System Performance Profile

Computer platforms are supported by several component technologies. Each component

technology contributes to the overall computer performance. Hardware vendors build computers with the appropriate component resources to optimize overall platform performance.

In much the same way, distributed computing solutions (enterprise computing environments) are supported by several hardware platforms that contribute to overall system performance. Each hardware component contributes to the overall system performance. Hardware platforms supporting a computing environment must be carefully selected to support optimum overall system performance.

The primary objective of the system design process is to provide the highest level of user performance for the available system hardware investment. Each hardware component must be selected with sufficient performance to support processing needs. Current technology can limit system design alternatives. Understanding distributed processing loads at each hardware component level provides a foundation for establishing an optimum system solution.

System Design Strategies 6.0 Sizing Fundamentals

J-6017

ESRI White Paper 6-2

Figure 6-1 provides a simplified overview of the components in a standalone workstation and a distributed processing configuration. Each component participates sequentially in the overall program execution.

Figure 6-1

Platform Performance Components

Standalone Workstation Standalone Workstation

Video Display

Application CPU Processing

Disk Access

Data Server

Distributed Processing

Network Workstation

Data Server

Distributed Processing

Network Workstation

Video Display

Application CPU Processing

Disk Access Video Display

Application CPU Processing

Disk Access Server CPU Processing

Network Communications

The total response time of a particular application query will be a collection of the responses from each of these components. A computer vendor optimizes the component configuration within the workstation to support the fastest computer response to an application query. An IT/Systems department has the responsibility to optimize the organization’s hardware and network component investments to provide the optimum system-level response at the user desktop. System performance can directly contribute to user productivity.

6.0 Sizing Fundamentals System Design Strategies

J-6017

Figure 6-2 identifies performance gains as a result of a series of hardware investments. These investments contribute to the relative performance experienced at the user desktop.

Figure 6-2

System Performance Profile

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Response Time

Workstation +File Server +HP Raid Array +100 Mbps Network +SDE Server CPU Upgrade

Configuration

Video Display

Application CPU Processing Network Communications Server CPU Processing Data Access (I/O) Standalone Workstation

File Server 10 Mbps network adds data transfer

Network upgrade to 100 Mbps improves data transfer SDE moves query processing to server, reduces network traffic, optimizes server CPU processing, and improves I/O performance

High Performance Disk Array improves I/O performance

Workstation CPU upgrade reduces processing time

The first column represents the performance of a standalone workstation performing a typical GIS operation (requesting display of a new map extent on the user screen). Experience shows that GIS applications tend to be both compute intensive and input/output (I/O) intensive. A standalone workstation spends roughly the same amount of time on data access and compute processing. A relatively small amount of remaining time is required to send the resulting map product to the video display.

The second column shows the system performance profile when accessing the data from a file server in place of local disk. This distributed solution includes additional server CPU processing and network data transfer. These additional system components extend the overall response time to include the additional system loads. Accessing data from a file server over a 10-Mbps

network can reduce performance by roughly 30 percent.

The third column shows the result of upgrading the JBOD (just a bunch of disks) configuration on the file server to a high-performance RAID storage solution. High-performance RAID storage solutions can improve disk access performance by as much as 50 percent.

System Design Strategies 6.0 Sizing Fundamentals

J-6017

ESRI White Paper 6-4

The fourth column shows the effect of increasing network bandwidth from 10-Mbps Ethernet to 100-Mbps Ethernet, a factor of 10 reduction in data transfer time. Users experience improved performance over having data on local workstation disk with this configuration.

The fifth column shows the result of moving the spatial data to an ArcSDE server. The ArcSDE server solution will improve performance in several areas. The ArcSDE server technology

relocates query processing traditionally supported by the client application to the server platform.

This reduces client CPU processing requirements by roughly 50 percent. Spatial data is

compressed by 30 to 70 percent on the ArcSDE server, reducing network traffic by an additional 50 percent. The ArcSDE server also filters the requested data layer so only the requested map layer extent is sent over the network to the client, further reducing network traffic. The query processing performed by the ArcSDE server, using DBMS query indexing, data cache and search functions, will also reduce the processing load on the server to less than half that used to support the traditional client query processes. Moving spatial data to ArcSDE can significantly improve overall system performance in a distributed computing solution.

The final column shows the effect of upgrading the workstation CPU to one with twice the performance, reducing the workstation CPU processing time by 50 percent.

Hardware component investments contribute directly to user productivity, and the overall

productivity of the organization. Computer technology is changing very rapidly, and the product of this change is higher performance and improved productivity at the user desktop.

Organizations need to budget for this change, and make wise investments in their infrastructure portfolio to maintain high productivity in the workplace. A smart investment strategy pays very large dividends in supporting GIS operations.