Technische Universitt Mnchen

Performance of SAP ERP Systems with

Memory Virtualization using
IBM Active Memory Expansion as an example

5th International Workshop on Virtualization

Technologies in Distributed Computing (VTDC)

Marcus Homann
Technical University Munich

Prof. Dr. H. Krcmar

 Technische Universitt Mnchen

Agenda

Performance of SAP ERP Systems: Research at

Technical University Munich
Background & Motivation
Performance Measurement Process
Performance Measurements Results
Conclusion and next Steps

2 Prof. Dr. H. Krcmar

 Technische Universitt Mnchen

Performance of SAP ERP Systems: Research at

Technical University Munich
Stephan Gradl: Manuel Mayer:
Performance Performance Simulation Performance
simulation with simulation with
increasing number of increasing number of
concurrent users ERP System concurrent users
Focus on Focus on Portal
ABAP-Stack (J2EE-Stack)
Andre Bgelsack: ABAP J2EE
Critical load Virtualization Holger Jehle:
Focus on Average load
ABAP-Stack Focus on
Comparing several J2EE-Stack
Main-Memory
virtual machines Investigation of 1 virtual
Compression
machine
Marcus Homann:
Critical load
Focus on Performance Measurement
ABAP-Stack
Focus on main-
memory-compression

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 Technische Universitt Mnchen

In one sentence

How does main-memory virtualization affect the performance of SAP

ERP systems and which recommendations can be derived for data
center operations?

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 Technische Universitt Mnchen

Background & Motivation (1)

Scenario 1: Without Main-Memory Compression Scenario 2: With Main-Memory Compression

SAP SAP SAP SAP

ERP ERP ERP ERP
System System System System
SAP SAP
ERP ERP
Virtual Main Memory
System System

Physical Main Main memory compression

Memory
Physical Main
Memory

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 Technische Universitt Mnchen

Background & Motivation (1)

Scenario 1: Without Main-Memory Compression Scenario 2: With Main-Memory Compression

SAP SAP SAP SAP

ERP ERP ERP ERP
System System System System
SAP SAP
ERP ERP
Virtual Main Memory
System System

Physical Main Main memory compression

Memory
Physical Main
Memory

Performance ?
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 Technische Universitt Mnchen

Background & Motivation (2)

Main-memory compression expands the main-memory capacity, but
can negatively affect the application performance

Concept: Main-Memory Compression Performance of Main-Memory Compression

Application Throughput

Uncompressed
main-memory
data
Physical Application Response Time
Main- Compression
Memory
Compressed CPU Utilization
main-memory
data

Main-Memory Expansion
Factor
(Michel 2010, p. 5) (Michel 2010, p. 7)

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 Technische Universitt Mnchen

Assumptions and Research Questions

A1 The performance of SAP ERP systems is influenced negatively at a

certain main-memory expansion factor.
A2 Using main-memory compression, additional SAP ERP systems can be
operated on a physical server without any performance degradation.
Which main-memory compression techniques exist in literature, how is
RQ1
their performance evaluated and which performance results are available
specific for SAP ERP based workloads?
RQ2 To what extent do different main-memory expansion factors affect the
performance of SAP ERP systems?
RQ3 Which recommendations can be given based on the performance
measurement results of RQ2?

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 Technische Universitt Mnchen

LitReview: Performance of main-memory virtualization

Literature review shows that there is little knowledge about the performance
behavior of SAP ERP systems using main-memory virtualization.

Main-memory compression is no new topic (Douglis 1993, Kaplan 1999)

Distinction between hardware- and software-based main-memory
compression techniques; there is a trend towards software-based
techniques
Only recently available in products of major virtualization vendors
Evaluation is mainly based on the hardware-oriented SPEC CPU
benchmark suite
Only one paper can be found where a SAP ERP workload is used for
performance evaluation (Michel 2010); however the author does not
describe what load generator he uses and how his test environment looks
like.

An detailed study about the performance behavior of SAP ERP
systems using main-memory compression is missing
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 Technische Universitt Mnchen

Performance Measurement Process

Environment:
IBM Power 750 Server (512 GB RAM, 4 CPUs, 32 Cores, 3,3 GHz)
LPAR: 4 virtual processors, 0.1 processing unit each)
SAP ECC system EHP 4 (64 configured workprocesses)
Load Generator and Measurement Tool: Zachmanntest (Bgelsack et. al
2011)
Synthetic SAP benchmark, simulates a SAP power user
Uses internal tables of the application server
Outcome: throughput of the environment in rows per second
2 general Test setups: native, AME
Variables:
Number of parallel Zachmanntests (~ generated Load): 1, 2, 3, 6, 14, 20, 164)
AME factor: 1.0, 1.3, 3.0, 5.0, 10.0
Values of interest: Throughput (Zachmanntest: rows per second)
Three runs per test setting: result is arithmetic mean

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 Technische Universitt Mnchen

Measurement Results

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 Technische Universitt Mnchen

Conclusion and next Steps

1. The performance of a SAP ERP system is influenced by activating AME.

2. At some point during the execution, a SAP ERP system may encounter a
huge performance collapse. This is especially true when choosing a very
high AME memory expansion factor, e.g. 5.0, 10.0.
3. The performance of a SAP ERP system is influenced by both the activation
of AME and the work load.
4. At peak performance the AME factor seem to have no influence
5. Our proposed baseline with AME=1.0 does not reflect the best
performance. Instead, the best performance is reached with AME=1.3.
Next Steps
Gaining better understanding of AIX memory management
Testing with a finer granuarity of AME steps

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References

Douglis, F.: The Compression Cache: Using On-line Compression to Extend Physical
Memory. In: USENIX Conference, 1993, pp. 519-529.
Kaplan, S. F.: Compressed Caching and Modern Virtual Memory Simulation. Disseration
at University of Texas, Austin 1999.
Hepkin, D.: Active Memory Expansion: Overview and Usage Guide. IBM Whitepaper
2010.
Hevner, A.; Chatterjee, S.: Design Research in Information Systems. Springer Verlag,
Berlin 2010.
Michel, D.: Active Memory Expansion Performance. IBM Whitepaper, 2010.
Tremaine, R. B., Franaszek, P. A., Robinson, J. T., Schulz, C. O., Smith, T. B.,
Wazlowski, M. E.; Bland, P. M.:IBM Memory Expansion Technology (MXT). IBM Journal
of Research and Development, Vol. 45, No. 2, 2001, p. 271-285.
Tuduce, I.C. and T. Gross: Adaptive main memory compression. USENIX Association,
2005.

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