Typical Performance ResultsTypical Performance Results
ArcGIS 8.2 File Server Network Throughput (Mbps)
20.51
UNC FS Small 100 Mb Cached UNC FS Large 100 Mb Cached
Network Throughput (Mbps)
Bandwidth requirements increase with larger database
Large Database (much more network traffic)
9 Vector Layers
• 959,573 Features
• 1.17 GB
1 RASTER Layer
• B/W TIFF w/Pyramids
• 241 MB
(much more network traffic)
9 Vector Layers
• 959,573 Features
• 1.17 GB
1 RASTER Layer
• B/W TIFF w/Pyramids
• 241 MB
6.0 Sizing Fundamentals System Design Strategies
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Figure 6-13 provides a summary of the average response time for the same benchmark test when using a file data source. Response time with the file data source is much slower due to the larger shapefiles. In comparison, very little difference in performance was measured with the ArcSDE data source testing.
Figure 6-13
ArcGIS File Server Network Performance
ArcGIS 8.2 File Server Average Response Time
1.81
UNC FS Small 100 Mb Cached UNC FS Large 100 Mb Cached
Average Query Response Time (sec)
Average Response Time (sec)
Baseline Dataset
• B/W TIFF w/Pyramids
• 241 MB
• B/W TIFF w/Pyramids
• 241 MB
9 Vector Layers
• 959,573 Features
• 1.17 GB
1 RASTER Layer (small)
• B/W TIFF w/Pyramids
• 241 MB 9 Vector Layers
• 959,573 Features
• 1.17 GB
1 RASTER Layer (small)
• B/W TIFF w/Pyramids
1 RASTER Layer (small)
• B/W TIFF w/Pyramids
• 241 MB 9 Vector Layers
• 959,573 Features
• 1.17 GB
1 RASTER Layer (small)
• B/W TIFF w/Pyramids
• 241 MB
Large Database (Much Slower)
Query performance decreases with larger database
System Design Strategies 6.0 Sizing Fundamentals
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ESRI White Paper 6-16
Figure 6-14 provides an overview of the data server sizing requirements for concurrent batch processing. Each diagram shows a balanced distributed platform configuration, with each of the server and workstation platforms having one CPU (all CPUs are the same). A single-CPU data server can support five batch client workstations (same model for file and ArcSDE data servers).
As a corollary, a batch process executed on the data server would be equivalent to five batch clients (either condition consumes a server CPU).
Figure 6-14
Data Server Performance Models
Batch Process Clients File Server
Batch Process Clients Batch Process Clients Batch Process Clients
File Server
(5 Batch clients / server CPU)
Batch process = 5 batch clients Batch process = 5 batch clients
(5 Batch clients / server CPU)
ArcSDE Server
Batch Process Clients ArcSDE Server
Batch Process Clients Batch Process Clients Batch Process Clients
Batch process =5 batch clients Batch process =5 batch clients
OR OR
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The GIS data server performance model is provided in Figure 6-15. The model shows a single data server CPU supports up to five (5) concurrent batch clients for each server CPU. Additional clients supported by the server would result in reduced query performance. This performance profile clearly applies to compute intensive ArcSDE server environments, where a variety of testing and real-life implementations has demonstrated the CPU-bound nature of the ArcSDE server processing.
Figure 6-15
GIS Data Server Performance Model
Workstation Processing Equivalents Query processing supported by client Five batch clients consumes one server CPU processing shared between available CPU resources
6.4.2 ArcGIS Desktop Terminal Server Performance
ArcGIS desktop users include a variety of professional analyst, data maintenance personnel, and business query and analysis specialists that use GIS to manage their data processing
requirements. GIS project efforts can take minutes, hours, and sometimes several days to complete, including review of very large volumes of data resources during the project sessions.
User requirements can be used as a foundation for identifying the number of terminal sessions supported by the server during a peak processing period. The definition of a concurrent user (desktop use case) is based on comparison of real-life user loads on the system during live benchmark testing and reviewing real live operational GIS customer experiences.
Figure 6-16 provides an overview of a typical GIS use case, demonstrating how user
performance (user experience) has changed as workstation performance has improved over the
System Design Strategies 6.0 Sizing Fundamentals
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ESRI White Paper 6-18
past 10 years. The standard use case applied to the Arc02 performance models assumes a typical client display can be rendered within roughly 2 seconds, and the average user interaction time (time to review the display and enter data) is roughly 6 seconds. This results in an average user cycle time (between screen displays) of roughly 8 seconds. These assumptions establish the basis for translating our benchmark test results (batch process models) to sizing models for real interactive user environments. For the Arc02 performance models, users wait on CPU
processing about 25 percent of the time. With these assumptions, a single ArcGIS desktop batch process provides the equivalent processing load of four concurrent ArcGIS desktop clients.
Figure 6-16
ArcGIS Use Case Parameters
before 1998 2 users/batch 1998-2001
3 users/batch
2002 4 users/batch
Waiting on CPU
Waiting on CPU User review and inputUser review and input
The amount of time it takes a typical user to view a new display and enter appropriate data for the next display (user interaction time) is the fundamental difference between batch processing (no user interaction) and a real user work environment. GIS processing is compute intensive, resulting in users routinely waiting on computer processing during normal operations. The sizing models used prior to 1999 (Arc95 through Arc98) assumed ArcInfo users had to wait about 50 percent of their time for computer processing (terminal servers could support two users per CPU). Computing performance has increased over ten times of what was available five years ago. GIS operations have become more productive during this same period. The Arc99, Arc00, and Arc01 performance models assume GIS concurrent users wait on CPU processing 33 percent of the time, while the remaining time is spent on data review and input. The Arc02 model
assumes users wait on CPU processing 25 percent of the time.
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Platform performance has improved every year, and this technology improvement trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. As platform processing performance improves, the time GIS users wait on CPU processing will decrease and operational productivity may improve. At some point, which may already be the case, user interaction time will reach a minimum required response time based on user performance limitations. As the CPU processing time continues to decrease faster than the user interaction time, the relationship between batch processes and real interactive users will continue to improve.
Figure 6-17 provides an overview of the current terminal server performance model for a local disk or file server data source. Each CPU can support four (4) ArcInfo users, thus performance will stay roughly the same until the total number of users exceed four (4) times the number of CPUs. Performance slows at a relatively constant rate when the number of concurrent users increases beyond four (4) times the number of available CPUs.
Figure 6-17
Terminal Server with File Server or Local Data
Terminal Server Processing
Query processing supported by Terminal Server GIS users spend 25% of time waiting on CPU processing Each CPU can support four (4) ArcInfo users
• Batch process = 4 ArcInfo users