Increase density and performance with upgrades from Intel and Dell

INCREASE DENSITY AND PERFORMANCE WITH UPGRADES FROM
INTEL AND DELL
DECEMBER 2014
A PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES TEST REPORT
Commissioned by Intel, Inc.
Upgrading datacenter infrastructure is a necessary step for a growing business that has
exhausted its current hardware resources. Usually, an upgrade will include replacing a server
with a newer model to take advantage of technological advances. In addition to the
generational advantages of newer hardware, you may opt to upgrade certain hardware
components to stretch the effectiveness of the upgrade in your specific environment. Typically,
these upgradeable components include the processor, operating system, drive type, and
network card, but how do you know which components to choose?
In the Principled Technologies labs, we first measured the performance of an older Dell
PowerEdge R710 with a Dell PowerEdge R710 storage server, and then upgraded both to Dell
PowerEdge R720 servers in multiple component upgrade configurations to show the
performance increases that come with upgrading these various components. We found in our
tests that the Dell PowerEdge R720 servers upgraded with the Intel® Xeon® processor E5-2697
v2, Microsoft® Windows Server® 2012 R2 operating system, Intel SSD DC S3700 series drive, and
Intel Ethernet CNA X520 series adapters supported 4.5 times as many VMs as the previous-
generation Dell PowerEdge R710 servers did. While upgrading all four components maximized
performance, we also found that each individual component upgrade significantly increased the
number of users, database orders, and VMs that the server could support.

A Principled Technologies test report 2Increase density and performance with upgrades from Intel and Dell
UPGRADES MATTER FOR PERFORMANCE
New servers typically mean updated technology, so even the newer base model
will likely outperform the servers you currently use. Investing in component upgrades
can further boost performance and support additional users, but knowing which
components to upgrade can be tricky when trying to bypass bottlenecks and get
additional performance. For example, if a server has upgraded processors but its
workload is I/O intensive and limited on storage IOPs, then the upgraded processors
may be underutilized due to the storage bottleneck. If the processor and storage are
upgraded but the workload doesn’t have sufficient network bandwidth, then again, the
system may run sub-optimally. Figure 1 shows the results of our upgrade tests, first
demonstrating the value of upgrading from the Dell PowerEdge R710s to the Dell
PowerEdge R720 servers, and then showing the performance benefits of the component
upgrades. The fully upgraded configuration increased VM density—up to 4.5 times the
number of VMs—compared to the Dell PowerEdge R710 solution.
Figure 1: Upgrading servers, operating system, drives, and CNAs increased VM density up to 4.5x.
OUR TEST SPECIFICS
We set up a Dell PowerEdge R710 base server with older Intel Xeon processors
E5540 as our previous-generation server under test to run both Microsoft SQL Server
2012 database VMs and Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 VMs. Our previous-generation
8
22
26
36
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Base
configuration
Upgraded
CPU + OS
Upgraded
CPU + OS
+ drive
Upgraded
CPU + OS
+ drive + CNA
TotalnumberofVMssupported
VM density increases with component upgrades
3.25
4.5x
2.75x

storage solution consisted of a Dell PowerEdge R710 with a Dell PERC H800 connected
to an external JBOD via SAS. The storage volumes were presented from the storage
server to the server under test via software iSCSI. We ran our VMs on the server under
test, and stored the virtual hard drives from the VMs on the storage server. Each of our
database VMs needed to deliver 25,000 OPM on average and each Exchange VM had to
support 500 mail users with latency under 20ms. Note: because our study aimed to
show the linear scaling advantages of these upgrades, it may not reflect the maximum
users each VM can support. In all cases, the goal was to show how many VMs could
sustain acceptable Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Exchange workload
performance.
Using these parameters, this baseline configuration could host eight Microsoft
Hyper-V VMs running Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, four running database
workloads and four hosting Exchange mailboxes.
Next, we configured two Dell PowerEdge R720 servers to be our upgraded
server under test and storage server. After testing the baseline configuration, we added
incremental upgrades to the Dell PowerEdge R720 servers. Each configuration included
the upgrades in the previous configuration. Figure 2 presents an overview of the
components we upgraded along with their performance results.
Configuration
PowerEdge R710
configuration
PowerEdge R720
configuration
PowerEdge R720
configuration +
SSD upgrade
PowerEdge R720
configuration +
SSD + 10GbE CNA
upgrade
Processor
Intel Xeon
processor E5540
Intel Xeon
processor E5-2697
v2
Intel Xeon
processor
E5-2697 v2
Intel Xeon
processor
E5-2697 v2
Host operating system
Windows Server
2008 R2
Windows Server
2012 R2
Windows Server
2012 R2
Windows Server
2012 R2
Drive type HDD HDD SSD SSD
Network connection 1GbE 1GbE 1GbE 10GbE
Results
Total VMs supported 8 22 26 36
CPU utilization 45.4% 35.3% 42.0% 71.3%
iSCSI network utilization (Mb/s) 330.1 851.6 956.8 1,395.7
Database VMs 4 11 13 18
Total orders per minute (OPM) 114,028 319,685 351,477 467,660
OPMs/VM 28,507 29,062 27,037 25,981
Exchange VMs 4 11 13 18
Exchange users 2,000 5,500 6,500 9,000
Exchange latency
(ms—lower numbers are
better)
7.9 14.1 14.8 2.9
Figure 2: Overall results of our upgrade testing.

Along with increasing VM density, the upgraded components also improved
database performance and the number of mailbox users in a predictable linear fashion.
While each upgrade increased performance steadily, upgrading all components at once
provided the best performance, most VMs, and most users. In our final configuration,
we saw a 210 percent increase over the previous-generation configuration in the total
OPM, and a 250 percent increase in the number of mailbox users supported.
In the sections that follow, we break down the performance that each
configuration achieved and briefly discuss the components we upgraded. To look at the
detailed specifications of our test hardware, see Appendix A. For the detailed steps we
followed for our testing, see Appendix B.
UPGRADING TO THE DELL POWEREDGE R720
The Dell PowerEdge R720 servers included the upgraded OS - from Microsoft
Windows Server 2008 R2 in the Dell PowerEdge R710 servers to Microsoft Windows
Server 2012 R2. Additionally, it upgraded the processors from older Intel Xeon
processors E5540 to two Intel Xeon processors E5-2697 v2. This would be a reasonable
upgrade, as new hardware will include new processor technology and the latest
operating system.
And the results of the upgrade are…
Simply having the Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v2 product family and the
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 OS on the new system more than doubled the
number of VMs the new server could support (from 8 to 22) over the previous-
generation server and more than doubled database performance (from 114,028 OPM to
319,685 OPM). These upgrades also increased the number of mailbox users the server
could support by 175 percent—from 2,000 Exchange users to 5,500. Figure 3 shows the
impact that acquiring these components in a new system had on capacity and
performance.

