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A core is a processor that can run one instruction at a time. The first CPUs had one core, but over time the number of cores per CPU has been increasing. For example, the IntelÒ XeonÒ Platinum 8380 processor has 40 cores per CPU and with threading 80 virtual cores and is available in PowerEdge 750 servers. The benefit of multi-core CPUs is the ability to run multiple program instructions in parallel, ultimately increasing efficiency by driving more workload per server.
Simultaneous multithreading (SMT) is a processor technology that enables cores to process more than one instruction at a time. By default, SMT is enabled in PowerEdge servers to maximize performance. SMT enables a CPU with 40 physical cores to appear to the hypervisor or operating system as 80 virtual cores. With SMT, the efficiency of CPUs is increases as more instructions can run in parallel.
Generally, enabling SMT will increase performance by 10 to 35 percent depending upon the application workload. It is generally recommended to enable SMT, as most databases are designed to effectively use the technology. However, there are exceptions to this recommendation. For example, if the database is part of an enterprise application system in which part of the application is single threaded, processor frequency is more important than enabling SMT.
One strength of Dell PowerEdge servers is the broad selection of CPUs. Configurations with a range of CPU options can support nearly every type of workload, from entry level database configurations using PowerEdge R750 servers with two sockets to large PowerEdge R940 servers with four sockets.
Note: Intel’s implementation of SMT is called Hyper-Threading.