Intel Press Release

Intel-based Sequent NUMA-Q™ 2000 Platform Demonstrates New Levels of Power and Scalability in Mixed UNIX/NT Environment

NUMA-Q 2000 posts high result for R/3 performance utilizing Windows NT Server in first effort by an Intel-based NUMA platform

BEAVERTON, Ore., August 25, 1997 -- Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. and Intel Corporation today announced a result of 2804 benchmark users for SAP™'s leading R/3™ business application solutions. Offering customers an unrivaled total-cost-of-ownership model, the result was achieved on Sequent's NUMA-Q™ 2000 data center server running R/3 Release 3.1G on an Oracle7 database. The NUMA-Q 2000 with eight Quads, each containing four Pentium® Pro processors with 1MB L2 cache, supported 2804 sales and distribution (SD) benchmark users with an average dialog response time of 1.67 seconds. This SAP-certified benchmark test was conducted jointly with Intel at Sequent's NUMA-Q 2000 Data Centre Ready Proofing Center in Beaverton, Oregon and at Intel's performance labs in Hillsboro, Oregon.

These results were achieved in a three tier environment featuring Sequent's NTX 2000™ NT application servers and a NUMA-Q 2000 database server running DYNIX/ptx® UNIX.

"SAP R/3 is a powerful application suite which can really push the limits of a data center server. Today, we've confirmed that NUMA can scale R/3, but the truth is that we have only begun to leverage the NUMA-Q architecture and Intel's powerful processor roadmap," said John McAdam, president and COO of Sequent. "In a space once reserved only for mainframes, you will soon see the largest, most challenging and mission critical R/3 sites in the world running on the NUMA-Q 2000 database server in combination with Sequent's proven data center integration services."

"With this outstanding SAP R/3 benchmark result, we have been able to demonstrate that an Intel processor-based NUMA architecture is a very compelling way to approach the most challenging data center environments," said John Miner, vice president and general manager, Intel's Enterprise Server Group. "We are confident that this is only the beginning in terms of R/3 high water marks for Intel and NUMA-Q."

The following table provides a summary of the most significant data.

SD Benchmark Users 2,804
SAP R/3 Version 3.1G
Database Oracle 7.3.3.2
Database Server 1 NUMA-Q 2000 Configuration:
  • DYNIX/ptx V4.4.1 Operating System
  • 32 Pentium Pro 1MB L2 Cache
  • 108 4G disks
  • 432GB Disk Storage
  • 8GB Memory
Application Servers 31 Sequent NTX 2000 Servers
Configuration per each Application Server:
  • 4 Pentium Pro Processors
  • 512MB Memory
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server V4.0 SP3 Operating System
Enqueue/Message Server 1 Sequent NTX 2000 Server
Configuration:
  • 4 Pentium Pro Processors
  • 512MB Memory
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server V4.0 SP3 Operating System
Average CPU Utilization of Sequent Database Server 80%
Average CPU Utilization of Application Servers 62%
Average Dialog Response Time 1.67 sec.
Dialog Steps per Hour 865,000

This benchmark fully complies with SAP's issued benchmark regulations and has been audited and certified by SAP. Further technical details may be obtained from Sequent or SAP AG.

About Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.
Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. is uniquely capable of delivering robust and scalable Data Center Ready open systems solutions that are guaranteed to perform. Sequent minimizes customers' risk, enabling implementation of complex business applications that support critical needs, based on the breakthrough Sequent NUMA-Q* architecture, a comprehensive portfolio of proven migration services and offerings, and an established set of partnerships with the industry's best-in-class. For further information, phone Sequent at (503) 626-5700 or (800) 257-9044, or visit our World Wide Web site at http://www.sequent.com.

* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.