Figure 3: Upgrading to the Dell PowerEdge R720 increased database performance, mail users, and VM
density.
REPLACING TRADITIONAL SAS HARD DISK DRIVES WITH SOLID-STATE
DRIVES
After we upgraded the configuration to a server with a new processor and
operating system, we upgraded the SAS hard disk drives (HDDs) on our external storage
array to Intel SSD DC S3700 series SSDs to remove the performance bottleneck and
show the potential improvement in performance.
Replacing the HDDs with Intel SSDs increased performance even more.
Upgrading to Intel SSDs in the storage array (in addition to processors and OS) more
than tripled the number of VMs the previous-generation server and storage could
support (from 8 to 26) and delivered more than three times the database performance
(from 114,028 OPM to 351,477 OPM). These upgrades also more than tripled the
number of mailbox users the server could support—from 2,000 Exchange users to 6,500.
Figure 4 shows the impact that upgrading these components had on capacity and
performance.
VM 1 VM 1
VM 2 VM 2
VM 3 VM 3
VM 4 VM 4
VM 5
VM 6
VM 7
VM 8
VM 9
VM 10
VM 11
VM 1 VM 1
VM 2 VM 2
VM 3 VM 3
VM 4 VM 4
VM 5
VM 6
VM 7
VM 8
VM 9
VM 10
VM 11
114,028
319,685
2,000
5,500
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
PowerEdge R710
configuration
PowerEdge R720
configuration
PowerEdge R710
configuration
PowerEdge R720
configuration
SQL Server OPM Exchange Server users
Exchangeusers
OPM
Impact of upgrading to Intel Xeon processor E5-2697v2 and Microsoft
Windows Server 2012 R2

Figure 4: Upgrading to Intel SSDs along with the Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v2 product family and
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 increased database performance, mail users, and VM density.
UPGRADING TO A 10GBE NETWORK CONNECTION
After upgrading processors, operating system, and disk drives, another potential
obstacle to even greater performance is your network connection, in our case the
storage network connection. We upgraded the servers’ iSCSI connection from a 1GbE
network connection to a 10GbE network connection using the Intel Ethernet CNA X520
series on both the hypervisor server and storage server, and found that doing so, in
addition to the other upgrades, maximized performance, users, and VM density.
Upgrading to a 10GbE iSCSI network connection with the Intel Ethernet CNA
X520 increased performance even more. In fact, we hit a memory ceiling before falling
below acceptable performance per VM. To find the maximum VM count, we added
enough memory to fit one more SQL VM and one more Exchange VM. This final upgrade
(in addition to processors, OS, and SSDs) more than quadrupled the number of VMs the
baseline server could support (from 8 to 36) and delivered 310.1 percent more database
performance (from 114,028 OPM to 467,660 OPM). Together, these four upgrades also
more than quadrupled the number of mailbox users the server could support—from
2,000 Exchange users to 9,000.
VM 1 VM 1
VM 2 VM 2
VM 3 VM 3
VM 4 VM 4
VM 5
VM 6
VM 7
VM 8
VM 9
VM 10
VM 11
VM 12
VM 13
VM 1 VM 1
VM 2 VM 2
VM 3 VM 3
VM 4 VM 4
VM 5
VM 6
VM 7
VM 8
VM 9
VM 10
VM 11
VM 12
VM 13
114,028
351,477
2,000
6,500
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
PowerEdge R710
configuration
PowerEdge R720
configuration
+ SSD upgrade
PowerEdge R710
configuration
PowerEdge R720
configuration
+ SSD upgrade
Exchangeusers
OPM
Impact of upgrading to Intel Xeon processor E5-2697v2, Microsoft
Windows Server 2012, and SSDs

Figure 5 shows the impact that upgrading all of the components had on capacity
and performance. This configuration, with upgraded processor, operating system, disk
drives, and network connection, provided the greatest performance and capacity.
Figure 5: Upgrading to a 10GbE iSCSI network connection with Intel Ethernet CNAs along with Intel SSDs, the Intel Xeon
processor E5-2600 v2 product family, and Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2, had the maximum impact on database
performance, number of mail users, and VM density.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
In our new configuration, we were able to run 4.5 times as many VMs on a
single physical server than the previous-generation configuration, which shows potential
for consolidating your workloads into fewer servers. Although the new server and
accessories would result in an initial CAPEX outlay, the resulting OPEX savings
potentially could be significant. Each physical server in your infrastructure represents
another management endpoint, another hardware maintenance target, additional
required software licensing, and another source of consumed power, all of which cost
OPEX dollars. If you upgrade components for optimal system utilization, and thereby
increase VM counts on your new servers, you reduce the number of physical servers
VM 1 VM 1
VM 2 VM 2
VM 3 VM 3
VM 4 VM 4
VM 5
VM 6
VM 7
VM 8
VM 9
VM 10
VM 11
VM 12
VM 13
VM 14
VM 15
VM 16
VM 17
VM 18
VM 1 VM 1
VM 2 VM 2
VM 3 VM 3
VM 4 VM 4
VM 5
VM 6
VM 7
VM 8
VM 9
VM 10
VM 11
VM 12
VM 13
VM 14
VM 15
VM 16
VM 17
VM 18
114,028
467,660
2,000
9,000
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
500,000
PowerEdge R710
configuration
PowerEdge R720
configuration
+ SSD upgrade
+ NIC upgrade
PowerEdge R710
configuration
PowerEdge R720
configuration
+ SSD upgrade
+ NIC upgrade
Exchangeusers
OPM
Impact of upgrading to Intel Xeon processor E5-2697v2, Microsoft Windows Server
2012 R2, SSDs, and 10GbE CNA

required, which contributes to a reduction in OPEX dollars and could provide a quicker
ROI.
SUMMARY
As the needs of your business grow, so must the power of your server
infrastructure. Rather than purchasing replacement servers with base configurations,
consider upgrading key components to ensure you get the performance you need.
We found that upgrading to the Dell PowerEdge R720 with the Intel Xeon
processor E5-2697 v2, Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 operating system, Intel SSD
DC S3700 series drive, and Intel Ethernet CNA X520 series adapters supported 4.5 times
as many VMs as the previous-generation Dell PowerEdge R710 solution.
When you purchase a server, wisely selecting these components offered by Dell
and Intel can allow your business to hit the sweet spot of supporting all your users
without breaking the bank. Incremental upgrades also leave room to grow and help
your infrastructure handle growth for years to come.
Finally, these select upgrades could translate to savings for your business—
fewer servers you need to purchase now to meet performance demands, and a longer
lifespan for these servers as your business continues to grow.

