Oracle switched its design to the Exadata platform with the X10M using the AMD EPYC Server Processor

Oracle has introduced a series of significant enhancements to the Exadata platform with the advent of the X10M. These enhancements encompass a switch to AMD EPYC processors, a redesigned cache architecture, and improvements in various aspects of the platform.

AMD EPYC Processor: Unleashing High Performance

One of the key changes in the Exadata platform is the transition from Intel Xeon to the latest generation of AMD EPYC “Genoa” processors. Oracle considers the latest AMD EPYC processors as the optimal choice for Exadata, owing to their exceptional performance capabilities.

The latest generation of AMD EPYC processors offers the high-performance I/O required for demanding OLTP-class databases. These processors support PCIe 5.0, doubling the speed compared to PCIe 4.0. Moreover, they incorporate DDR5 memory, enabling denser main memory that is nearly 2.5 times faster than the previous DDR4 generation.

Each 2-socket scale-out database server in the X10M is equipped with two 96-core AMD EPYC processors, representing a three-fold increase in core count compared to the previous generation. Coupled with up to 3TB of DDR5 RAM, this configuration delivers a significant boost in performance compared to Oracle’s previous Exadata platform.

Redesigned RDMA DRAM Cache: Accelerating Data Access

The X10M introduces a redesigned cache architecture, particularly the Exadata RDMA Memory (XRMEM) DRAM Cache. This cache leverages RoCE RDMA Ethernet to interconnect the DRAM cache across nodes. The support for AMD’s PCIe 5.0 ensures high throughput and low latency, maximizing cache efficiency.

Exadata Storage Architecture: Optimized for Performance

The X10M implements a three-tier storage system that intelligently balances persistent data based on the workload’s requirements. It combines High Capacity (HC) storage servers for storing large amounts of data on flash or traditional hard drives, Extreme Flash (EF) storage servers for high-performance data access using flash, and Extended (XT) storage servers.

Oracle has significantly increased the flash capacity in EF storage servers, from 51.2TB to 122.9TB, and in HC storage servers, from 25.6TB to 27.2TB. The HDD capacity in HC storage servers has also grown to 264TB. This substantial storage capacity, coupled with the X10M’s storage implementation, enables impressive performance.

The X10M’s storage subsystem achieves remarkable results, providing up to 25.2 million IOPS per rack with read latency as low as 17 microseconds. It can deliver nearly a terabyte per second of throughput, solidifying its position as one of the fastest storage solutions available.

A High-Performance OLTP Database Machine

The architectural changes introduced in the X10M yield significant improvements when compared to the previous generation, X9M. According to Oracle, the X10M delivers up to three times higher transaction throughput, 50% higher flash write IOPS, and up to 15% faster read IOPS with reduced latency.

Translating these figures into real-world benefits, the Exadata X10M enables database queries that are up to 3.6 times faster, storage server queries up to 2.6 times faster, and in-memory analytics scans up to 2.4 times faster compared to the previous generation. The X10M stands out as a superior solution in every metric.

Exadata Cloud@Customer: Unmatched Performance and Flexibility

Oracle’s Exadata Cloud@Customer brings the high-performance Exadata Cloud Service directly to the customer’s data center. This offering provides the same Exadata solution as an on-premises deployment, but with the added advantage of a flexible consumption-based model managed by Oracle.

This model is ideal for customers who require on-premises data storage but desire the benefits of a cloud-like economic model. Exadata Cloud@Customer enables organizations to deploy a unified infrastructure for Exadata Database Service and Oracle Autonomous Database, leveraging existing investments in their on-premises data centers.

The Exadata Cloud@Customer X10M offers all the enhancements and performance capabilities discussed earlier, providing unparalleled performance compared to traditional cloud providers. Oracle demonstrates that the X10M achieves up to 50 times lower I/O latency in OLTP workloads compared to similarly configured Azure SQL environments. Furthermore, the X10M delivers up to 25 times more throughput in analytics applications than comparable solutions built on Azure. These advantages can be attributed to the X10M’s optimized design for Oracle Database and Autonomous Database, distinguishing it from more general-purpose public cloud resources.

In conclusion, Oracle’s updated Exadata platform architecture with the X10M unleashes unparalleled performance and scalability. With advancements in processors, cache architecture, and storage, coupled with the flexibility of Exadata Cloud@Customer, organizations can harness the power of Oracle’s cutting-edge technology to drive their business forward.

Source