We have produced the following currently publicly available reports for Dell Inc.
A performance comparison of two current Dell Precision notebook systems vs. previous-generation Dell notebook and desktop systems We tested performance, battery life, and application responsiveness of a Dell Precision M4400 notebook, a Dell Precision M6500 notebook, a previous-generation Dell notebook system, and a previous-generation Dell desktop system.
Dell 6Gbps vs. HP 6Gbps RAID controller performance comparisonWe compared the performance of the 6Gbps Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) H800 and H700 against the 6Gbps HP Smart Array Controller P411 and P410i using both external drive arrays and internal hard disk drives.
A performance comparison of current and previous-generation Dell Optiplex desktop systems We ran a set of tests to compare Windows performance and system responsiveness on a mix of current- and previous-generation Intel-processor based Dell OptiPlex desktop systems.
Dell 6Gbps vs. 3Gbps RAID controller performance comparison We compared the performance of the 6Gbps Dell PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) H800 and H700 against the 3Gbps Dell PERC 6/E and 6/i using internal hard disk drives, internal solid state drives, and Dell PowerVault MD1120 and MD1220 external drive arrays.
Database comparison: Dell PowerEdge R710 vs. HP ProLiant DL380 G6 We compared the database performance, hardware cost, and power utilization of two servers in similar common enterprise configurations.
Virtualized database comparison: Dell PowerEdge R710 vs. HP ProLiant DL380 G6 We compared the database performance and hardware cost of two servers in similar common enterprise configurations running eight virtual machines.
Virtualized Exchange comparison: Dell PowerEdge R710 vs. HP ProLiant DL380 G6 We used LoadGen to compare the virtualized Microsoft Exchange performance two servers in similar common enterprise configurations.
Exchange comparison: Dell PowerEdge R710 vs. HP ProLiant DL380 G6 We tested nearly identical server configurations with internal storage only, running Microsoft Exchange Load Generator (LoadGen) to determine the average throughput of each system in messages per second.
Dell PowerVault DL2100 with CommVault Simpana 8.0 remote office/branch office data replication and deduplication analysis We tested remote office/branch office data protection schemes using the Dell PowerVault DL2100 powered by the CommVault backup appliance.
A performance comparison of a current Dell Precision M4400 notebook system vs. previous-generation Dell notebook and desktop systems We tested performance, battery life, and application responsiveness of a current Dell Precision M4400 notebook system, a previous-generation Dell notebook system, and a previous-generation Dell desktop system.
Migrating Exchange Server 2003 to highly available Exchange Server 2010 on Dell PowerEdge R510 servers with capacity Near Line SAS drives Shows the best practices and benefits of this migration.
Exchange 2010 migration: Legacy HP ProLiant DL385 to Dell PowerEdge R510 We examine the benefits of migrating a legacy Exchange 2003 infrastructure to Exchange 2010.
Migrating legacy physical servers to VMware vSphere virtual machines on Dell PowerEdge M610 blade servers featuring the Intel® Xeon® Processor 5500 seriesSummarizes and then details the tested and validated approach that PT recommends for this migration.
Migrating legacy physical servers to Hyper-V virtual machines on Dell PowerEdge M610 blade servers featuring the Intel Xeon Processor 5500 seriesSummarizes and then details the tested and validated approach that PT recommends for this migration.
M610 vs. HP BL460c: Full enclosure SPECpower_ssj2008 testing We used the SPECpower_ssj2008 test tool to compare the performance per watt per dollar of the Dell™ PowerEdge™ M610 blade server solution and the HP ProLiant BL460c G6 server solution.
SMB Workload performance testing: PowerEdge T110 vs. an older small business desktop running typical small business server and client applications We compared the SMB workload performance of the current Dell™ PowerEdge™ T110 server and the older HP Compaq dc5700 Microtower PC system.
A performance comparison of current and previous-generation Dell Precision desktop workstation systems We compared the performance of two current and one previous-generation Intel® processor-based Dell™ Precision™ desktop workstation system.
