Break the Web Server Speed Limit with a Web Server Accelerator
Articles and Tips: article
Senior Research Engineer
Novell Advanced Development Group
01 Aug 1998
Independent test results show how BorderManager Web server acceleration on a Compaq server beat out competing configurations costing thousands more.
- Introduction
- SPECweb96 Benchmark Results
- How to Break the Speed Limit
- Detailed Configurations
- Conclusion
Introduction
With the increasing popularity of Web servers as a means to dispense information both internally and externally, many network designers are looking for easy and inexpensive ways to boost the performance of NetWare-, Windows NT-, and UNIX-based Web servers.
Compaq and Hewlett-Packard recently used Netscape's Enterprise Server for NetWare and Novell's BorderManager Web server acceleration on Intel platforms to produce the fastest uniprocessor SPECweb96 benchmark results ever submitted to the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC).
This AppNote summarizes these impressive benchmark results and details the hardware and software configurations used in the tests.
For more information on BorderManager Web server acceleration, see the following related AppNotes:
"A Quick Guide to Web Server Acceleration", Novell AppNotes, Oct 1997
"Three Ways to Deliver Cached Performance to Your Internet and Intranet Users", Novell AppNotes, Sept 1997
"Web Server Acceleration with Novell's BorderManager: A Case Study of www.novell.com", Novell AppNotes, Aug 1997
For more information about the BorderManager family of products, see
http://www.novell.com/products/bordermanager/
SPECweb96 Benchmark Results
SPECweb96 (www.spec.org) is a Web server benchmark that measures the maximum number of operations (hits) per second a Web server can service. Over the past several years, this benchmark has been used to test a variety of Web servers on both Intel and non-Intel platforms. Figure 1 compares the Compaq and HP results to the rest of the SPECweb96 results.
Figure 1: Summary of SPECweb96 uniprocessor results (sorted in result order).
|
Date
|
HW Vendor
|
HW Model
|
Processor
|
MHz
|
RAM (MB)
|
MTU
|
Results
|
|
May 98 |
HP |
NetServer LH 3/400 |
Pentium II |
400 |
1024 |
1500 |
2131 |
|
Apr 98 |
DEC |
AlphaServer 1200 5/533 |
Alpha |
533 |
1536 |
4352 |
2045 |
|
Mar 98 |
Compaq |
ProLiant 3000 |
Pentium II |
300 |
512 |
1500 |
1639 |
|
Oct 97 |
DEC |
AlphaServer 1200 5/533 |
Alpha |
533 |
1280 |
4352 |
1631 |
|
Oct 97 |
DEC |
AlphaServer 4000 5/533 |
Alpha |
533 |
2048 |
4352 |
1586 |
|
Jul 98 |
DEC |
AlphaServer 800 5/500 |
Alpha |
500 |
1024 |
4352 |
1545 |
|
Oct 97 |
HP |
9000/C240 |
PA-RISC 8000 |
236 |
1280 |
9218 |
1493 |
|
Jan 98 |
SGI |
Origin 200 QC |
MIPS R1000 |
180 |
1536 |
1500 |
1380 |
|
Apr 98 |
HP |
NetServer LH 3/400 |
Pentium II |
400 |
1024 |
9218 |
1342 |
|
Jul 98 |
HP |
NetServer LC 3/350 |
Pentium II |
350 |
1024 |
4352 |
1289 |
|
Feb 97 |
DEC |
AlphaServer 4000 5/400 |
Alpha |
466 |
1024 |
4352 |
1220 |
|
Oct 97 |
DEC |
AlphaServer 800 5/500 |
Alpha |
500 |
1024 |
4352 |
1158 |
|
Nov 96 |
DEC |
AlphaServer 4000 5/400 |
Alpha |
400 |
1024 |
4352 |
1157 |
|
Mar 98 |
Micron |
NetFRAME 3100 |
Pentium II |
400 |
1024 |
1500 |
1150 |
|
Jun 97 |
SGI |
Origin 200 |
MIPS R1000 |
180 |
1024 |
4352 |
1062 |
|
Apr 98 |
HP |
NetServer LH II/300 |
Pentium II |
300 |
512 |
4352 |
1001 |
|
Aug 97 |
Sun |
Ultra Enterprise 450 |
UltraSPARC II |
296 |
1024 |
9180 |
884 |
|
Mar 98 |
Sun |
Ultra Axi |
UltraSPARC Iii |
333 |
1024 |
9180 |
856 |
|
Aug 96 |
HP |
9000 Model K460 |
PA-RISC 8000 |
180 |
2048 |
