Re: Sun Fire T2000 and PostgreSQL 8.1.3

From: Anthony Ransley <anthonyr(at)aurema(dot)com>
To: pgsql-performance(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: Re: Sun Fire T2000 and PostgreSQL 8.1.3
Date: 2006-04-06 03:35:47
Message-ID: 44348C93.2080106@aurema.com
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Hi Juan Casero,<br>
<br>
I've found that serial query clients are best served by PostgreSQL
running on fast single or dual core processors, ( such as the Athlon
FX60 ) rather than expensive n-way systems. I was orginally using an
8-way Xeon computer for a similar serial throughput problem. and i
wasn't supprised to find that at least 6 of the 8 processors were idle.
The point is, for this type client, you are better off spending the
money on the fastest single or dual core processors than a multiway box.<br>
<br>
Anthony.<br>
<br>
Juan Casero (FL FLC) wrote:
<blockquote
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<div align="left" dir="ltr"><span class="812374617-05042006"><font
face="Arial" size="2">Greetings -</font></span></div>
<div><span class="812374617-05042006"></span>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span class="812374617-05042006"><font face="Arial" size="2">I
am testing a Sun Microsystems Sun Fire T2000 demo server at our
company.&nbsp;&nbsp; I want to know if anyone here has any experience with this
hardware and postgresql 8.1.3.&nbsp; I installed the copy of postgresql
8.1.3 from blastwave.org onto this demo box and loaded our production
database into it.&nbsp; This box has a single Ultrasparc T1 cpu with six
execution piplelines that can each handle 4 threads.&nbsp; With the Unix top
utility the postgresql server appears to bounce around between the
available threads on the system.&nbsp; For example I run a single large
query and I can see the postgresql server sometimes running on cpu/0,
other times on cpu/1, cpu/3,....etc up to cpu/23.&nbsp;&nbsp; However, never is
the load for the postgres server reported to be higher than 4.16%.&nbsp; I
did the math and 4.16% x 24 threads = 98.84% cpu load.&nbsp; So I wonder if
the Solaris 10&nbsp;kernel is somehow throttling the processes so that any
single virtual processor can do no more than 4.16% load.&nbsp; We got this
server last week and I was able to install it in our rack just
yesterday.&nbsp;&nbsp; Now I need to see how I can optimize the postgresql server
to work on this box.&nbsp; Does anyone have any suggestions?&nbsp;&nbsp; I know the
postgresql server is not smp aware but I believe parts of it are.&nbsp; In
particular the buffer manager is supposed to scale the performance
almost linearly with the number of cpu's (including virtual ones).&nbsp; I
don't know however, if I need to recompile the postgresql server myself
to get those benefits.&nbsp;&nbsp; I am using the version of postgresql 8.1.3
that is available on blastwave.org.&nbsp; I am also working with the 64 bit
version of the database server.&nbsp;&nbsp; This machine has over 8GB of ram so I
was thinking of using the&nbsp;64 bit version of the postgresql server so I
can access ram beyong the 4gb limit imposed by 32 bit addressing.&nbsp; Any
help or recommendations for performance tweaking of postgresql is very
much appreciated.</font></span></div>
<div><span class="812374617-05042006"></span>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span class="812374617-05042006"></span>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span class="812374617-05042006"><font face="Arial" size="2">Thanks,</font></span></div>
<div><span class="812374617-05042006"><font face="Arial" size="2">Juan</font></span></div>
</blockquote>
<br>
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