Technical white paper
SAS Foundation on HP Internal
Solid State Drives (SSD)
Benchmark Report
HP ProLiant DL380p Gen8 - I/O throughput of 1.63 GB/s on HP 200GB SAS SSD Drives
Table of contents
Executive summary ...................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Scenario....................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
SAS job characteristics ............................................................................................................................................................. 2
Test topology ................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Detailed storage configuration................................................................................................................................................... 4
Tuning actions performed ........................................................................................................................................................... 4
Test methodology ......................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Test results ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Test analysis summary ................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Recommendation .......................................................................................................................................................................... 5
HP ProLiant DL380p Gen8 benefits and features .................................................................................................................. 5
HP Solid State Drive (SSD) benefits and features .................................................................................................................. 6
What’s new ................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Key benefits................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Appendix: bill of materials ........................................................................................................................................................... 7
For more information ................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Technical white paper
Executive summary
SAS Foundation customers require a hardware/software configuration that can deliver data analysis results quickly and
accurately. Recently-introduced solid state storage system products from HP offer a highly-reliable, high-performing
alternative to rotational drives when used for SAS Work and Data space. One solid state storage system product is the HP
Solid State drive, which is based on Single Level Cell (SLC) or Multi Level Cell (MLC) NAND flash technology, and supports HP
ProLiant servers and server storage platforms. They are available as Small Form Factor (SFF) and Large Form Factor (LFF)
hot plug devices, non-hot plug SFF and SFF Quick Release devices. These drives deliver higher performance, lower latency
and low power solutions when compared with traditional rotating media and fit seamlessly into the existing HP server
infrastructure.
The tests described herein demonstrate a solution for a SAS analytic environment that uses an HP ProLiant DL380p Gen8
server running Red Hat Enterprise Linux to test the performance of HP 200GB 6G SAS SLC SFF SC Enterprise Performance
Solid State drives.
This report details proof points for SAS Analytical Computing that demonstrate a workload of 36 simultaneous SAS jobs
achieving sustained I/O throughputs of 1.63 GB/s on HP 200GB 6G SAS SLC SFF SC Enterprise Performance Solid State
drives.
The ProLiant DL380p Gen8 server had two eight-core Intel® Xeon® E5-2690 2.9 GHz processors and 128GB of RAM, running
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.4.
Target audience: The target audience for this performance brief is the Information Technology (IT) community evaluating
solutions for their environment. Business users and IT professionals who are interested in implementing SAS Analytical
Computing may find this report useful for a sample SAS Foundation configuration with HP servers and HP 6G SAS SLC SFF
SC Enterprise Performance Solid State drives.
This white paper describes performance testing performed in April 2013.
Introduction
Scenario
This SAS Foundation analytic workload scenario utilizes real-world data volumes and structures of a typical SAS customer.
The SAS Foundation analytic workload scenario simulates the types of jobs received from various SAS clients such as display
manager, batch, SAS Data Integration Studio, SAS Enterprise Miner, SAS Add-In for Microsoft® Office, and SAS Enterprise
Guide. Many customer environments have large numbers of ad-hoc SAS users or jobs that utilize analytics in support of their
company’s day to day business activities.
The SAS Foundation analytic workload scenario consisted of typical analytic jobs designed to replicate a light to heavy
workload. These jobs were launched via a script which included time delays to simulate scheduled jobs and interactive users
launching at different times.
SAS job characteristics
The SAS Foundation workload used for this test had the following characteristics:
• 50% CPU intensive jobs and 50% I/O intensive jobs
• Utilized SAS procedures including:
– SAS DATA step, PROC RISK, PROC LOGISTIC, PROC GLM (general linear model), PROC REQ, PROC SQL, PROC MEANS,
PROC SUMMARY, PROC FREQ, and PROC SORT
• SAS program input sizes up to 50 GB per job*
• Input data types are text, SAS dataset, and SAS transport files
• Memory use per job is up to 1 GB
• Each SAS job uses approximately 25 MB/s of I/O throughput
• Job runtimes were varied (short and long-running tasks)
* File sizes were chosen to eliminate the caching effect of SAN storage and system RAM. Larger file sizes would not have affected results.
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Technical white paper
Important
This test scenario can provide a workload for comparing hardware and/or software products; it is not intended to be used as
a sizing guideline. In the real world, server performance is highly dependent upon the application design and workload
profiling.
As with any laboratory testing, the performance metrics quoted in this paper are idealized. In a production environment,
these metrics may be impacted by a variety of factors.
As a matter of best practice for all deployments, HP recommends implementing a proof-of-concept using a test
environment that matches as closely as possible the planned production environment. In this way, appropriate performance
and scalability characterizations can be obtained. For help with a proof-of-concept, contact an HP Solution Design Services
(SDS) representative at sastech@hp.com.
