Home > Workload Solutions > Oracle > Best Practices > Intel-Based Oracle Best Practices on Dell PowerEdge R740 and PowerMax 2000 > CPU Best Practices > Day Three Best Practices > PowerEdge R740: Database Optimized Performance Workload Profile
By default, the Database Optimized Performance (DOP) profile is not used on the PowerEdge R740 server. In this best practice we selected the DOP profile in BIOS and evaluate its impact on performance.
Category | PowerEdge |
Product | PowerEdge R740 server |
Type of best practice | Performance Optimization |
Day and value | Day 3, Fine-Tuning |
Overview
A BIOS profile is an easy way to apply firmware values that optimize the system. Below is a list of BIOS settings that are automatically changed by selecting the DOP profile:
Virtualization Technology: Default is ENABLED, changed to DISABLED with the DOP profile.
When Virtualization Technology (VT) is enabled, firmware settings are configured for enhanced support of hypervisors. Thus, with VT there is 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:
Overall, the benefit of the Data Optimized Performance is setting several firmware settings to maximum performance. The only exception made 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
Results from validating the Data Optimized Performance setting showed only a slight improvement in a few metrics. These performance metrics increased slightly, indicating better performance:
These performance metrics showed no performance improvement:
Implementation Steps
To set the Database Optimized Performance Workload Profile:
To enable Virtualization Technology on the iDRAC console:
Additional Resources
Setting up BIOS on 14th Generation (14G) Dell EMC PowerEdge Servers