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Conference ulysse::rdb_vms_competition

Title:DEC Rdb against the World
Moderator:HERON::GODFRIND
Created:Fri Jun 12 1987
Last Modified:Thu Feb 23 1995
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1348
Total number of notes:5438

1161.0. "what does tpsA tell me?" by VAOU02::JBLAIR () Wed Jun 10 1992 03:10

    I am new to the TPC world so please be gentle.
    
    I have noticed that our TPC-A results have an interesting relationship
    between the tpsA-local value and the # of users. In each case the tpsA
    value is approximately 10% of the # of users. I wonder why?
    
    What exactly is the tpsA number telling me? If the # of users is 220
    and the tpsA result is 21.6 does that mean that if all 220 users
    initiated a transaction at the time time then 21.6 of these would be
    completed in the first second? So would it take 10 seconds for all 220
    users to see a complete transaction? Am I way off base? Any and all
    help greatly appreciated.
    
    regards,
    jeanne
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1161.1A simplified explanation, it's more complicated than thisIJSAPL::OLTHOFHenny Olthof @UTO 838-2021Wed Jun 10 1992 09:3117
Jeanne,

The 10% is no coincidence. Each user submits a transaction each 10 seconds
(on average). So if you have a system that does 10 TPS, you must have 100
users to generate these transactions. The 10 seconds 'think-time' is a
figure written down in the TPC-A specification.

The way to get to the number of TPS is get a system, load it with users and
get it running. Measure the responsetimes. Increase the number of users
(also the size of the database etc) until the point, that no longer
90% of all transactions finish within specified time. The last 'valid'
TPS rating within the sepcified time (don't recall wether that's 1 or 2
seconds) is the official one. So yes, 90% of all transactions finish within
the specified time.

Regards,
Henny Olthof
1161.2This isn't a DEC-specific thingCOOKIE::BERENSONLex mala, lex nullaWed Jun 10 1992 17:283
Just to be clear, you will see this relationship in ALL TPC-A benchmarks
from ALL vendors.  The TPC-A specification requires that it be run this
way.
1161.3Is the spec on-line?VAOU02::JBLAIRWed Jun 10 1992 20:474
    Thanks for the quick reply.... Is the TPC-A spec on-line? I want to
    know more about this. Thanks a bunch,
    
    jeanne
1161.4Check with our man in the committeeIJSAPL::OLTHOFHenny Olthof @UTO 838-2021Thu Jun 11 1992 09:3210
Jeanne,

I suggest that you contact our representative in the TPC committee. His name
is Walt Kohler (@TAY). If you can get a hold of one of the published
performance reports, that will give you also some information. The description
of the benchmark is in the first chapters. We used to publish these things,
so check at your documentation center. These reports could also be ordered
through VXT LOS in the past, don't know if this still applies.

Henny Olthof, TP-DB The Netherlands
1161.5We have 3 reps to TPCCOOKIE::OAKEYPicard/Riker '92Thu Jun 11 1992 17:0814
Jeanne,

We have 3 representatives with TPC

	Walt Kohler (as -.1 said)
	Amitabh Shah
	Mike Brey

Don't expect an answer from any of them this week.  The bi-monthly TPC 
meeting is in Paris this week and they are all attending.  

Another place to collect the actual various TPC specs is through the 
Council directly, since they administer them.  I was not able to 
immediately track down TPC's address, sorry.
1161.6its in there.WILBRY::NEEDLEMANFri Jun 12 1992 20:464
    look in tpsdoc::sys$public:[tp_performance] for much of your requested
    data.
    
    Barry
1161.7The Benchmark HandbookKETJE::GERARDJean-Paul GERARD - EIS - BrusselsWed Jun 24 1992 18:1116
Hi Jeanne,

You could also buy the benchmark bible:

	The Benchmark Handbook
	For database and transaction processing systems

		Edited by Jim Gray

	Morgan Kaufmann Publishers
	2029 Campus Drive, suite 260
	San Mateo, CA 94403

	ISBN: 1-55860-159-7

Jean-Paul
1161.8Application perspective on .0TPSYS::SHAHAmitabh Shah - Just say NO to decaf.Wed Jun 24 1992 20:4937
	Re. .0

	> I have noticed that our TPC-A results have an interesting relationship
    	> between the tpsA-local value and the # of users. In each case the tpsA
    	> value is approximately 10% of the # of users. I wonder why?

	Jeanne:

	It helps to picture the application TPC-A is trying to model. Imagine
	a bank having a number (say, B) branches. Each branch has *10* tellers,
	each sitting in front of a terminal, and entertaining customers who
	come in for transactions. Thus, for B branches, there are 10B tellers,
	each corresponding to a user in the database. 

	Now, TPC-A has been designed so that each teller services 1 customer
	approx. every 10 seconds; thus, each branch does approx. 1 transaction
	every *1* second.

	Thus: the tpsA number reported is approx. equal to the number of
	branches supported by the database (ceiling(tpsA-number) = B), and the 
	number of users (tellers) is approx. 10 times this number.

	Note that TPC-A does not disallow having more branches than the 
	reported tpsA number, but no one would want to do that from the price
	/performance point (the amount of data storage required to be priced
	is directly proportional to the number of branches). 

	TPC-A does not allow having fewer branches than the reported tpsA
	number. Thus, with B branches, one can have a tpsA number in the 
	range (B-1,B] only. 

	Hope this helps.

	-amitabh.

	BTW, all TPC specifications are available on-line in PostScript and
	MS Word format by (anonymous) FTP from dg.com, directory /ftp/tpc.