November 12, 2015 at 17:14What do honey and data storage systems have in common?
The first of October this year, we talked about the new generation of HP 3PAR StoreServ storage systems . Under that post, we started talking about testing according to the standards of the Storage Performance Council. In order to conduct such tests, it takes time and considerable effort. The test results of one of the 3PAR systems were published on November 4. In a nutshell, the HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 All-Flash Array storage system set a world record in the SPC-2 test. Here you can see the leaderboard, here - get acquainted with the test details.
Paul Haverfield, our colleague from Australia, was delighted with the results of these tests , he saw in them much more than a simple set of numbers. We share his thoughts with you.
A cup of fresh honey, fresh from the hive ... Yummy? Undoubtedly.
A world record in the recognized test of storage performance ... Perhaps it will be sweeter than honey. And honey, by the way, is the only food product that can be stored forever without losing quality.
If you think about the storage industry, it is also forever that everyone who is related to it will be most interested in system performance. I’m sure that any discussion about data storage, even after a thousand years, will always touch upon performance issues. Like this!
Take a look at the news in the world of storage performance. On November 4, the HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 All-Flash Array broke the world record in the SPC-2 test, which previously belonged to the EMC VMAX400K . The result is improved by almost 13%. Namely, 3PAR StoreServ scored 62844 SPC MBPS in the SPC-2 test, which is focused on the study of system bandwidth.
The diagram shows the cost-performance ratio calculated using the SPC-2 test. As you can see, the HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 All-Flash Array is out of competition here.
Value for money system performance
The result of the test, which we are talking about here, is much more than a set of numbers. In order to realize its great importance for the data storage industry, it’s worth considering these figures.
So, the performance of storage systems can be reduced to three main indicators:
The average block sizes are growing, which is a result of optimization in the field of server virtualization. The possibilities of sharing data in arrays built on flash drives are growing, when real-time transaction processing is combined with the analysis of the same data sets. In addition, there is an increasing need for faster data copying for information security purposes.
All this leads to an increase in the importance of system bandwidth, to the constant use of this indicator to measure the performance of data storage solutions. SPC-2
TestIt is aimed specifically at studying the storage bandwidth of storage systems. Another set of tests, SPC-1, is designed to measure that aspect of performance, which depends on the capabilities of systems for processing real-time transactions, on the number of I / O operations per second.
So what is so amazing about the 3PAR StoreServ world record? In order to understand this, we compare the results of the SPC-2 test for various systems built solely on the basis of SSD-drives. Currently, these are the results for three systems: EMC VMAX 400K , Kaminario K2 and HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 . SPC displays indicators for two sets of results. Namely: the top ten systems in terms of performance and the best ten in terms of price and performance.
Everyone would like to ride a Bugatti Veyron, the fastest of mass-produced cars, but few people can afford to lay out something about 2.5 million dollars for this miracle of technology. The same story is repeated in the field of storage systems. There is no particular point in an insanely fast system, the price of which makes it inaccessible.
According to the test results, the HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 not only took first place in performance, but also sixth in the category of price-performance ratio. In addition, this is the first array built entirely on the basis of flash drives , which entered the top ten solutions.in terms of price and performance. This is an amazing result, which suggests that systems that use exclusively solid state drives are becoming more accessible to the mass buyer.
Probably the best way to understand how affordable the HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 is to compare this system with the previous record holder - EMC VMAX400K . This storage solution is used by many organizations. As a result of such a comparison, the details of which are given below, it turned out that it does not matter what indicators are compared: the HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 turns out to be very interesting and, at the same time, affordable.
Compare HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 and EMC VMAX400K
Here is another additional detail that you should pay attention to when evaluating the availability of 3PAR. The EMC VMAX 400K data warehouse configuration under test uses servers that connect directly to the front-end VMAX ports. This is an absolutely acceptable practice, but such an option for building a system affects its price, reducing it. The test configuration of the HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 uses a redundant FC factory, which contributes to a better distribution of array resources on solid state drives. As a result, the price of the 3PAR configuration also includes the FC factory. This makes the described system even more attractive.
Five leaders in terms of measuring the throughput in the SPC-2 test A
throughput of 62.8 GB per second is a lot. But how can you imagine all this mountain of data? What can be done with all this in practice? We single out two areas in which such bandwidth will come in handy. This is video on demand (Video on Demand) and work with large database queries (Large Database Query).
The SPC-2 Video On Demand (VOD) test focuses on exploring the ability of the system to deliver video on demand. It shows that 3PAR StoreServ can easily provide simultaneous translation of 95,000 streams of high-resolution video.
If we talk about large database queries (Large Database Queries, LDQ), which can be found in OLAP / BI / DW environments, then 3PAR can provide support for 2697 streams with 64KiB IO and give about 28 MBPS per stream (SPC-2 LDQ , 64 KiB, 4 I / O). This is more than enough for modern data analysis tasks, in addition, it will allow you to effectively implement only emerging innovative methods of continuous analysis or real-time data analysis.
