Computers & Processors:

Unisys ES7000 Slashes High-Performance Computing Costs

The cost of handling the hundreds of thousands of transactions typical of the busiest online enterprise operations has been slashed to unprecedented levels, according to the TPC-C benchmark, the industry's standard measure of computer power.

The benchmark proves that that the Unisys e-@ction Enterprise Server ES7000, merging mainframe-class computing characteristics with the cost advantages of industry-standard technologies, delivers a level of performance until now available only on costlier UNIX/RISC-based systems or mainframes. For enterprises, it means the removal of a key economic barrier to entering markets in which enabling many thousands of users to concurrently access and update very large databases is a baseline requirement.

Setting a new world record for a single server based on Microsoft and Intel technology, the Unisys ES7000 achieved 141,138.44 transactions per minute (tpmC) at a cost per transaction of $23.84. The test was conducted using the Transaction Processing Council's "C" methodology for measuring online transaction processing (OLTP) performance. The complete configuration will be available March 10, 2002; the ES7000 is available today.

With this achievement, the Unisys ES7000 becomes the only server based on Microsoft and Intel technology, and the only server using 32-bit processors, on the top-ten list of non-clustered TPC-C performers. The Unisys TPC-C Benchmark Ticker/Savings Calculator, available on the World Wide Web at www.unisys.com/hw/servers/es7000/press-release.asp, enables viewers to compare the TPC-C performance and price/performance ratings competing high-end servers with those achieved by the Unisys ES7000.

A broad array of Unisys ES7000 design features provide exceptionally efficient access to data, positioning the system as a high-performance, cost-effective database server for very high volume transaction processing. These features include unique directory-based cache consistency, fast crossbar communication paths, large third-level cache, and other accelerators that overcome latency, maximize scalability and increase system bandwidth.

"The Unisys ES7000 combines Unisys depth of experience in mainframe-class computing with the economies of scale that enable Intel and Microsoft to price technology far below the offerings of proprietary technology suppliers," said Mark Feverston, vice president of Server Programs, Unisys Corporation. "As a result, we are able to provide the level of performance, lower cost of ownership, simplified systems administration and investment protection needed to drive widespread, transaction-intensive business over the Web."

The test configuration is based on a Unisys ES7000 with 32 Intel 900-MHz Pentium III Xeon processors, 64 Gbytes of memory and Giganet networking. The configuration includes Microsoft's forthcoming release of its Windows Datacenter Server Limited Edition operating system and Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition database with Service Pack 2.

The Unisys Cellular MultiProcessing (CMP) server architecture on which the ES7000 is based is the only architecture available that takes advantage of the Microsoft operating system's ability to use 32 processors. This ability is particularly advantageous for enterprises relying on very large, transaction-oriented databases. It enables administrators to avoid the complexities, and associated costs, of splitting the database across multiple clustered servers.

"By offering high-end performance without the price penalties associated with proprietary technology, Unisys and Microsoft are accelerating an inevitable and fundamental transformation of the economics of large-scale commerce over the Internet," said Cliff Reeves, vice president, Windows .NET Server Solutions Group, Microsoft Corp. "These new TPC-C benchmark results show that the Unisys ES7000 together with Microsoft's SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition and the Datacenter program are removing the last barriers to cost-effective, reliable high-volume transaction processing."

The Unisys ES7000: Enterprise-class Windows performance powered by CMP

The Unisys ES7000 is based on the Unisys Cellular MultiProcessing (CMP) server architecture, which provides an array of computing capabilities required for enterprise-class e-business computing -- capabilities that are well known to users of large-scale computers, but unprecedented in computing environments using Microsoft and Intel technology. The ES7000 was designed for the power of Intel 64-bit Itanium processors. Using CMP's innovative partitioning capabilities, Itanium and Pentium III Xeon processors can run side-by-side within one server. These and other advantages enable CMP-based servers to match the performance of UNIX systems in enterprise-class e-business and other critical applications at a fraction of the price.

About Unisys

Unisys is an e-business solutions company whose 37,000 employees help customers in 100 countries apply information technology to seize opportunities and overcome challenges of the Internet economy. Unisys people integrate and deliver the solutions, services, platforms and network infrastructure required by business and government to transform their organizations for success in this new era. The company offers a rich portfolio of Unisys e-@ction Solutions for e-business based on its expertise in vertical industry solutions, network services, outsourcing, systems integration and multivendor support, coupled with enterprise-class server and related technologies. The primary vertical markets Unisys serves worldwide include financial services, transportation, communications, publishing and commercial sectors, as well as the public sector, including federal government customers. Unisys is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, in the Greater Philadelphia area. For more information on the company, access the Unisys home page on the World Wide Web at www.unisys.com.

Contact Tony Wright, CyberPR BSMG Worldwide, 972-830-2742, twright@bsmg.com.