APPENDIX A – ABOUT THE HARDWARE & SOFTWARE
About the Dell PowerEdge R720
The new Intel® Xeon® processor E5-2600-v2-powered Dell PowerEdge R720 2U rack server incorporates many
enhancements and features designed to improve performance, lower power consumption, and ease maintenance. Some
of these features include the following:
 Performance. Dell engineered the PowerEdge R720 to handle complex workloads, with I/O and internal data
management technologies (i.e., NSC, NPAR, CacheCade) to allow faster access to information and GPU
accelerators for faster than ever computational performance.
 Processors. The Dell PowerEdge R720 is powered by two Intel Xeon E5-2600 v2 processors, which
incorporate the very latest in technology from Intel. The powerful processors provide exceptional
performance and make the PowerEdge R720 a solid virtualization platform.
 Power efficiency. Dell PowerEdge R720 servers implement leading industry power efficiency standards, and
are designed to optimize performance while maintaining low power consumption. Automated tracking and
regulation of thermal activity, intelligent design of right-sized power options, and high efficiency fans and
airflow management work to save power, saving you money in the process.
 Management. The Dell PowerEdge R720, like all late-model Dell servers, comes with the Dell Lifecycle
Controller. This tool simplifies server management by providing a single interface for management functions
and by storing critical system information in the system itself. There are no CDs or USB keys to keep track of
for drivers or firmware.
 Storage. With impressive storage capacity for small business servers, the Dell PowerEdge R720 is available in
both an 8-bay and 16-bay chassis.
 Memory. The Dell PowerEdge R720 holds up to 768 GB of RAM, many times the memory capacity of older
small business servers, allowing for powerful flexibility with virtualized database solutions.
About Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2012 R2, the latest release of this server OS from Microsoft, includes many new features and
enhancements. According to Microsoft, Windows Server 2012 R2 focuses on four core areas:
 Beyond virtualization. Windows Server 2012 R2 provides a robust and dynamic virtualization platform
through Hyper-V, and includes new features that provide flexible options for delivering cloud services.
 The power of many servers, the simplicity of one. Windows Server 2012 R2 offers improvements in its
features that allow for better-than-ever high availability and ease of management for multiple-server
infrastructures.
 Every app, any cloud. Windows Server 2012 R2 delivers a scalable and flexible Web and application platform
by providing a consistent and open set of tools and frameworks that apply to applications on-premises, in
the cloud, or in a hybrid environment.
 Modern work style, enabled. Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 empowers users and IT staff with remote
access to data, applications, and simpler management tools while strengthening security and compliance.

About the Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v2 product family
The Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v2 product family, previously code named “Ivy Bridge”, builds on the E5-2600
product family for even stronger processors. The new product family features increased core counts (up to 12 cores/24
threads) and up to 30M cache. Intel Xeon E5-2600 v2 processors support larger memory DIMMS, up to 64GB, and faster
memory, up to 1,866 MHz.
This processor family also introduces new features to help protect your important data: Intel Secure Key, which
provides faster and more secure encryption, and Intel OS Guard, which improves protection against malware. The Intel
Xeon processor E5-2600 v2 product family also features Advance Programmable Interrupt Controller virtualization
(APICv), which can help improve virtualization performance.
For more information on the Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v2 product family, visit www.intel.com.
About the Intel SSD DC S3700 series
Solid-state drives from the Intel SSD DC S3700 series are designed for fast response times and lower power
consumption. These SSDs provide 4KB random read performance and up to 75,000 IOPS. Intel SSDs also include error
correction technologies to ensure that data stays safe. For more information about Intel SSD DC S3700 series, visit
www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/solid-state-drives/solid-state-drives-dc-s3700-series.html.
About the Intel Ethernet CNA X520 series
According to Intel, “Intel’s new family of Intel Ethernet Converged Network Adapter X520 are the most flexible
and scalable Ethernet adapters for today’s demanding data center and cloud environments.
The Intel Ethernet Converged Network Adapter X520 family addresses the demanding needs of the next-
generation data center by providing unmatched features for virtualization, flexibility for LAN and storage area network
(SAN) networking, and proven, reliable performance.”
For more information, visit www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/network-adapters/converged-network-
adapters/ethernet-x520.html.

APPENDIX B – TEST HARDWARE CONFIGURATION
Figure 6 provides detailed configuration information about the baseline test servers. The hard disk and disk
controller shown are for internal disk for the host operating system. The disks used for all VMs are shown in Figure 9.
System Previous-generation server Previous-generation storage server
Power supplies
Total number 2 2
Maximum wattage of each (W) 870 870
Cooling fans
Total number 5 5
Dimensions (h x w) of each 2.5" x 2.5" 2.5" x 2.5"
General
Number of processor packages 2 2
Number of cores per processor 4 4
Number of hardware threads per core 2 2
CPU
Vendor Intel Intel
Name Xeon Xeon
Model number E5540 E5540
Stepping D0 D0
Socket type FCLGA1366 FCLGA1366
Core frequency (GHz) 2.53 2.53
Bus frequency (GT/s) 6.4 6.4
L1 cache 32 KB + 32 KB (per core) 32 KB + 32 KB (per core)
L2 cache 256 KB (per core) 256 KB (per core)
L3 cache (MB) 8 8
Platform
Vendor and model number Dell PowerEdge R710 Dell PowerEdge R710
Motherboard model number 0N0H4P 0N0H4P
BIOS name and version Dell 6.3.0 Dell 6.3.0
BIOS settings Default Default
Memory module(s)
Total RAM in system (GB) 96 GB 48 GB
Vendor and model number Samsung® M393B1K70BH1-CH9 Samsung M393B1K70BH1-CH9
Type PC3-10600R PC3-10600R
Speed (MHz) 1,333 1,333
Speed running in the system (MHz) 1,333 1,333
Size (GB) 8 8
Number of RAM module(s) 12 6
Rank Dual Dual
Chip organization Double-sided Double-sided
Hard disk
Vendor and model number Dell WD3000BKHG-18A29V0 Dell WD3000BKHG-18A29V0
Number of disks in system 2 2

System Previous-generation server Previous-generation storage server
Size (GB) 300 300
Buffer size (MB) 32 32
RPM 10,000 10,000
Type SAS SAS
Controller
Dell PERC 6/i Integrated RAID
Controller
Dell PERC 6/i Integrated RAID
Controller
Network adapter
Vendor and model number
Intel PRO/1000 PT Dual Port Server
Adapter
Intel PRO/1000 PT Dual Port Server
Adapter
Type PCIe PCIe
Figure 6: Detailed configuration information for the previous-generation servers.

