Conference ulysse::rdb_vms_competition

1262.0. "Sequent/Oracle Announce 1000 tps TPC-A Cluster Result" by KXOVAX::SECRIST (Software Evangelist) Fri Jun 25 1993 20:49

From:	TPSYS::KOHLER "WALT KOHLER, SWG SOFTWARE PERFORMANCE GROUP, TAY1-2, (508) 952-4428  25-Jun-1993 1253" 25-JUN-1993 13:18:14.99
To:	@[KOHLER.TPC]TPC
CC:	WK_STAFF,KOHLER
Subj:	Sequent/Oracle Announce 1000 tps TPC-A Cluster Result

============================================================================
SUBJECT:  SEQUENT AND ORACLE ANNOUNCE MAINFRAME-CLASS PERFORMANCE AND HIGH
          AVAILABILITY IN CLUSTERED OPEN SYSTEMS; BENCHMARK TEST BREAKS
          1,000 TPSA BARRIER
SOURCE:   Business Wire via First! by INDIVIDUAL, Inc.
DATE:     June 23, 1993
INDEX:    [4]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

  BEAVERTON, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE) via First! -- In response to market
demand for high availability and high performance in an open systems
environment, Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. and Oracle Corporation today
announced general availability of the Oracle7 Parallel Server on Sequent's
clustering technology, ptx/CLUSTERS.  To demonstrate the real-world
application of this combination, Sequent has released a benchmark that
represents the first time an open system has supported more than 10,000
users and delivered more than 1,000 transactions per second (tpsA) at a cost
per transaction of under $10,000.

  The new mark of 1,002.37 tpsA for a Transaction Processing Performance
Council Benchmark A simulating 10,040 users was set using two Sequent
Symmetry symmetric multiprocessor servers linked by ptx/CLUSTERS, which
enables applications to view multiple-node systems as a single, very large
system.  The clustered Symmetry configuration ran the Oracle7 Cooperative
Service Database with the Parallel Server option against a single shared
database.  This approach provides the high level of availability that
mission-critical environments require, and allows multiple online
transaction processing databases to be consolidated for easier access and
administration.

  "This test establishes that Sequent and Oracle can help customers move
confidently to open systems for an entire enterprise, no matter how large,
with the safety and performance they need," said Casey Powell, president and
CEO of Sequent.  "Our results represent the first time that this level of
performance and availability has been achieved on an open system, and they
underscore our commitment to providing safe passage from proprietary to open
environments."

  "The exceptional performance achieved by Sequent using the Oracle7
Parallel Server demonstrates the reality of UNIX cluster technology as a
means of providing high-end, mission-critical computing today," said Jerry
Baker, senior vice president of Oracle's product line division.  "Our
internal tests at the Oracle Data Center support the results achieved by
Sequent.  As a result, we will be rolling out ORACLE Financials applications
on Sequent ptx/CLUSTERS for our internal financial systems."

  The TPC Benchmark A was performed using two Symmetry 2000/750 servers,
linked by ptx/CLUSTERS, with a total of 46 Intel i486 50MHz processors,
1.3GB of memory, 238GB of disk and eight Symmetry 2000/250 clients.  The
cost per transaction was $9,313.  The systems ran standard-distribution
Oracle7 Parallel Server software for the Sequent DYNIX/ptx operating system.
The systems that achieved the benchmark results announced today are fully
compatible with Intel's forthcoming Pentium microprocessor.

  ptx/CLUSTERS and the Oracle7 Parallel Server

  Sequent's clustered solution, ptx/CLUSTERS, provides enhanced data
management for large systems environments.  It offers the performance
benefits of multiple systems - such as the ability to support more users
accessing more data and larger applications - while referring to a single,
shared database.  It also delivers higher performance and application
availability than single-node systems.  ptx/CLUSTERS includes a fault-
tolerant distributed lock manager, online disk replacement, shared tape
drive support as well as support for more than 750GB of shared storage.
With these features, ptx/CLUSTERS supports the enterprise-wide consolidation
of strategic data and large-scale decision support applications.  The
ptx/CLUSTERS package includes one week of consulting (per node purchased)
from the Sequent Professional Services organization.

  Oracle7 with the Parallel Server option was designed to take advantage of
the benefits of cluster technology: high availability, extended scalability
and unified database administration.  Oracle7 Parallel Server provides a
near-fault-tolerant solution for database users.  If a single node or
database engine in the cluster fails, users continue working against the
same database simply by transferring to the remaining operating nodes.  In
addition, Oracle7's leadership in scalability on high-end UNIX systems has
been extended beyond multiple processors to multiple nodes, providing
support for increasingly large user bases.  Database administrators will
also appreciate the simplicity of managing a single, consolidated database
in contrast to supporting many different databases or a database distributed
among many different machines.

  Pricing and Availability

  Sequent's ptx/CLUSTERS has been available since March 1993, and may be
ordered from Sequent.  The software ranges from $12,500 to $37,500 per node,
depending on options.  System prices range from $15,360 to $307,200 per node
depending on the number of users and hardware model.  For more information
about Sequent products, call (800) 854-0428.  The Oracle7 Parallel Server is
available now, and may be ordered from Oracle Corporation.  For more
information about Oracle products, call (800) 345-DBMS.

  Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:SQNT) is the leading architect of
open systems solutions for commercial OLTP and decision support
applications.  Sequent develops and markets scalable computing systems that
support enterprise-wide applications and information services.  Since the
launch of its symmetric multiprocessor family in 1984, Sequent has installed
more than 4,500 large-scale systems worldwide.

  Note to Editors:  Sequent, Symmetry and DYNIX/ptx are registered
trademarks of Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.  Oracle, Oracle7 and Oracle
Financials are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. Intel is a
registered trademark and i486 and Pentium are trademarks of Intel
Corporation.  UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Novell, Inc.

  CONTACT:  Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. | Mike Green or Tami Sturdevant,
503/626-5700 | or | Waggener Edstrom | Arlene Watkins, 503/245-0905 | or |
Oracle Corporation | Michelle Bertnick, 415/506-4176 | Ref: NR-1023

[06-23-93 at 16:21 EDT, Business Wire, File: b0623162.000]

    With or without "discrete transaction"?
    
    Ken

	with discrete transactions, of course. Oracle does not leave home
	without it :-). 

	; with discrete transactions, of course. Oracle does not leave home
	; without it :-). 

What's a "discrete transaction" ?

rcs

    "Discrete Transactions" seem to be a special function that Oracle
    included in V7 inorder to get real impressive TPC-A,B tps.
    
    They have been blasted by at least one industry pundit for it, and
    O's lawyers are rattling their legal sabres about that.  They'll lose.
    
    See note 1168.8-.11, et al, for an expert description.
    
    Ken

MAYNARD, Mass.--(15-APR-93 BUSINESS WIRE)--In an address to the Transaction
Processing Performance Council (TPC), The Standish Group International,
Inc.'s chairman, Jim Johnson, told the TPC that some of the latest
TPC-A Benchmark results are, in our opinion, not only invalid, but
seriously misleading.

Specifically, the recent audited TPC-A benchmark results offered
by IBM, HP, DEC, and others using the ORACLE7 RDBMS with the newly
introduced "discrete transaction" option serve to discredit TPC-A as a
viable commercial systems benchmark.

Last August, Oracle announced the ORACLE7 RDBMS.  ORACLE7
implements a poorly documented, special transaction model option known
as the discrete transaction model option known as the discrete
transaction.  Discrete transactions bypass many of the integrity
features and general functionality of ORACLE7, and significantly cuts
the processing "path length" of the transaction.

Curiously, the integrity features remaining in the discrete
transaction option are those just sufficient to execute the TPC-A
benchmark test - a notoriously undemanding test.  The Standish Group's
research indicates that this limited functionality option could be used
by very few, if an, users developing production applications.  This
being the case, The Standish Group believes that the discrete
transaction was implemented in ORACLE7 soley for the purpose of running
the TPC-A benchmark as efficiently as possible.  The Standish Group
also believes that Oracle developed the discrete transaction option
because ORACLE7 would not perform any better than Oracle version 6 -
thus discrete transactions were implemented to provide a system bypass
and "demonstrate" dramatically improved TPC-A results.

Coincident with the ORACLE7 announcement, major hardware vendors
unveiled incredible ORACLE7 TPC-A benchmark results - using, of course,
the new discrete transaction option.  The Standish Group views TPC as
race officials and TPC-A as a stock-car race - a race between everyday,
useful, production capable transaction processing solutions.  "Oracle
built a formula one race car to run in a race that should be for stock
cars only - cars that can be used on real roads.  IBM, HP, DEC and
others drove the formula one around the track, the benchmark auditors
waved the checkered flag, and TPC presented them with the winning cup,"
said Standish's Johnson.  "All the while, Tandem, Sybase, Informix and
others were still racing their stock cars."
The TPC benchmark A, at its best, is of limited use, but it did
have some viability.  In our opinion, Oracle has now completely
invalidated its use as a comparison of heterogeneous database
solutions.  "We are advising our clients that TPC-A is no longer a
viable commercial system comparison and is completely invalid,"
continued Johnson.

Johnson further warned the TPC to clean up their act.  "With the
fall of TPC-A, the TPC has lost credibility.  With TPC-C you get
another chance - don't blow it, again," said Johnson.  Among Johnson's
recommendations to the TPC was that they adopt a code of ethics, and
establish a user review board.

The Standish Group International Inc., 295 White's Path, South
Yarmouth, MA is a research and educational company specializing in
transaction processing.

From PC Week June 28, 1993 "Breaking News" Page 3

Oracle sues Standish Group

Database giant Oracle last week filed suit against the The Standish Group
International, a small market-research firm that accused Oracle of using a 
subset of its Oracle7 database to produce fast benchmark results.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Northern California, accused 
Standish of libel, slander, disparagement, interference with economic
advantage and unfair competition.

    View from a distance,
    
    If we can do 300ish on a 7000-610 with Rdb why don't we just put four
    in a cluster, or a 640(?) and blow them away? How would the price
    performance look?
    
    Would it do us any good, and should we point out that we don't have
    anything like discrete transactions?
    
    Just musing on day1 of a new fiscal.
    
    Andrew

    re:-.1
    
    It only costs 10's of thousands of $$ to perform these benchmarks.  We
    have a plan which will keep making statements on a yearly basis.  We
    just announced the best multiprocessor numbers...there will be
    others...
    
    -Jay