4352 |
801 |
|
Nov 96 |
DEC |
AlphaServer 1000A 5/400 |
Alpha |
400 |
512 |
4352 |
790 |
|
Mar 97 |
HP |
NetServer 6/200 LH Pro |
Pentium Pro |
200 |
1024 |
4352 |
750 |
|
Jun 97 |
Compaq |
ProLiant 800 |
Pentium Pro |
200 |
512 |
4352 |
573 |
|
Oct 96 |
DEC |
AlphaServer 2000 5/300 |
Alpha |
300 |
640 |
4352 |
570 |
|
Feb 98 |
Data General |
SiteStak TW5000 |
Pentium Pro |
200 |
128 |
1500 |
500 |
|
Nov 96 |
HP |
9000 Model D330 |
PA7300LC |
160 |
512 |
9218 |
500 |
|
Sep 96 |
IBM |
RS/6000 43P-140 |
PowerPC |
200 |
448 |
4352 |
459 |
|
Jan 97 |
HP |
Visualize B132L |
PA-RISC |
132 |
384 |
1500 |
430 |
|
Nov 96 |
HP |
9000 Model D320 |
PA7300LC |
132 |
512 |
9218 |
426 |
|
Nov 96 |
DEC |
AlphaServer 300 |
Alpha |
266 |
256 |
4352 |
421 |
|
Oct 96 |
HP |
Visualize B160L |
PA-RISC 7300LC |
160 |
384 |
1500 |
380 |
|
Nov 96 |
IBM |
RS/6000 43P-140 |
PowerPC |
200 |
448 |
4352 |
330 |
|
Sep 96 |
Sun |
Netra i 1/170 |
UltraSPARC |
167 |
512 |
1500 |
310 |
|
Dec 96 |
HP |
9000 Model D310 |
PA-RISC |
100 |
512 |
9218 |
281 |
|
Jun 96 |
DEC |
AlphaServer 1000A 4/266 |
Alpha |
266 |
128 |
4352 |
252 |
|
Jun 96 |
HP |
9000 Model D210 |
PA7100LC |
100 |
416 |
4352 |
216 |
All of the results shown above are from Web servers with a single processor ranging from 200MHz Intel Pentium Pro processors to 533MHz DEC Alpha processors. The Compaq and HP results at the top of the chart (highlighted in bold) are among the fastest ever published, while their solutions are among the least expensive.
In March 1998, Compaq used a $19,000 ProLiant 3000 with a single 300MHz Intel Pentium II processor to produce 1639 SPECweb96 operations per second. At the time it was submitted, the Compaq result was the best of all uniprocessor solutions. In fact, it beat many of the dual-processor SPECweb96 solutions--including a $44,000 dual-processor Sun Ultra Enterprise 450.
In May 1998, HP used a $22,000 NetServer LH 3/400 with a single 400MHz Intel Pentium II Deschutes Slot-1 processor to generate 2132 operations per second. Once again, a Novell-assisted solution using BorderManager to accelerate the Netscape Enterprise Server for NetWare ran away with top honors. This solution even beat a $36,000 533MHz DEC AlphaServer 1200.
These SPECweb96 results are outstanding for several reasons:
Faster than a DEC Alpha. Both systems are faster than almost all other solutions, including several running on 533MHz DEC Alpha processors.
Faster than a Dual-Processor Sun Enterprise 450. Both systems beat the dual-processor Sun solution (see http://www.spec.org/osg/web96/results/ res97q3/web96-970819-02022.html for details).
Realistic RAM configuration. The Compaq/FastCache solution used less memory (only 512MB) than all other solutions at the high end, while other NT- and Unix-based systems required more than twice the RAM (1,280MB to 2,048MB) to compete.
Realistic network configuration. Both systems used Ethernet and a realistic maximum transmission unit (MTU) of 1514 bytes between the test clients and server. Nearly all of the other vendors' results used much larger, non-Ethernet MTUs, including a 4352-byte FDDI MTU and a 9218-byte ATM MTU. Results based on these MTUs aren't realistic and can't be applied to real-world intranet and Internet environments. In fact, a study produced by HP demonstrates that benchmarks configured with large MTUs can inflate benchmark results by nearly two times. The study found that when using a 576-byte MTU as a baseline for Internet communications, an FDDI MTU inflated results by almost 70%, while an ATM MTU inflated the results by nearly 200%.