The following are examples of workloads that are highly dependent on system bandwidth. If you use an architecture that can provide a large number of simultaneous I / O streams through which serious amounts of data are transmitted, the gain in speed of solving problems will not be long in coming. Namely, we are talking about the following practical tasks:
In October 2011, a system from the 3PAR family took first place in the SPC-1 test . This test is aimed at exploring the capabilities of storage systems to work in environments with a large number of input-output operations, which usually occurs when processing transactions in real time (OLTP).
The first places in SPC-1 and SPC-2, which were occupied by systems from the same family, albeit at different times, point to the multidisciplinary architectural advantages of 3PAR. The ability to efficiently, at a very high level of productivity, service tasks that operate with large or small data blocks within a single architecture makes 3PAR systems very interesting for data centers focused on the use of solid-state data warehousing.
And finally, building a storage system can be a daunting task, especially if the goal is maximum performance. And here you can not underestimate the advantages of solutions that use servers and storage from the same manufacturer. Such solutions are easier to create, maintain and update.
Using advanced server products and storage systems from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, you can build a system of any scale, the performance of which will be at the level of world records. Such a system will effectively solve the problems of the present, including the task of consolidating IT resources, and looking into the future with confidence.
Paul Haverfield, our colleague from Australia, was delighted with the results of these tests , he saw in them much more than a simple set of numbers. We share his thoughts with you.
A cup of fresh honey, fresh from the hive ... Yummy? Undoubtedly.
A world record in the recognized test of storage performance ... Perhaps it will be sweeter than honey. And honey, by the way, is the only food product that can be stored forever without losing quality.
If you think about the storage industry, it is also forever that everyone who is related to it will be most interested in system performance. I’m sure that any discussion about data storage, even after a thousand years, will always touch upon performance issues. Like this!
What's new in the storage industry?
Take a look at the news in the world of storage performance. On November 4, the HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 All-Flash Array broke the world record in the SPC-2 test, which previously belonged to the EMC VMAX400K . The result is improved by almost 13%. Namely, 3PAR StoreServ scored 62844 SPC MBPS in the SPC-2 test, which is focused on the study of system bandwidth.
The diagram shows the cost-performance ratio calculated using the SPC-2 test. As you can see, the HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 All-Flash Array is out of competition here.
Value for money system performance
The result of the test, which we are talking about here, is much more than a set of numbers. In order to realize its great importance for the data storage industry, it’s worth considering these figures.
So, the performance of storage systems can be reduced to three main indicators:
- The number of input / output operations per second (IOPS) describes the number of read and write operations that can be performed per second.
- Bandwidth allows you to find out the amount of data that can be obtained from the storage system or transferred to it in a second.
- Response time (latency) characterizes the delay before the system responds to a read or write request.
In the process of mastering the huge performance potential of arrays entirely consisting of flash drives, we see a constant increase in the importance of system bandwidth. There are good reasons for this.
The average block sizes are growing, which is a result of optimization in the field of server virtualization. The possibilities of sharing data in arrays built on flash drives are growing, when real-time transaction processing is combined with the analysis of the same data sets. In addition, there is an increasing need for faster data copying for information security purposes.
All this leads to an increase in the importance of system bandwidth, to the constant use of this indicator to measure the performance of data storage solutions. SPC-2
TestIt is aimed specifically at studying the storage bandwidth of storage systems. Another set of tests, SPC-1, is designed to measure that aspect of performance, which depends on the capabilities of systems for processing real-time transactions, on the number of I / O operations per second.
The importance of the record in the SPC-2 test
So what is so amazing about the 3PAR StoreServ world record? In order to understand this, we compare the results of the SPC-2 test for various systems built solely on the basis of SSD-drives. Currently, these are the results for three systems: EMC VMAX 400K , Kaminario K2 and HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 . SPC displays indicators for two sets of results. Namely: the top ten systems in terms of performance and the best ten in terms of price and performance.
Everyone would like to ride a Bugatti Veyron, the fastest of mass-produced cars, but few people can afford to lay out something about 2.5 million dollars for this miracle of technology. The same story is repeated in the field of storage systems. There is no particular point in an insanely fast system, the price of which makes it inaccessible.
According to the test results, the HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 not only took first place in performance, but also sixth in the category of price-performance ratio. In addition, this is the first array built entirely on the basis of flash drives , which entered the top ten solutions.in terms of price and performance. This is an amazing result, which suggests that systems that use exclusively solid state drives are becoming more accessible to the mass buyer.
How affordable is this solution?
Probably the best way to understand how affordable the HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 is to compare this system with the previous record holder - EMC VMAX400K . This storage solution is used by many organizations. As a result of such a comparison, the details of which are given below, it turned out that it does not matter what indicators are compared: the HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 turns out to be very interesting and, at the same time, affordable.