Figure 7 provides detailed configuration information about the upgraded test servers. The hard disks and disk
controller shown are for internal disks for the host operating system. The disks used for all VMs are shown in Figure 9.
System Upgraded server Upgraded storage server
Power supplies
Total number 2 1
Maximum wattage of each (W) 750 110
Cooling fans
Total number 5 5
Dimensions (h x w) of each 2.5" x 2.5" 2.5" x 2.5"
General
Number of processor packages 2 2
Number of cores per processor 12 12
Number of hardware threads per
core
2 2
CPU
Vendor Intel Intel
Name Xeon Xeon
Model number E5-2697 v2 E5-2697 v2
Stepping C1 C1
Socket type FCLGA2011 FCLGA2011
Core frequency (GHz) 2.7 2.7
Bus frequency (GT/s) 8 8
L1 cache 32 KB + 32 KB (per core) 32 KB + 32 KB (per core)
L2 cache 256 KB (per core) 256 KB (per core)
L3 cache (MB) 30 30
Platform
Vendor and model number Dell PowerEdge R720 Dell PowerEdge R720
Motherboard model number 00W9X3 00W9X3
BIOS name and version Dell 2.2.3 Dell 2.2.3
BIOS settings Default Default
Memory module(s)
Total RAM in system (GB) 256, +32 for CNA upgrade step 64
Vendor and model number Hynix HMT42GR7MFR4C-PB Samsung M393B1K70DH0-CMA
Type PC3-12800R PC3-12800R
Speed (MHz) 1,600 1,866
Speed running in the system (MHz) 1,600 1,866
Size (GB) 16 8
Number of RAM module(s) 16 8
Rank Dual Dual
Chip organization Double-sided Double-sided
Hard disk
Vendor and model number Dell ST9300605SS Dell ST9300605SS
Size (GB) 300 300

System Upgraded server Upgraded storage server
Buffer size (MB) 64 64
RPM 10,000 10,000
Type SAS SAS
Controller Dell PERC H710P Mini Dell PERC H710P Mini
Network adapter
1GbE network (1GbE scenarios)
Vendor and model number Intel Gigabit 4P I350-t rNDC Intel Gigabit 4P I350-t rNDC
Type Integrated Integrated
10GbE network (10GbE scenarios)
Vendor and model number Intel Ethernet CNA X520-DA2 Intel Ethernet CAN X520-DA2
Type PCIe PCIe
Figure 7: Detailed configuration information for the upgraded servers.
Figure 8 provides detailed configuration information about the external storage used in our testing.
Drive types Hard disk drive Solid-state drive
Storage array
Vendor and model number EliteSTOR® ES224X6+B EliteSTOR ES224X6+B
Drive
Vendor and model number Dell Savvio 15k.3 SED Intel SSD DC S370 Series
Size (GB) 300 N/A
Buffer size (MB) 64 N/A
RPM 15,000 SATA
Type SAS 400
Controller Dell PERC H800 / Dell PERC H810 Dell PERC H810
Figure 8: Detailed configuration information for the storage array and disks.

APPENDIX C - HOW WE TESTED
To quantify the performance advantages of upgrading each component, we started with a Dell PowerEdge R710
with Intel Xeon E5540 processors running Windows Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V running SQL Server 2012 and Exchange
Server 2010 VMs. We used another Dell PowerEdge R710 with a Dell PERC H800 running Microsoft iSCSI Software Target
3.3 to hold all the SQL Server 2012 and Exchange Server 2010 VMs on external JBOD storage.
For testing, we used DVD Store to stress the SQL 2012 VMs and LoadGen 2010 to stress the Exchange VMs. We
used a one-to-one approach for the SQL Server and Exchange VMs so we ran an equal number of SQL Server and
Exchange client VMs. We identify the total number of supported VMs based on the DVD Store results with an average of
25,000 orders per minute across all VMs. We added VMs until the performance level on any VM dropped below 25,000
OPM, 500 Exchange users, or had latency above 20ms.
After using the above approach to find the baseline server’s total supported VMs, we performed incremental
upgrades to a Dell PowerEdge R720 with Intel Xeon processor E5-2697 v2 processors running Windows Server 2012 R2,
with Intel 200GB SSD drives and Intel X520 network adapter recording the total supported VMs at each upgrade. We
also upgraded the storage server to a Dell PowerEdge R720 with a Dell PERC H810, connected to the same JBOD storage.
About DVD Store Version 2.1
To create our real-world ecommerce workload, we used the DVD Store Version 2.1 benchmarking tool. DS2
models an online DVD store, where customers log in, search for movies, and make purchases. DS2 reports these actions
in orders per minute that the system could handle, to show what kind of performance you could expect for your
customers. The DS2 workload also performs other actions, such as adding new customers, to exercise the wide range of
database functions you would need to run your ecommerce environment.
For more details about the DS2 tool, see www.delltechcenter.com/page/DVD+Store.
About Microsoft Load Generator 2010
To test the solutions’ mail server performance, we used the Microsoft Load Generator 2010 (LoadGen)
benchmark, performing tasks to simulate an Average user generating mail activity. For our workloads, we used the
following settings:
 Number of users: 500
 Mailbox Profile: 100MB mailboxes
 Action Profile: Outlook 2007 cached
For more details about LoadGen, see www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=DDEC1642-F6E3-
4D66-A82F- 8D3062C6FA98&displaylang=en.
Test bed configuration
Figure 9 shows a diagram of our test bed. The baseline server used a 1GbE iSCSI connection between the test
server and storage server. The upgraded server used both 1GbE and 10GbE iSCSI between the servers depending on the
configuration under test.

Configuring the test bed
Installing the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system on the Dell PowerEdge R710
1. Choose the language, time and currency, and keyboard input. Click Next.
Figure 9: Test bed diagram.

