dual processor for Nasdaq feed 1

[raybino]

I need to find out if someone can give me some pluses and minuses as far as adding a second processor to a set of PowerEdge 1650s for our Level2 feeds from nasdaq

 

[SteveTheGeek]

What's the processor utilization look like now? Is that the performance bottleneck on your system, or are the feeds more storage, network, or memory-intensive?
-Steve

 

[raybino]

At 7:30 when the firt set of messages come through we get what's called a sequence gap. And at that time the cpu goes up to 99% for that application that's running the level1. It doesn't seem like it takes up any RAM. In your opinion, would you get a dell 2650 with 1 xeon processor at 2.2GHz or 2 processors at 966 MHZ?

 

[SteveTheGeek]

The answer depends on whether the application is multithreaded and able to take advantage of a second processor. Do you know what kinds of processing the application is doing (i.e. database joins, a huge amount of simple math, video codec work)?

However, since in general multiprocessor performance is not linearly (sp?) scalable (i.e. a second processor doesn't quite double your application performance) I'd tend toward the 2.2GHz Xeon, because I could then more cost-effectively add a second processor to that if necessary.
-Steve

 

[raybino]

I know it's multithreaded (5 threads to be exact). The thing is, I know it's not going to double my speed, I just need a cost effective solution. buying the 2650s with the 2 processors is 4400 - 4500. We already have the 2450s with one processor in it. I feel that it would be better to just buy the second processor because it's a whooooole lot cheaper and the problem only happens in the morning and at the close of the market.

 

[SteveTheGeek]

Ah, I thought you meant one 2.2 Xeon or two 933's in the new Dell, that you were getting the new Dell either way. With your correction, I'd say yeah, throw the second 933 in the existing machine and see what happens.
-Steve

 

[raybino]

Thanks for the second opinion. Would you happen to know where i could get some info on the benefits of dual processors? I have to convince some bosses in here that it would be the way to go. It would be extra good if it talked about Dell servers in the information.

 

[SteveTheGeek]

I don't have any links for that; I can't remember where I've picked up my multiprocessor knowledge. Google doesn't come up with anything authoritative except a few folks talking about their dual-processor workstations. If nothing else, run Performance Monitor on that server looking specifically at CPU utilization, and note that if the CPU is getting pounded (and the application you're running is SMP-aware, confirm that beforehand - heck, talk to the company that developed it and get a quote from them saying "this will run significantly faster on a multiprocessor machine&quot then a second processor should logically rectify that situation. IS/IT can be more of an art than a science sometimes, but a few things are still fairly logical...
-Steve