Test topology
The application environment under test included several different software components:
• SAS Foundation
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Update 4
Figure 1. Architectural diagram of test bed
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Technical white paper
The test environment was comprised of SAS Foundation on a single HP ProLiant DL380p Gen8 server running a single
instance of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Update 4. Specifications of the DL380p Gen8 were as follows:
• 2 8-core Intel Xeon E5-2690 Processors @ 2.9GHz
• 128 GB of RAM
• 1 HP Smart Array P420i Controller
– 6 Gb/s PCIe 3.0 SAS RAID Controller
• 2 x 300GB 15K Internal SAS Disks (used only for Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system)
• 6 x 653078-B21 HP 200GB 6G SAS SLC SFF SC Enterprise Performance Solid State drives
Logical storage for the test environment consisted of a 1TB XFS file system on the HP Solid State drives, configured as a
single RAID5 LUN. This file system was used for SAS input, SAS output, and SAS work temporary storage.
Detailed storage configuration
The HP Solid State drives utilized for this workload test consisted of:
• 1 controller node
• 6 x 653078-B21 HP 200GB 6G SAS SLC SFF SC Enterprise Performance Solid State drives
Specific configuration details of the HP Solid State drives:
• 6 x 200GB Solid State drives
– Total file system size of 1TB
– File system type: XFS
Tuning actions performed
To tune the test environment for optimal performance with SAS Foundation, the following actions were performed:
• Read-ahead for block device
– Set to 16384 via “blockdev –setra 16384 /path/to/block/device”
– Added to /etc/rc.d/rc.local
• Transparent Huge Pages
– Disabled via “echo never > /sys/kernel/mm/redhat_transparent_hugepage/enabled”
– Added to /etc/rc.d/rc.local
• Set Linux I/O Elevators
– Set via “tuned-adm profile enterprise-storage”
– Changes are persistent through reboot
• XFS File System
– XFS file systems created on Solid State drives
Test methodology
One configuration of the SAS analytic workload (that is, number of simultaneous SAS jobs) was tested; 36 simultaneous SAS
jobs per server and 288 simultaneous SAS jobs per server.
An XFS file system was created on the storage technology being tested (HP 200GB 6G SAS SLC SFF SC Enterprise
Performance Solid State drives). The results were then compiled and analyzed.
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Technical white paper
Test results
Test results showed that an optimal level of I/O throughput (1.63 GB/s) was achieved during the test, running 36
simultaneous SAS jobs on a single server. This throughput level was maintained for the entirety of the test duration, 18
minutes and 48 seconds.
The workload simulated a mixed workload of users accessing the server.
Table 1. I/O Throughput for HP 200GB 6G SAS SLC SFF SC Enterprise Performance Solid State drives
Simultaneous
Jobs per Server
Real
Time
User CPU
Time
System
CPU Time
Elapsed
Time
(h:mm:ss)
Longest Running
Job (Real Time
h:mm:ss)
I/O Throughput
(GB/s)
36
1:12:58
1:04:55
0:06:42
0:18:48
Io1_ca_1_1.log
(0:18:48)
1.63
Test analysis summary
The execution of the SAS Foundation analytic workload demonstrated the suitability of HP 200GB 6G SAS SLC SFF SC
Enterprise Performance Solid State drives in a SAS environment when utilized for sequential I/O-based workloads such as
those delivered by the SAS Foundation analytic workload.
The SAS Foundation analytic workload clearly showed how an HP ProLiant DL380p Gen8 server is able to support the server
demands of a typical solution for SAS Foundation. SAS jobs can be extremely I/O intensive. While the HP 200GB 6G SAS SLC
SFF SC Enterprise Performance Solid State drives are able to handle the I/O load and manage the storage resources
required for an enterprise solution for SAS Foundation.
Recommendation
SAS computing jobs are extremely compute and I/O intensive. Part of the value-add in deploying SAS is that the solution can
be architected for easy management and growth.
Compute-intensive SAS jobs can take 100% of a single processor core for the duration of the job. Therefore it is important
that the compute engine is extremely fast and capable of handling the compute needs of all SAS jobs. It is also important
that SAS is scalable and easy to manage. Given these needs for SAS, HP recommends an HP ProLiant DL380p Gen8 as one
of a number of potential HP servers for SAS backend server functions.
The HP 200GB 6G SAS SLC SFF SC Enterprise Performance Solid State drives deliver outstanding sequential I/O
performance, and are well-suited to the sequential I/O processing performed by SAS applications. The HP 200GB 6G SAS
SLC SFF SC Enterprise Performance Solid State drives should be considered as a component of an overall HP storage
solution, and could be utilized as Data space and Work space for SAS.
HP ProLiant DL380p Gen8 benefits and features
The HP ProLiant DL380p Gen8 sets the next generation standards of 2U 2-socket rack servers for the industry. With
enhanced configuration flexibility, unmatched performance, and leading energy efficient design the DL380p Gen8 offers the
perfect solution for the dynamic compute requirements of today's SAS compute environments.