Best price-performance ratio. The Compaq/FastCache solution's street price is approximately $19,000, while a slower dual-processor Sun Ultra Enterprise 450 system sold for over $44,000.
The bottom line is that, for corporate intranets, commercial content publishers, and ISPs, Novell BorderManager solutions serve more users faster and more efficiently--at a fraction of the cost of solutions based on UNIX and non-Intel processors.
How to Break the Speed Limit
The Novell solution used by Compaq and HP is unique because Novell's BorderManager and Netscape's Enterprise Server for NetWare coexist on the same server. This configuration yields the highest performance and the best price/performance ratio.
For this solution, the Web server operates on a secondary IP address within the server, while the Web server accelerator receives all requests for the Web server on the server's primary IP address (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: A Web server and Web server accelerator combined in a single server.
This combination of Web server and Web server accelerator is ideal for sites where server hardware is limited.
Detailed Configurations
The following sections detail the configuration and tuning parameters used for the Compaq and HP BorderManager solutions.
Compaq Configuration and Tuning Parameters
|
Hardware |
||
|
Vendor |
Compaq |
|
|
Model |
ProLiant 3000 |
|
|
Processor |
1 Pentium II (300MHz) |
|
|
Primary Cache |
16KBI + 16KBD on chip |
|
|
Secondary Cache |
512KB (I+D) on chip |
|
|
Other Cache |
None |
|
|
Memory |
512MB |
|
|
Disk Subsystem |
1 4.3GB Seagate Barracuda, 6 4.3GB Seagate Cheetahs |
|
|
Disk Controllers |
Integrated SCSI-3 controller |
|
|
Other Hardware |
None |
|
Software |
||
|
Operating System |
IntranetWare 4.11 with Support Pack 4B (INWSP4B.EXE) |
|
|
File System Type |
NetWare |
|
|
SYS volume |
OS, WS, and logging ran on a standard 4.3GB volume |
|
|
Other Software |
None |
|
HTTP Software |
||
|
Vendor |
Novell |
|
|
HTTP Software |
Netscape Enterprise Server 3.5 for NetWare |
|
|
No. of threads |
1 |
|
|
Web server |
Installed with defaults - loaded with NVXWEBUP.NCF (excludes the admin server) |
|
|
Server Cache |
Novell BorderManager 2.1 Web Server Accelerator with Support Pack 1A (BMSP1A.EXE) and Proxy Update 103B (BMP102B.EXE) |
|
|
Log Mode |
Standard |
|
BorderManager |
|
Configured to accelerate Netscape Enterprise Server for NetWare |
|
Added NWAdmin for NT Snap-ins for BorderManager (BMNWNTB.EXE) |
|
Updated MSM.NLM with 12-2-97 version |
|
Updated ETHERTSM with 12-8-97 version |
|
Updated PROXY.NLM with 3-2-98 version |
|
Updated TCPIP.NLM with 3-12-98 version |
|
Added FATFREFX.NLM |
|
Added CACHEPER.NLM |
|
Added LOCKPERF.NLM |
|
Cache Volume |
|
NetWare volume spanning six drives, each with a single 204MB partition |
|
8KB volume block size, no suballocation, no compression |
|
Benchmark Configuration |
|
|
Maximum Requested Load |
1650 |
|
Maximum File Set Size |
888 MB |
|
Network |
|
|
Network Controllers |
5 Intel EtherExpress PRO/100 Server Adapters |
|
No. of Nets |
5, with four clients per net |
|
Type of Nets |
Ethernet |
|
Network Speed |
100 Mbps |
|
MSL (sec) |
30 (Non RFC1122) |
|
Time-Wait (sec) |
60 (Non RFC1122) |
Notes: Each net connected by a Bay Networks Baystack 100 Base-T hub. The Web server and controller are located on the fifth net. All nets at half duplex.
