources for the OLTP workload and 13% more for the OLAP workload.

The Value of Faster Backups

Faster backups improve uptime, simplify data administration, and enhance security, among other things. Up to 2.72x and 3.42 quicker backups for idle and peak loads, respectively, are possible when running SQL Server 2022 Enterprise Edition on an Intel Xeon Platinum processor when using Intel QAT.

The reason for the longest Intel QAT values for 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors is because the Gold version includes less backup cores than the Platinum model, which provides some perspective for the comparisons.

With an emphasis on attaining near-real-time latencies, optimizing query speed, and delivering the full potential of scalable warehouse systems, SQL Server 2022 offers a number of new features. It’s even better when it runs on 5th gen Intel Xeon Processors.

Solution snapshot for SQL Server 2022 running on 4th generation Intel Xeon Scalable CPUs. performance, security, and current data platform that lead the industry.

SQL Server 2022

The performance and dependability of 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors, which are well known, can greatly increase your SQL Server 2022 database.

The following tutorial will examine crucial elements and tactics to maximize your setup:

Hardware Points to Consider

Choose a processor: Choose Intel Xeon with many cores and fast clock speeds. Choose models with Intel Turbo Boost and Intel Hyper-Threading Technology for greater performance.

Memory: Have enough RAM for your database size and workload. Sufficient RAM enhances query performance and lowers disk I/O.

Storage: To reduce I/O bottlenecks, choose high-performance storage options like SSDs or fast HDDs with RAID setups.

Modification of Software

Database Design: Make sure your query execution plans, indexes, and database schema are optimized. To guarantee effective data access, evaluate and improve your design on a regular basis.

Configuration Settings: Match your workload and hardware capabilities with the SQL Server 2022 configuration options, such as maximum worker threads, maximum server RAM, and I/O priority.

Query tuning: To find performance bottlenecks and improve queries, use programs like Management Studio or SQL Server Profiler. Think about methods such as parameterization, indexing, and query hints.

Features Exclusive to Intel

Use Intel Turbo Boost Technology to dynamically raise clock speeds for high-demanding tasks.

With Intel Hyper-Threading Technology, you may run many threads on a single core, which improves performance.

Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT): Enhance database performance by speeding up encryption and compression/decompression operations.

Optimization of Workload

Workload balancing: To prevent resource congestion, divide workloads among several instances or servers.

Partitioning: To improve efficiency and management, split up huge tables into smaller sections.

Indexing: To expedite the retrieval of data, create the proper indexes. Columnstore indexes are a good option for workloads involving analysis.

Observation and Adjustment

Performance monitoring: Track key performance indicators (KPIs) and pinpoint areas for improvement with tools like SQL Server Performance Monitor.

Frequent Tuning: Keep an eye on and adjust your database on a regular basis to accommodate shifting hardware requirements and workloads.

SQL Server 2022 Pricing

SQL Server 2022 cost depends on edition and licensing model. SQL Server 2022 has three main editions:

SQL Server 2022 Standard

Description: For small to medium organizations with minimal database functions for data and application management.

Licensing

Cost per core: ~$3,586.

Server + CAL (Client Access License): ~$931 per server, ~$209 per CAL.

Basic data management, analytics, reporting, integration, and little virtualization.

SQL Server 2022 Enterprise

Designed for large companies with significant workloads, extensive features, and scalability and performance needs.

Licensing

Cost per core: ~$13,748.

High-availability, in-memory performance, business intelligence, machine learning, and infinite virtualization.

SQL Server 2022 Express

Use: Free, lightweight edition for tiny applications, learning, and testing.

License: Free.

Features: Basic capability, 10 GB databases, restricted memory and CPU.

Models for licensing

Per Core: Recommended for big, high-demand situations with processor core-based licensing.

Server + CAL (Client Access License): For smaller environments, each server needs a license and each connecting user/device needs a CAL.

In brief

Faster databases can help firms meet their technical and business objectives because they are the main engines for analytics and transactions. Greater business continuity may result from those databases’ faster backups.

Cloud Sandboxes

Customers are invited to test the performance of 2nd and 4th generation Intel Xeon processors in a nonproduction environment using a new sandbox that uses IBM  Cloud Virtual Servers for VPC.