2. Click Install Now.
3. Select Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise (Full Installation), and click Next.
4. Accept the license terms, and click Next.
5. Click Custom.
6. Click the Disk, and click Next.
7. After the installation completes, click OK.
8. Enter the administrator password twice, and press Enter.
9. Click OK.
Installing the Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 operating system on the Dell PowerEdge R720
1. Choose the language, time and currency, and keyboard input. Click Next.
3. Select Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter, and click Next.
4. Accept the license terms, and click Next.
5. Click Custom.
6. Click the Disk, and click Next.
7. After the installation completes, enter the administrator password twice, and click Finish.
Configuring the Microsoft Windows Server operating systems
1. Install all available Windows updates. Restart as necessary.
2. Enable remote desktop access.
3. Change the hostname, and reboot when the installer prompts you.
4. Set up networking for the management network:
a. Click StartControl Panel, right-click Network Connections, and select Open.
b. Right-click the management traffic NIC, and select Properties.
c. Select TCP/IP (v4), and select Properties.
d. Set the IP address and subnet for the NIC, which will handle management traffic, and click OK.
e. Click OK, and click Close.
5. Set up networking for the VM traffic network:
b. Right-click the VM traffic NIC, and select Properties.
c. Select TCP/IP (v4), and select Properties.
d. Set the IP address and subnet for the NIC, which will handle VM traffic, and click OK.
e. Click OK, and click Close.
6. Set up networking for the iSCSI network:
b. Right-click the iSCSI traffic NIC, and select Properties.
c. Click Configure…
d. Select the Advanced tab, select Jumbo Packet from the Properties list, change the value to 9014 bytes,
and click OK.

e. Right-click the iSCSI traffic NIC, and select Properties.
f. Select TCP/IP (v4), and select Properties.
g. Set the IP address and subnet for the NIC, which will handle iSCSI traffic, and click OK.
h. Click OK, and click Close.
Setting up the storage host
For our testing, we used a Dell PowerEdge R720XD running Windows Server 2012 R2.
Installing iSCSI Target in Windows Server 2012 R2
1. Open Server Manager, and click Manage→Add Roles and Features.
2. At the Before You Begin screen, click Next.
3. At the Installation Type screen, click Next.
4. At the Server Selection screen, click Next.
5. At the Server Roles screen, expand File And Storage Services→File and iSCSI Services, and select iSCSI Target
Server. At the prerequisite pop-up, click Add Features. Click Next.
6. At the Features screen, click Next.
7. At the Confirmation screen, check the box to automatically restart the server after installation, and click Install.
Configuring iSCSI Target in Windows Server 2012 R2
1. Open Server Manager, and click File and Storage Services→iSCSI.
2. Click To create an iSCSI virtual disk, and start the New iSCSI Virtual Disk Wizard.
3. At the iSCSI Virtual Disk Location screen, select the target volume, and click Next.
4. At the iSCSI Virtual Disk Name screen, enter a name for the virtual disk, and click Next.
5. At the iSCSI Virtual Disk Size, enter the size displayed as free space, and click Next.
6. At the iSCSI Target screen, click Next.
7. At the Target Name and Access screen, enter a name for the target, and click Next.
8. At the Access Servers screen, click Add...
9. On the Add initiator ID window, select Enter a value for the selected type, select IP Address from the dropdown
menu, enter the IP address of the system under test’s iSCSI connection, and click OK.
10. Verify the IP address is listed, and click Next.
11. At the Enable authentication server screen, click Next.
12. At the Confirmation screen, click Create.
Configuring the iSCSI initiators on the system under test
1. Log into Windows using the appropriate credentials.
2. Right-click the network icon in the task bar, and select Open Network and Sharing Center.
3. Click on Change adapter settings at the left of the window.
4. Right-click the iSCSI network adapter, and click Properties.
5. Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IP), and click Properties.
6. Select Use the following IP address, enter the desired IP for your iSCSI network, and click OK.
7. Click OK, and click Close.
8. Open the start menu, type iSCSI Initiator, and press Enter.

9. If it asks you to start the service, click OK.
10. In the Quick Connect Target field, enter the iSCSI IP assigned to the storage host, and click Quick Connect…
11. Select the desired target, select Enable Multi-pathing, and click Connect.
12. Select the discovered target, and click Properties…
13. Click Add session, select Enable Multi-pathing, and click OK.
14. Select the Volumes and Devices tab.
15. Click the Auto Configure button, and click OK.
16. Open the start menu, type Hard Disk Partitions, select Settings, and click the displayed tile.
17. Right-click the newly added disk, and select Online.
18. Right-click the disk, select Initialize Disk, and click Ok.
19. Right-click the volume space, and select Create Simple Volume.
20. At the Specify Volume Size window, leave the default selection, and click Next.
21. At the Assign Drive Letter or Path window, choose a drive letter, and click Next.
22. At the Format Partition window, choose NTFS, and click Next.
23. At the Completing the New Simple Volume Wizard window, click Finish.
Installing the Hyper-V role on the system under test
1. Open Server Manager, and click Manage→Add Roles and Features.
3. At the Installation Type screen, click Next.
4. At the Server Selection screen, select one of the servers in the failover cluster.
5. At the Server Roles screen, check the Hyper-V checkbox. At the prerequisite pop-up, click Add Features. Click
Next.
6. At the Features screen, click Next.
7. At the Hyper-V screen, click Next.
8. At the Virtual Switches screen, click Next.
9. At the Migration screen, click Next.
10. At the Default Stores screen, enter the iSCSI storage location. Click Next.
11. At the Confirmation screen, check the box to automatically restart the server after installation, and click Install.
Creating the VM
1. Click Start, type Hyper-V Manager, and press Enter.
2. In the right pane, click Virtual Machines→New Virtual Machine.
3. Select a node on which to install the VM, and click OK.
5. At the Specify Name and Location screen, verify that the location is on iSCSI storage. Give the VM a name, and
click Next.
6. At the Assign Memory screen, type 8 GB, and click Next.
7. At the Configure Networking screen, use the drop-down menu to select the virtual switch, and click Next.

8. At the Connect Virtual Hard Disk screen, create a new disk, enter a size appropriate for the server role, and click
Finish. We sized every VHD at 30 GB.
9. At the Summary screen, click Finish.
Installing the VM operating system on the first VM
1. From the VM console, connect to the ISO image of the installation DVD for Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter.
If the ISO image is not stored on the host, start the VM, and connect to the ISO image.
2. Start the VM.
3. At the Language Selection Screen, click Next.
5. Select Windows Server 2012 R2 Enterprise (Full Installation), and click Next.
6. Click the I accept the license terms checkbox, and click Next.
7. Click Custom.
8. Click Next.
9. At the User’s password must be changed before logging on warning screen, click OK.
10. Enter the desired password for the administrator in both fields, and click the arrow to continue.
11. At the Your password has been changed screen, click OK.
12. Install the latest Host Integration Tools package on the VM. Restart as necessary.
13. Connect the machine to the Internet, and install all available Windows updates. Restart as necessary.
14. Enable remote desktop access.
15. Change the hostname, and reboot when prompted.
16. Create a shared folder to store test script files. Set permissions as needed.
17. Set up networking:
a. Click StartControl Panel, right-click Network Connections, and choose Open.
b. Right-click the VM traffic NIC, and choose Properties.
c. Select TCP/IP (v4), and choose Properties.
d. Assign the VM a static IP address.
Installing and configuring Microsoft Exchange Server
We installed Microsoft Exchange 2010 SP3 on a VM with Windows Server 2012 R2 residing on the system under
test.
Creating the Exchange 2010 VM
After cloning, modify the Exchange 2010 VM to contain the following settings:
 Memory: 8GB
 Virtual Processors: 1
 Additional virtual disks:
o 1 x 100GB virtual disk for mailbox storage and logs
Configuring the Exchange 2010 VM
1. Log into Windows using the appropriate credentials.
2. Select StartControl PanelNetwork ConnectionsEthernet 2.