Compare HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 and EMC VMAX400K
| Indicator | EMC VMAX400K | HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 | Difference | Note (as of November 4, 2015) |
| SPC-2 Test Results Publication Date | September 28, 2015 | November 4, 2015 | ||
| SPC ID | B00073 | B00075 | ||
| SPC-2 MBPS (Bandwidth) | 55,643.78 | 62844,45 | thirteen% | The throughput of 3PAR is 13% higher - this is an excellent result. |
| SPC-2 TSP Total price (cost) | $ 1 868 567.85 | $ 1252723,54 | -33% | And this is one third cheaper. |
| SPC-2 ASU Capacity (GB) (GB capacity) | 20133 | 28862 | 43% | And 43% more capacity |
| SPC-2 Price Performance ($ / MBPS) (Value for Money) | $ 33.58 | $ 19.93 | -41% | The HPE solution is much more affordable. |
| SPC-2 Unused Storage Ratio (percentage of unused capacity) | 17.5% | 0.7% | -96% | At 3PAR, the percentage of unused capacity is much less. |
| HPE derived metric ($ / SPC-2 ASU GB) (Total Price / SPC-2 ASU GB) (ratio of solution price to storage volume) | $ 92.81 | $ 43.40 | -53% | The cost per gigabyte of storage is more than 2 times less. |
| HPE derived metric index “Value for Money” (SPS-2 MBPS / (Total Price / SPC-2 ASU GB)) (value for money) | 600 | 1448 | 142% | This index reflects the effectiveness of investment. It shows the ratio of the performance metric in MBPS to the cost of a gigabyte of data storage. Buying 3PAR, according to the SPC-2 test, is about 2.4 times more profitable than buying a VMAX. |
| Data Center Rack Footprint (racks) (space occupied in the data center) (number of racks) | 4 | 2 | -fifty% | In the data center, to place 3PAR, you need half the space. |
3PAR is even more affordable than it seems at first glance
Here is another additional detail that you should pay attention to when evaluating the availability of 3PAR. The EMC VMAX 400K data warehouse configuration under test uses servers that connect directly to the front-end VMAX ports. This is an absolutely acceptable practice, but such an option for building a system affects its price, reducing it. The test configuration of the HPE 3PAR StoreServ 20850 uses a redundant FC factory, which contributes to a better distribution of array resources on solid state drives. As a result, the price of the 3PAR configuration also includes the FC factory. This makes the described system even more attractive.
What can be done with 62844 MBPS?
Five leaders in terms of measuring the throughput in the SPC-2 test A
throughput of 62.8 GB per second is a lot. But how can you imagine all this mountain of data? What can be done with all this in practice? We single out two areas in which such bandwidth will come in handy. This is video on demand (Video on Demand) and work with large database queries (Large Database Query).
The SPC-2 Video On Demand (VOD) test focuses on exploring the ability of the system to deliver video on demand. It shows that 3PAR StoreServ can easily provide simultaneous translation of 95,000 streams of high-resolution video.
If we talk about large database queries (Large Database Queries, LDQ), which can be found in OLAP / BI / DW environments, then 3PAR can provide support for 2697 streams with 64KiB IO and give about 28 MBPS per stream (SPC-2 LDQ , 64 KiB, 4 I / O). This is more than enough for modern data analysis tasks, in addition, it will allow you to effectively implement only emerging innovative methods of continuous analysis or real-time data analysis.
The following are examples of workloads that are highly dependent on system bandwidth. If you use an architecture that can provide a large number of simultaneous I / O streams through which serious amounts of data are transmitted, the gain in speed of solving problems will not be long in coming. Namely, we are talking about the following practical tasks:
- Data storage, OLAP systems, big data analysis, implementation of Business Intelligence (BI) methods
- Server virtualization with consolidation of many thousands of virtual machines
- Editing or loading streaming media
- Computer-generated image rendering, puppet animation
- High performance and scientific computing
- Medical and pharmaceutical research
- And, the last thing on this list, but not the least important thing - backing up data
About the past, present and future
In October 2011, a system from the 3PAR family took first place in the SPC-1 test . This test is aimed at exploring the capabilities of storage systems to work in environments with a large number of input-output operations, which usually occurs when processing transactions in real time (OLTP).
The first places in SPC-1 and SPC-2, which were occupied by systems from the same family, albeit at different times, point to the multidisciplinary architectural advantages of 3PAR. The ability to efficiently, at a very high level of productivity, service tasks that operate with large or small data blocks within a single architecture makes 3PAR systems very interesting for data centers focused on the use of solid-state data warehousing.
And finally, building a storage system can be a daunting task, especially if the goal is maximum performance. And here you can not underestimate the advantages of solutions that use servers and storage from the same manufacturer. Such solutions are easier to create, maintain and update.
Using advanced server products and storage systems from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, you can build a system of any scale, the performance of which will be at the level of world records. Such a system will effectively solve the problems of the present, including the task of consolidating IT resources, and looking into the future with confidence.