IBM serves up Opteron

See editor’s note below

The IBM eServer 325 is the first major-brand server to use AMD’s new 64-bit Opteron processor. Introduced in July 2003 and having first shipped in October, this is the only mainstream Opteron server that I’m aware of.

The Opteron processor, and the IBM eServer 325, represent arguably the most efficient means to transition from 32 bits to 64 bits. Applications such as databases and data mining benefit from the larger address size and 64-bit math operations of a 64-bit processor.

Thanks to Opteron’s ability to simultaneously run 64-bit and 32-bit apps with a proper 64-bit OS, IT shops can leverage 64-bit applications where necessary (and where they exist) while continuing to run the 32-bit applications, utilities, and tools they already have natively on the hardware, without emulation. That’s simply not possible with the Itanium 2, for example.

eServer 325 offers a unique 64-bit platform for running Windows, because unlike the Itanium 2, there is an existing installed software base that can run on the Opteron, albeit in 32-bit mode. IBM has done a good job constructing the eServer 325; the real challenge lies in 64-bit software availability.

A Standard Server Outfit

Beyond the AMD processors, there’s nothing unusual or exceptional hardware-wise about the eServer 325. It’s equipped with today’s standard server gear: single power supply, dual gigabit NICs (using a Broadcom chipset), built-in ATA and Ultra320 SCSI controllers, CD-ROM drive. There are also dual 64-bit 100MHz PCI-X expansion slots, one full-length, one half-length. As with most pizza-box 1U servers, the eServer 325 lacks the hardware-redundancy features of larger units.

The prerelease system provided by IBM contained a single 40GB ATA-100 hard drive, which is not offered in the production systems. (Customers have a choice of either dual ATA non-hot-swap hard drives, with the smallest being 40GB, or dual hot-swap Ultra320 SCSI, with the smallest disk being 36GB.)

The server also has six memory slots for 333MHz SDRAM, with a max capacity of 12GB RAM; the review system had 2GB RAM.  IBM also offers the server with one or two 1.4, 1.6, or 2.0GHz Opteron processors. The test system had two 1.6GHz chips on the Microstar International MS-9145 motherboard.

What’s missing from the hardware? Not much, though IBM left out its famous LightPath diagnostic system, which identifies bad server components with tiny LEDs.

The eServer 325 is also light on internal storage; most cutting-edge 1U servers these days sport three drive bays, not two. This may be explained in part by IBM’s positioning the eServer 325 at high-performance clusters. In such an environment, cost per processor is often the most vital issue, so IBM’s decision to skimp on the extra storage is reasonable. Still, it’s a shame that that Big Blue hasn’t released additional AMD-based servers with greater capacity and functionality.

32-bit/64-bit Gauntlet

AMD likes to tout Opteron’s ability to boot using a 32-bit OS, and then run like a traditional x86 server, or boot into a 64-bit OS and run both 32-bit x86 software or 64-bit software written to use its AMD64 extended instruction set.

To test this, I first booted the server using the provided 32-bit SuSE Linux 8.2, verified proper functioning of the OS and hardware, and then repeated those tasks using the provided 64-bit SuSE Linux 8.2. Both OSes booted and ran flawlessly, including their various utilities.

Next, I ran the first beta of Microsoft Windows XP for the AMD64 architecture. The OS installed immediately on the eServer 325, and recognized all the hardware, including processors, network cards and USB ports.

The beta of Windows XP is missing key features — most notably, .Net — but I was able to simultaneously run 32-bit and 64-bit applications, provided by Microsoft, on the server. I also left the server running a standard ASP-based Web site for six weeks, and the system ran without a flaw, showing the stability of both the hardware and software.

I did not run benchmarks, but when running in 32-bit mode, or when running 32-bit applications under a 64-bit OS, the eServer 325’s performance seems comparable to that of a 32-bit server running dual Intel Xeon processors at the same 1.6GHz clock speed. Of course, much faster Xeon processors are available; anyone looking for peak 32-bit performance shouldn’t be considering the Opteron processor.

Unfortunately, IBM didn’t provide any management software tools for the prerelease server, but the server includes a good systems-management processor on a daughterboard that allows remote console and administration over the Ethernet LAN or a serial port. IBM did a fine job on the management card, which is easy to use and adequate to the task of managing a server in a cluster, though it would be nice to have a dedicated Ethernet interface for the management processor instead of the same Ethernet ports used by the OS.

The Big Picture

It’s a pity that there aren’t enough machines available to collectively test and compare different vendors’ offerings; having more Opteron-based hardware in the market would improve the competitiveness of this viable alternative to Intel’s 32-bit Xeon and 64-bit Itanium 2 processors.

Questions about the applicability or long-range benefits of the AMD64 architecture, and of the Opteron processor, are better answered in InfoWorld’s previous Opteron coverage. In terms of quality of implementation of the processor architecture, the IBM eServer 325 appears to have done it right, as demonstrated by its 32-bit and 64-bit capability, ability to run the pre-release version of Windows out of the box, and its operational stability.

More thorough analysis, however, must wait until more AMD-based servers appear on the market, the 64-bit editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 are completed, and commercial AMD64-based commercial applications become readily available. Given the lack of any announcements from major hardware or software manufacturers — other than Sun, which will port Solaris to the architecture — there’s no clear indication when a full suite of AMD64-exploitive products will become available.

Editor’s Note

In this review of IBM’s eServer 325, without having run performance tests, we conjectured that Intel’s Xeon processor provided better performance when running 32-bit applications than AMD’s Opteron. We may have been wrong. Since then, we’ve begun running a series of performance tests on similarly equipped 2.2GHz Opteron and 3.06GHz Xeon dual-processor servers, and the Opteron system has more than held its own. Look for the complete test results in our March 15 issue.