3. Click Properties.
4. Highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and click Properties.
5. Select the Use the following IP address radio button, and enter the desired IP for your iSCSI network.
6. Click OK.
7. Open the start menu, type iSCSI Initiator and select the displayed tile.
8. If the installation asks you to start the service, click OK.
9. In the Quick Connect Target field, enter the IP assigned to the HP RAID Controller, and click Quick Connect…
10. Select the desired target, and click Connect.
11. Select the Volumes and Devices tab.
12. Click the Auto Configure button.
13. Click OK.
14. Open the start menu, type Hard Disk Partitions, from the right side, select Settings, and click the
displayed tile.
15. Right-click the disk sized 100GB, and select Online.
16. Right-click the disk, select Initialize Disk, and click OK.
17. Right-click the volume space, and select Create Simple Volume.
18. Click Next four times to accept all defaults, and click Finish.
Installing Active Directory and DNS services
1. On the VM, open Server Manager.
2. On the Welcome screen, click 2, and click Add roles and features.
3. At the initial Before you begin screen, click Next three times.
4. At the Server Roles screen, select Active Directory Domain Services.
5. On the pop-up window, click Add Features.
6. Click Next three times.
7. Verify the desired role is being installed, and click Install.
8. Once installation has finished, close the Add roles and features wizard.
9. In Server Manager, click the flag at the top, and select the Promote this server to a domain controller link.
10. Select Add a new forest, type a root domain name of test.local, and click Next.
11. On the Domain Controller Options window, enter a password, and click Next.
12. On the DNS Options screen, click Next.
13. On the Additional Options screen, click Next.
14. On the Review Options screen, click Next.
15. On the Prerequisites screen, verify all prerequisites have passed, and click Install.
16. Once Active Directory Domain Services finishes installing, click Finish, and restart the system.
Installing .NET Framework 3.5.1 Features and Internet Information Services
1. Select StartAdministrative ToolsServer Manager.
2. Click Features.
3. Click Add Features.

4. Select .NET Framework 3.5.1 Features
5. Click Add Required Role Services.
6. Click Next.
7. Click Next.
8. At the Select Role Services screen, select the IIS 6 Metabase Compatibility, IIS 6 Management Console, Basic
Authentication, Windows Authentication, Digest Authentication, Static content compression, and Dynamic
content Compression checkboxes, and click Next.
9. At the Confirm Installation Selections screen, click Install.
10. At the Installation Results screen, click Close.
Installing Microsoft Filter Pack 2.0
1. Download the Microsoft Filter Pack 2.0 from
www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=5cd4dcd7-d3e6-4970-875e-aba93459fbee.
2. Run FilterPackx64.EXE.
3. Click Next.
4. Click I accept the terms in the License Agreement, and click Next.
5. When the installation is complete, click OK.
Installing Exchange Server 2010
1. Click Start, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Right-click the Net.Tcp Port Sharing service, and click Properties.
3. Change the Net.Tcp Port Sharing startup type to Automatic, and click OK.
4. Open command prompt and type ServerManagerCmd –i RSAT-ADDS, and press Enter.
5. Reboot the VM.
6. Mount the installation ISO to the VM, and click Setup.EXE when prompted.
7. The installer should consider steps 1 and 2 complete, and gray them out.
8. Click Step 3: Choose Exchange Language Option.
9. Click Install only languages from the DVD.
10. Click Step 4: Install Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 SP1.
11. To go past the introduction screen, click Next.
12. Accept the license agreement, and click Next.
13. Select No for error reporting, and click Next.
14. Select Typical Exchange Server Installation, and click Next.
15. Leave the organization name at default (First Organization), and click Next.
16. At the question about client computers running Outlook 2003 and earlier, select Yes, and click Next.
17. Click Next to accept defaults for Configure Client Access server external domain.
18. At the Customer Experience Improvement Program screen, select I don’t want to join the program at this time,
and click Next.
19. If a warning about a lack of SMTP appears after the check finishes, ignore it.
20. To start the installation process, click Install.

21. Once installation is complete, click Finish.
22. Click OK when prompted to reboot.
23. Click Close.
24. To confirm exit, click Yes.
25. Reboot the VM.
Installing SP3 for Microsoft Exchange 2010
1. Download Service Pack 3 for Microsoft Exchange 2010 (Exchange2010-SP3-x64.exe) from
www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36768 to c:SP3 on the VM.
2. To extract the installation files, double-click the downloaded file.
3. To accept the destination directory for the extracted files, click OK.
4. To launch the installer, double-click setup.exe.
5. Click Install Microsoft Exchange Server upgrade.
6. At the Introduction screen, click Next.
7. Accept the terms in the license agreement, and click Next. The Readiness Checks should begin.
8. Install any roles in Server Manager that the Readiness Checks prompt you to install.
9. When the checks successfully complete, click Upgrade.
10. Click Finish, and reboot the VM.
Configuring Exchange Server 2010 connector
1. In the VM, Select StartAll ProgramsMicrosoft Exchange Server 2010Exchange Management Console.
2. In the left pane, click Microsoft Exchange On-Premises.
3. In the left pane, expand Organization Configuration, and select Hub Transport.
4. In the action pane on the far right, select New Send Connector.
5. Name the send connector SMTP, select the intended use as Internet, and click Next.
6. In the Address space screen, click Add.
7. In the SMTP Address Space screen, type * as the address, ensure that the installer has checked Include all
subdomains, and click OK.
8. Click Next.
9. To accept defaults for the next two pages, click Next.
10. At the New Connector page, click New to create the connector.
11. To close the New SMTP Send Connector wizard, click Finish.
Configuring the Exchange Server 2010 Mailbox role
1. Select StartAll ProgramsMicrosoft Exchange Server 2010Exchange Management Console.
2. In the left pane, expand Organization Configuration, and click Mailbox.
3. Click the Database Management tab.
4. Right-click Mailbox Database, and select Properties.
5. Select the Maintenance tab.
6. Check the Enable circular logging box.
7. Check the box beside This database can be overwritten by a restore.

