Hello,

we recently did SPECpower benchmark measurements on a 2xQuad-Core
Harpertown (Intel E5440) Server and found that the results were
generally slightly better under Windows than under Linux, despite Linux
technology like the tickless kernel. The reason was twofold:

 1 The raw performance value under Windows is 1-2% better. This seems to
be a matter of optimization of the JVM used (BEA), not a lot we can do
about it.

 2 The power consumption under Linux at 100% and 0% load is approx. the
same as under Windows. But in the intermediate levels 50%-10%, Windows
is roughly 3-5W better (increasing towards lower load levels). This
suggests that Windows power management is more aggressive than Linux. Is
there a description somewhere how to modify cpuidle governor tunables?

The kernel used was Fedora Rawhide 2.6.24-fc9 (x86_64). We are about to
upgrade to an even more recent kernel. The "menu" cpuidle governor was used.

For those who don't know the SPECpower benchmark: It uses a Java-based
database-type load which runs entirely in system memory (no disk IO).
First a maximum load is calibrated. After that, the load is reduced in
steps of 10%. A final "active idle" measurement has the JVM loaded, but
no requests.

We'd be thankful for any suggestions wrt choice of the kernel, tunables,
and other hints, which hel us to improve the Linux results.

Martin

-- 
Martin Wilck
PRIMERGY System Software Engineer
FSC IP ESP DE6

Fujitsu Siemens Computers GmbH
Heinz-Nixdorf-Ring 1
33106 Paderborn
Germany

Tel:                    ++49 5251 8 15113
Fax:                    ++49 5251 8 20209
Email:                  mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Internet:               http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com
Company Details:        http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/imprint.html

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