STARTUP.NCF File pmload FATFREFX.NLM pmload CACHEPER.NLM load LOCKPERF.NLM set maximum physical receive packet size = 1514 set maximum packet receive buffers = 2000 set minimum packet receive buffers = 500 set maximum service processes = 100
AUTOEXEC.NCF File set maximum concurrent disk cache writes = 500 set directory cache allocation wait time = 0.1 sec set directory cache buffer nonreferenced delay = 60 min set minimum directory cache buffers = 10000 set maximum service processes = 100 set upgrade low priority threads = off set maximum file locks = 100000
HP Configuration and Tuning Parameters
|
Hardware |
|
|
Vendor |
Hewlett-Packard |
|
Model |
NetServer LH 3/400 |
|
Processor |
1 Pentium II (400 MHz) |
|
Primary Cache |
16KBI + 16KBD on chip |
|
Secondary Cache |
512KB(I+D) off chip |
|
Other Cache |
None |
|
Memory |
1.0 GB |
|
Disk Subsystem |
5 9GB 10K RPM Drives |
|
Disk Controllers |
Integrated Ultra-SCSI, I2O RAID |
|
Software |
|
|
Operating System |
IntranetWare 4.11 with Support Pack 5B |
|
File System Type |
NetWare |
|
SYS volume |
OS and logging ran on a standard NetWare 4GB volume |
|
Other Software |
None |
|
HTTP Software |
||
|
Vendor |
Novell |
|
|
HTTP Software |
Netscape Enterprise Server 3.5 for NetWare |
|
|
No. of Threads |
1 |
|
|
Web Server |
Installed with defaults; loaded with NVXWEBUP.NCF (excludes the admin server) |
|
|
WebPage Volume |
Web server root on a NetWare 2GB volume |
|
|
Server Cache |
Novell BorderManager 2.1 Web Server Accelerator with Support Pack 2D and Proxy Patch 105 |
|
|
Log Mode |
Standard |
|
BorderManager |
|
Configured to accelerate Netscape Enterprise Server for NetWare |
|
PROXY.CFG set object cache max hot nodes to 10000 (default 7000) |
|
Added NWAdmin for NT Snap-ins for BorderManager (BMNWNTB.EXE) |
|
Updated MSM.NLM with 12-2-97 version |
|
Updated ETHERTSM with 12-8-97 version |
|
Updated TCPIP.NLM with patch TCPN05 |
|
Added FATFREFX.NLM |
|
Added CACHEPER.NLM |
|
Added LOCKPERF.NLM |
|
Cache Volume |
|
NetWare volume spanning four drives, each with a single 400MB partition |
|
8KB volume block size, no suballocation, no compression |
|
Benchmark Configuration |
|
|
Maximum Requested Load |
2150 |
|
Maximum File Set Size |
1015 MB |
|
Network |
|
|
Network Controllers |
5 Intel EtherExpress PRO/100 Server Adapters |
|
No. of Nets |
5, with two clients per net |
|
Type of Nets |
100Base-T |
|
Network Speed |
100Mb/s |
|
MSL (sec) |
30 (Non RFC1122) |
|
Time-Wait (sec) |
60 (Non RFC1122) |
Notes: Each net connected by a Hewlett-Packard AdvanceStack Switch 800T. All nets at half duplex.
STARTUP.NCF File pmload FATFREFX.NLM pmload CACHEPER.NLM load LOCKPERF.NLM set maximum physical receive packet size = 1514 set maximum packet receive buffers = 2000 set minimum packet receive buffers = 500 set maximum service processes = 100
AUTOEXEC.NCF File set maximum concurrent disk cache writes = 500 set directory cache allocation wait time = 0.1 sec set directory cache buffer nonreferenced delay = 60 min set minimum directory cache buffers = 10000 set maximum service processes = 100 set upgrade low priority threads = off set maximum file locks = 100000
Conclusion
Novell's ability to win SPECweb96 benchmark comparisons against systems with faster processors, even multiprocessor systems, demonstrates the maturity of BorderManager's caching capabilities. This performance and efficiency makes BorderManager's Web server acceleration and proxy caching services a good fit within both Internet and intranet infrastructures when you need to scale up your Web infrastructure.
For complete SPECweb96 submissions and results, see the following Web sites:
Compaq ProLiant 3000 (1639 operations/sec)
http://www.spec.org/osg/web96/results/res98q2/web96-980322-02570.html
HP NetServer LH 3/400 (2131 operations/sec)
http://www.spec.org/osg/web96/results/res98q2/web96-980518-02768.html
Sun Ultra Enterprise 450 (1628 operations/sec)
http://www.spec.org/osg/web96/results/res97q3/web96-970819-02022.html
DEC AlphaServer 1200 5/533 (2045 operations/sec)
http://www.spec.org/osg/web96/results/res98q2/web96-980518-02770.html
* Originally published in Novell AppNotes
Disclaimer
The origin of this information may be internal or external to Novell. While Novell makes all reasonable efforts to verify this information, Novell does not make explicit or implied claims to its validity.