8. Next to Maintenance interval, click Customize.
9. Remove all blue from the boxes so the system will not perform maintenance, and click OK.
10. Click OK.
11. Click OK to any warnings about circular logging being applied after the database is remounted.
12. On the far right pane, click Move Databases.
13. Change the Database file and Log folder path locations to point to the additional attached virtual disk, and click
Move.
14. If the application prompts you to dismount, click Yes.
15. Click Finish.
16. Right-click Public Folder Database, and select Properties.
17. Check the Enable circular logging checkbox, and uncheck the ESE scanning checkbox.
18. Next to Maintenance interval, click Customize.
19. Remove all blue from the boxes so the system will not perform maintenance, and click OK.
20. Click OK.
21. On any warnings about circular logging being applied after the database is remounted, click OK.
22. On the far right pane, click Move Database.
23. Change the Database file and Log folder path locations to point to the additional attached virtual disk, and click
Move.
24. If the application prompts you to dismount, click Yes.
25. Click Finish.
Installing and configuring the Exchange 2010 mail test client (LoadGen)
For our testing, we used a virtual client for the LoadGen workload. To create this client, we installed Windows
Server 2008 R2 and several other software components. We followed this process for the configuration:
Joining the domain
1. Select StartControl PanelNetwork ConnectionsLocal Area Connection.
2. Click Properties.
3. Highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and click Properties.
4. Select Use the following IP address, and enter the desired IP for your VM.
5. Select Use the following DNS server addresses, and enter the IP of the AD server in the Preferred DNS server
field. Click OK.
6. Right-click My Computer, and select Properties.
7. Under the Computer Name tab, click Change.
8. In the Computer Name Changes screen, under Computer name, type loadgen as your computer name.
9. In the Computer Name Changes screen, under the Member of section, select Domain, and type test.local
10. To join the domain, select OK.
11. When the screen appears asking for a person qualified on the domain, type administrator as the username
and Password1 as the password.

12. At the Welcome pop-up and the window warning that you must reset the computer for the changes to take
effect, click OK.
13. At the System Properties screen, click OK.
14. When a pop-up appears asking if you want to restart now, click Yes to restart your computer.
Installing Internet Information Services
1. Click StartAdministrative ToolsServer Manager.
2. On the left pane, click Roles.
3. Click Add Roles.
4. Click the Application Server checkbox.
5. When the Add features required for Application Server? screen appears, click Add Required Features.
6. Click Next.
7. Click Next.
8. At the Select Role Services page for Application Server, click the Web Server (IIS) Support checkbox.
9. Click Add Required Support Role Services.
10. Click Next.
11. Click Next.
12. At the Select Role Services page for Web Server (IIS), click IIS 6 Management Compatibility, ASP, and CGI
checkboxes; and click Next.
13. Click Install.
14. Click Close.
Installing Load Generator 2010
1. Download and install Load Generator 2010 using all defaults.
Preparing Load Generator
1. Log into the mail client using the tester account.
2. Select StartAll ProgramsMicrosoft ExchangeExchange Load Generator 2010.
3. When the Load Generator screen appears, select Start a new test.
4. Select Create a new test configuration, and click Continue.
5. Change the total length of simulation to 45 minutes.
6. In the Specify test settings screen, type Password1 as the Directory Access Password and Mailbox Account
Master Password, and click Continue with recipient management.
7. Make 500 users in the Mailbox Database, and click Continue.
8. To accept defaults for Advanced recipient settings, click Continue.
9. In the Specify test user groups screen, select the plus sign to add a user group.
10. Change the Client Type to Outlook 2007 Cached, the Action Profile to Exchange_200, and the Mailbox size to
100 MB.
11. In Remote configurations, click Continue.
12. Click Save the configuration file as, and name it testcfg.xml
13. After saving the configuration file, click Start the initialization phase (recommended before running the test).

Installing and configuring Microsoft SQL Server 2012
We installed Microsoft SQL Server 2012 on a VM residing on the system under test.
Configuring the SQL Server VM
After cloning, modify the SQL VM to contain the following settings:
 Memory: 8GB
 Virtual Processors: 2
 Additional virtual disks:
o 2 x 15GB virtual disks for SQL database and log data (Thick provisioned, eager-zeroed)
In the VM, configure the VM storage:
1. In the taskbar, click the Server Manager icon.
2. In the left pane, expand Storage, and click Disk Management.
3. Right-click the first volume, and choose Initialize Disk.
4. In the right pane, right-click the volume, and choose New Simple VoIume…
5. At the welcome window, click Next.
6. At the Specify Volume Size window, leave the default selection, and click Next.
7. At the Assign Drive Letter or Path window, choose a drive letter, and click Next.
8. At the Format Partition window, choose NTFS, and click Next.
9. At the Completing the New Simple Volume Wizard window, click Finish.
Installing SQL Server 2012
1. Open the console for the VM or connect to the VM with RDP.
2. Mount the installation ISO to the VM.
3. Click Run SETUP.EXE. If Autoplay does not begin the installation, navigate to the SQL Server 2012 DVD, and
double-click.
4. If the installer prompts you with a .NET installation prompt, click Yes to enable the .NET Framework Core role.
5. In the left pane, click Installation.
6. Click New SQL Server stand-alone installation or add features to an existing installation.
7. At the Setup Support Rules screen, wait for the rule check to complete. If there are no failures or relevant
warnings, click OK.
8. Select the Specify a free edition and from the drop-down menu, and select Evaluation. Click Next.
9. Click the checkbox to accept the license terms, and click Next.
10. If no failures are displayed after the setup support files are installed, click Next.
11. At the Setup Role screen, choose SQL Server Feature Installation.
12. At the Feature Selection screen, select Database Engine Services, Full-Text and Semantic Extractions for Search,
Client Tools Connectivity, Client Tools Backwards Compatibility, Management Tools – Basic, and Management
Tools – Complete. Click Next.
13. At the Installation Rules screen, click Next after the check completes.
14. At the Instance configuration screen, leave the default selection of default instance, and click Next.
15. At the Disk Space Requirements screen, click Next.