 Intel Cloud Virtual Servers and IBM Cloud Virtual Servers have launched a new custom cloud sandbox.

What is a cloud sandbox?

A cloud sandbox is a cloud infrastructure security feature that establishes a segregated testing environment. Users can securely launch programmes, run code, and test setups in this environment without affecting the system as a whole.

Resolving issues with performance in a testing setting

To fully comprehend the effectiveness of sophisticated apps running in your cloud hosting environment, performance testing is essential. Indeed, even in fully managed business settings such as IBM Cloud. Your compute strategy ultimately defines how performance is spread among your workloads, even while IBM can provide the newest hardware and software across global data centres built for optimum availability.

 Cloud sandboxes are useful since it’s important to understand your system’s performance characteristics before deploying to production. Without endangering vital resources, you can test and watch how a certain workload behaves in a segregated, non-production environment. Like the one IBM is releasing today, some cloud sandboxes concentrate on monitoring the memory, CPU, network, and I/O utilisation of your server. These kinds of cloud sandboxes can assist in figuring out how much money and processing capacity are needed for both short- and long-term execution. Let’s investigate the specifics.

Intel Xeon processor comparison on virtual servers using the new IBM Cloud sandbox

You may rapidly test and evaluate the workload performance characteristics of 2nd Gen Intel Xeon processors versus 4th Gen  Intel Xeon processors on IBM Cloud Virtual Servers for VPC using the new IBM  Cloud VPC sandbox. You have the option of deploying your own application for a fully customised evaluation or testing IBM system performance differences on preconfigured apps with preselected workload benchmarks. Using IBM Cloud Schematics and Terraform as the programming foundation, the IBM Cloud VPC sandbox is automated and operates on your IBM Cloud VPC account.

The virtual server resources you test are invoiced hourly and will belong to you. Therefore, after your testing is finished, it’s crucial to remove your virtual servers and application environment, just like in the majority of customer-managed cloud sandboxes. Benchmark tests can take as little as 30 seconds to a maximum of about 15 minutes, depending on your application environment. To enrol in their reimbursement programme and receive 100% of your expenses back in IBM Cloud credits, get in touch with IBM sandbox team.

Build, test, and destroy: options for IBM Cloud VPC sandbox applications

Huggingface, Presto, or a Monte Carlo simulation can be used as benchmarks while testing in the new IBM  Cloud VPC sandbox. Alternatively, you might bring your own (BYO) customised app.

Monte Carlo simulation: For financial workloads, the Monte Carlo simulation has emerged as the industry standard for analysing the statical patterns of huge, random data sets. The fundamental modelling strategy of the simulation is based on chance, just like in the casino game roulette. Applied within the IBM Cloud VPC sandbox on two distinct virtual servers, the default load settings generate numerical performance results through repeated random sampling. You may view the number of operations per second, memory usage, and CPU usage for every benchmark that is run on your virtual servers running both 2nd and 4th generation  Intel Xeon processors.

HuggingFace inference application: The IBM  Cloud VPC sandbox’s HuggingFace benchmark programme (version Optimum Intel with Pytorch) lets you run and test many natural language processing models on two widely used text categorization tasks: Bert-base-uncased and Roberta-base. This application is used for inference purposes. The performance dashboard will provide the model inference time for 100 iterations in milliseconds when you run the tests against your 2nd and 4th generation Intel Xeon-based virtual servers, allowing you to readily monitor the performance trend over time.

Presto data lake application: TPC-H query execution on Presto is crucial for decision support tasks in large-scale data lake systems and analytics. Second and fourth generation  Intel Xeon-based virtual servers are tested using IBM PrestoDB and TPC-H, the industry standard for data warehousing benchmarks, inside the IBM  Cloud VPC sandbox. Additionally, each test calculates query times in milliseconds.

Bring your own device (BYOD): Would you like to test the vCPU performance of our newest Intel Xeon processors with your own application? Not an issue. Using shell script formatting, you may quickly and simply upload your installer and runner file via the IBM Cloud VPC sandbox dashboard interface. Alternatively, you can configure IBM Cloud LogDNA for your application. For all performance benchmarks, Ubuntu 22.04 is used in each option. Once implemented, you can evaluate your 2nd and 4th generation  Intel Xeon-based virtual servers’ average, current, and maximum utilisation metrics.