By default, the Database Optimized Performance (DOP) profile is not enabled on the PowerEdge R750xs server. In this best practice, we selected the DOP profile in BIOS to evaluate its impact on performance.
Table 12: Best Practice Category
Product | PowerEdge R750xs server |
Type of best practice | Performance Optimization |
Day and value | Day 1, Highly Recommended |
Overview
A BIOS profile is an easy way to apply firmware values that optimize the system. The following list describes BIOS settings that are automatically changed by selecting the DOP profile:
- Virtualization Technology: Changed from disabled to enabled with the DOP profile. When Virtualization Technology (VT) is enabled, firmware settings are configured for enhanced support of hypervisors. Using VT offers greater integration with virtualization that can optimize virtualization on the server. The DOP profile disables VT as many databases are not virtualized. As the Oracle databases have been virtualized in our best practice infrastructure, the Engineering team enabled virtualization technology after it had been disabled by the DOP profile.
- System Profile: Default is Performance Per Watt (DAPC) and changed to Performance. DAPC is Dell’s proprietary implementation of dynamic processor management. Selecting the DOP profile changes the system profile from the default to Performance. Instead of the server balancing performance per watt to drive cost savings, the system is configured for maximum performance.
- CPU Power Management: Default system DBPM and changed to Max Performance. CPU Power Management controls use of processor performance states. By default, CPU Power Management uses Demand-Based Power Management (DBPM), which enables processor operating frequency and voltage to be dynamically adjusted. The DOP profile changes CPU Power Management to a static state of Maximum Performance.
Other system profile changes include:
- C1E: Changed from Enabled to Disabled. This disables DIMM CKE power down and QPI power management.
- C-states: Changed from Enabled to Disabled. This disables C-states and DIMM self-refresh.
- Uncore frequency: Default is Dynamic UFS, changed to Maximum. Setting to Maximum enables best performance of the cores and uncore during runtime.
- Energy efficient policy: By default, the “Balanced Performance” policy is used. This setting was changed to “Performance”, which instructs the processors to operate at the highest performance level.
- CPU Interconnect Bus Link Power Management: Changed from Enabled to disabled.
- PCI ASPM L1 Link Power Management: Changed from Enabled to Disabled.
Overall, the benefit of the Data Optimized Performance is setting several firmware settings to maximum performance. The only exception in our validation tests was changing Virtualization Technology back to its default value of Enabled. However, for customers with physical (non-virtual) database deployments it is recommended to keep the DOP profile change for VT to Disabled.
Recommendation
After setting the Database Optimization Performance profile in the BIOS, there was a performance improvement in our testing with virtual machines for the following metrics:
- New Order per Minute (NOPM)
- Transactions per Minute (TPM)
- PowerStore IOPS
- Server CPU utilization
Based on these improvements, we categorized this as a Day 1, Highly Recommended best practice.
Additional resources
Setting up BIOS on 15th Generation (15G) Dell PowerEdge Servers