16. At the Server Configuration screen, check that NT AUTHORITYSYSTEM is selected for SQL Server Agent and SQL
Server Database Engine. Click Next.
17. Assuming there are no failures, click Next.
18. At the Database Engine Configuration screen, select Mixed Mode.
19. Enter and confirm a password for the system administrator account.
20. Click Add Current user. This may take several seconds.
21. Click the Data Directories tab, and enter the appropriate drive and folders for database and logs.
22. Click Next.
23. At the Error and usage reporting screen, click Next.
24. At the Installation Configuration Rules screen, check that there are no failures or relevant warnings, and click
Next.
25. At the Ready to Install screen, click Install.
26. After installation completes, click Close.
27. Create a SQL Server login for the ds2user (see the Configuring the database (Data generation overview) section
for the specific script to use).
28. Copy the pre-created DVD Store backup to the specified backup volume.
29. Download and install any available updates for Microsoft SQL Server 2012. We installed SQL Server 2012 SP1
and CU5.
Configuring the database workload client
For our testing, we used a virtual client for the Microsoft SQL Server client. To create this client, we installed
Windows Server 2008 R2, assigned a static IP address, and installed .NET 3.5.
Configuring the database
Data generation overview
We generated the data using the Install.pl script included with DVD Store version 2.1 (DS2), providing the
parameters for our 5GB database size and the database platform on which we ran: Microsoft SQL Server. We ran the
Install.pl script on a utility system running Linux. The database schema was also generated by the Install.pl script.
After processing the data generation, we transferred the data files and schema creation files to a Windows-
based system running SQL Server 2012. We built the 5GB database in SQL Server 2012, and then performed a full
backup, storing the backup file on the C: drive for quick access. We used that backup file to restore the server between
test runs.
The only modification we made to the schema creation scripts were the specified file sizes for our database. We
explicitly set the file sizes higher than necessary to ensure that no file-growth activity would affect the outputs of the
test. Besides this file size modification, the database schema was created and loaded according to the DVD Store
documentation. Specifically, we followed the steps below:
1. We generated the data and created the database and file structure using database creation scripts in the DS2
download. We made size modifications specific to our 5GB database and the appropriate changes to drive
letters.
2. We transferred the files from our Linux data generation system to a Windows system running SQL Server.

3. We created database tables, stored procedures, and objects using the provided DVD Store scripts.
4. We set the database recovery model to bulk-logged to prevent excess logging.
5. We loaded the data we generated into the database. For data loading, we used the import wizard in SQL Server
Management Studio. Where necessary, we retained options from the original scripts, such as Enable Identity
Insert.
6. We created indices, full-text catalogs, primary keys, and foreign keys using the database-creation scripts.
7. We updated statistics on each table according to database-creation scripts, which sample 18 percent of the
table data.
8. On the SQL Server instance, we created a ds2user SQL Server login using the following Transact SQL (TSQL)
script:
USE [master]
GO
CREATE LOGIN [ds2user] WITH PASSWORD=N’’,
DEFAULT_DATABASE=[master],
DEFAULT_LANGUAGE=[us_english],
CHECK_EXPIRATION=OFF,
CHECK_POLICY=OFF
GO
1. We set the database recovery model back to full.
2. We created the necessary full text index using SQL Server Management Studio.
3. We created a database user and mapped this user to the SQL Server login.
4. We then performed a full backup of the database. This backup allowed us to restore the databases to a pristine
state relatively quickly between tests.
Figure 10 shows our initial file size modifications.
Logical name Filegroup Initial size (MB)
Database files
primary PRIMARY 4
cust1 DS_CUST_FG 2,560
cust2 DS_CUST_FG 2,560
ind1 DS_IND_FG 1,536
ind2 DS_IND_FG 1,536
ds_misc DS_MISC_FG 1,536
orders1 DS_ORDERS 1,536
orders2 DS_ORDERS 1,536
Log files
ds_log Not applicable 10,240
Figure 10: Our initial file size modifications.

Running the test
Test start and run times
We ran all workloads concurrently in order to start and record all performance counters for this report. The
specific testing parameters we used for each benchmark are included in the setup sections, and specifics for launching
these tests are described below.
About running the LoadGen test
To run the test, we installed the LoadGen client and server components and simulated 500 Exchange users
targeting the Exchange VM using LoadGen’s Outlook 2007 cached Workload profile. We ran the LoadGen benchmark for
45 minutes, and beginning at the 15-minute mark, we used a 30-minute measurement window for performance
monitoring.
For more details about LoadGen, see www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=14060.
About running the DVD Store tests
We created a series of batch files, SQL scripts, and shell scripts to automate the complete test cycle. DVD Store
outputs an orders-per-minute metric, which is a running average calculated through the test. In this report, we report
the last OPM reported by each client/target pair.
Each complete test cycle consisted of the general steps listed below.
1. Clean up prior outputs from the target system and the client driver system.
2. Drop the database from the target.
3. Restore the database on the target.
4. Shut down the target.
5. Reboot the host and client system.
6. Wait for a ping response from the server under test (the hypervisor system), the client system, and the target.
7. Let the test server idle for 20 minutes.
8. Start the DVD Store driver on the client.
We used the following DVD Store parameters for testing:
ds2sqlserverdriver.exe --target=<target_IP> --ramp_rate=10 --run_time=30 --
n_threads=32 --db_size=5GB --think_time=0 --detailed_view=Y --warmup_time=15
--report_rate=1 --csv_output=<drive path>

ABOUT PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES
Principled Technologies, Inc.
1007 Slater Road, Suite 300
Durham, NC, 27703
www.principledtechnologies.com
We provide industry-leading technology assessment and fact-based
marketing services. We bring to every assignment extensive experience
with and expertise in all aspects of technology testing and analysis, from
researching new technologies, to developing new methodologies, to
testing with existing and new tools.
When the assessment is complete, we know how to present the results to
a broad range of target audiences. We provide our clients with the
materials they need, from market-focused data to use in their own
collateral to custom sales aids, such as test reports, performance
assessments, and white papers. Every document reflects the results of
our trusted independent analysis.
We provide customized services that focus on our clients’ individual
requirements. Whether the technology involves hardware, software, Web
sites, or services, we offer the experience, expertise, and tools to help our
clients assess how it will fare against its competition, its performance, its
market readiness, and its quality and reliability.
Our founders, Mark L. Van Name and Bill Catchings, have worked
together in technology assessment for over 20 years. As journalists, they
published over a thousand articles on a wide array of technology subjects.
They created and led the Ziff-Davis Benchmark Operation, which
developed such industry-standard benchmarks as Ziff Davis Media’s
Winstone and WebBench. They founded and led eTesting Labs, and after
the acquisition of that company by Lionbridge Technologies were the
head and CTO of VeriTest.
Principled Technologies is a registered trademark of Principled Technologies, Inc.
All other product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.
Disclaimer of Warranties; Limitation of Liability:
PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. HAS MADE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE ACCURACY AND VALIDITY OF ITS TESTING, HOWEVER,
PRINCIPLED TECHNOLOGIES, INC. SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, RELATING TO THE TEST RESULTS AND
ANALYSIS, THEIR ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR QUALITY, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
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