Whether implementing a single and very large data intensive workload, or many consolidated or virtualized workloads, the
DL380p Gen8 server is an ideal platform to deploy and scale up SAS environments with confidence.
Each HP ProLiant DL380p Gen8 server supports up to two 8-Core Intel Xeon processors (16 cores), 384 GB of memory and
up to 6 I/O slots to support the network and I/O needs of SAS applications.
With SAS technology and HP ProLiant servers, it is simple to increase compute power as the environment grows, by simply
adding another server into the existing configuration. To simplify the installation of the new server, HP Insight Control
software uses an integrated installer to deploy and configure HP Systems Insight Manager (HP SIM) and essential
infrastructure management software rapidly and consistently – reducing manual installation procedures and speeding timeto-production. A single, consistent management environment is provided for rapid deployment of the operating system and
hardware configuration.
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Technical white paper
HP ProLiant Gen8 servers come with HP Integrated Lights-Out 4 (iLO 4) remote management for unprecedented, highspeed management which includes a secure graphical remote console that allows access to the system KVM and allows
control of Virtual Power and media from a single console.
HP Solid State Drive (SSD) benefits and features
HP Solid State Drives (SSDs) deliver exceptional performance and endurance for customers with applications requiring high
random read IOPs performance.
Leveraging NAND Flash technology, they support HP ProLiant servers and server storage platforms. They are generally
available as Small Form Factor (SFF) and Large Form Factor (LFF) hot plug devices, non-hot plug SFF devices, and SFF Quick
Release devices.
These drives deliver higher performance, lower latency, and more power-efficient solutions when compared with traditional
rotating media. Plus they fit seamlessly into the existing HP server infrastructure.
What’s new
• New 6G SATA SSDs for HP ProLiant Gen8 servers, delivering nearly 3x better performance and 2x endurance
improvement over previous SSD generations. Targeted for enterprise mainstream applications
• Entirely re-designed SFF and LFF hot plug carriers exclusively for HP ProLiant Gen8 servers, allowing for 50% more drives
in a 2U server and more slots for memory in blades
• Intuitively designed drive activity and status LED for easier drive management and a Do Not Remove indicator to prevent
logical drive failures due to accidental or premature removal of a drive
Key benefits
• 6G SAS NAND flash hot plug solutions for enterprise performance (unrestricted reads/writes) workloads. Delivers the
highest performance with the best endurance. Great behind expanders for external storage solutions or direct attach
internal to the server.
• 6G SAS NAND flash hot plug solutions for enterprise mainstream environments with equal read/write workloads. Perfect
for high random read workloads.
• 6G/3G SATA NAND flash hot plug and non-hot plug enterprise mainstream solutions for environments with equal
read/write workloads. Perfect for direct attached storage solutions.
• HP Solid State drives can deliver over 60x the random read performance (mix 70/30 workload/400GB High Perf.) of 15K
SAS hard drives. Do more with less as a single drive can provide more performance than several hard drives. TCO savings
is measured in $/IOP/watt.
• Supported by HP SMARTSSD Wear Gauge reporting utility to help monitor wear usage.
While this report demonstrates a sample solution for SAS Foundation, SAS solutions will vary greatly between
implementations. HP recommends that you get a sizing that is specific to your environment. HP provides this as a
complimentary service; you can reach us at sastech@hp.com.
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Technical white paper
Appendix: bill of materials
Table 2 shows the equipment and components used in the HP ProLiant DL380p Gen8 test server.
Table 2. Bill of materials for the HP ProLiant DL380p Gen8
Quantity
Part Number
Description
1
653200-B21
HP ProLiant DL380p Gen8 SFF Configure-to-Order Server
Includes 1 x Smart Array P420i Controller
1
662226-L21
Intel Xeon E5-2690 FIO Processor Kit
1
662226-B21
Intel Xeon E5-2690 Processor Kit
8
672631-B21
HP 16GB Dual Rank Memory Kit
1
684208-B21
HP Ethernet 1Gb 4-port 331FLR FIO Adapter
6
653078-B21
HP 200GB 6G SAS SLC SFF SC Enterprise Performance Solid State Drive
2
652611-B21
HP 300GB 6G SAS 15K SFF SC Enterprise Hard Drive
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For more information
HP and SAS: hp.com/go/sas
HP Complimentary Customized Sizing: sastech@hp.com
HP ProLiant DL380p Servers: hp.com/servers/dl380
HP Solid State Drives: http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliantstorage/drives-enclosures/index.html
SAS Partner Directory: sas.com/partners/directory/hp
To help us improve our documents, please provide feedback at hp.com/solutions/feedback.
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© Copyright 2013 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for
HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as
constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
Microsoft is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Intel and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
4AA4-6993ENW, May 2013