Real-world server consolidation: 35 HP ProLiant DL385 servers onto 5 Dell PowerEdge M610 blade servers with VMware vSphere We consolidated 35 4-year-old HP ProLiant DL385 server and storage solutions onto 5 Dell™ PowerEdge™ M610 blade server and storage solutions.
Real-world server consolidation: 35 HP ProLiant DL385 servers onto 5 Dell PowerEdge M610 blade servers running Hyper-V We consolidated 35 4-year-old HP ProLiant DL385 server and storage solutions onto 5 Dell™ PowerEdge™ M610 blade server and storage solutions.
A feature and performance analysis of the Intel vPro technology-based Dell Latitude E6400 notebook system running Windows 7 We tested the Dell Latitude E6400 notebook system and several comparison systems, focusing on the following Intel vPro technology features: Windows Virtual PC RC (Windows XP Mode), BranchCache, DirectAccess, and Remote upgrade.
Dell PowerVault MD3000i high-availability testing on Windows Server 2008 R2 and Hyper-V We tested whether the Dell™ PowerVault™ MD3000i iSCSI storage array in a high-availability configuration could support small (200-user) and medium (500-user) organizations running virtualized workloads while in both an optimized and degraded system state.
Using the Dell Management Console and additional Symantec solutions to manage servers in Dell-only and heterogemeous environments We examine the capabilities of the Dell™ Management Console version 1.0 and the expanded capabilities of the Dell Management Console in combination with the Altiris™ Management Suite version 7 in a Dell™ PowerEdge™ environment and in a multi-vendor environment.
A performance comparison of current and previous generation Dell OptiPlex desktop systems We tested the system performance, application responsiveness, and system responsiveness of a current and previous generation Dell™ OptiPlex™ desktop systems.
A performance comparison of a current Netbook and previous generation Dell Latitude notebook systems We tested the battery life, and system responsiveness of a current Netbook and previous generation Dell™ Latitude™ notebook systems.
Time comparison for OS deployment: Dell Unified Server Configurator version 1.1 vs. HP SmartStart version 8.25 x 64 We compared the operating system deployment times of the following system management applications: Dell™ Unified Server Configurator version 1.1 and HP SmartStart version 8.25 x64.
SMB workload performance comparison: AMD processor-based Dell PowerEdge T105 vs. Intel-based Dell Vostro 220 Mini Tower We measured the small-business workload performance of the Dell™ PowerEdge™ T105 server against that of the Dell™ Vostro™ 220 Mini Tower desktop system.
SPECjbb2005 performance and price of the Dell PowerEdge R710 and HP ProLiant DL380 G6 We measured real-world price and performance differences of the Dell™ PowerEdge™ R710 server and HP ProLiant DL380 G6 server using SPECjbb®2005.
Consolidating legacy Solaris BIND DNS servers onto DELL PowerEdge Solaris servers We analyzed the consolidation potential for customers migrating their older HP ProLiant BL460c G1 or IBM BladeCenter HS21 Solaris and BIND DNS blade servers to the Dell PowerEdge M610.
Dell EqualLogic PS4000XV performance with varying user counts running a combined database, email, and file server workload We determined how many users a Dell EqualLogic PS4000XV storage array can support for small- and medium-business activity involving multiple simultaneous common workloads.
File server performance comparison of three Dell PowerVault NX3000 configurations using Microsoft’s File Server Capacity Tool We compared the performance and the maximum number of supported users of three Dell PowerVault NX3000 unified network storage solution configurations providing file services.
iSCSI 10Gb Software Initiator performance analysis We compare the CPU usage and throughput results of two sets of 10Gb iSCSI initiators in large and small block tests: those of a 10Gb Broadcom HBA vs. those of a 10Gb Intel Software Initiator with I/OAT enabled, and those of a 10Gb Broadcom iSCSI HBA vs. those of a 4Gb QLogic FC HBA.
Initial investment payback analysis: Dell PowerEdge R710 solution with VMware ESX vs. Dell PowerEdge 2850 solution We estimate how many months it would take to recapture initial investment costs when consolidating multiple 4-year-old Dell™ PowerEdge™ 2850 server and storage solutions onto a Dell PowerEdge R710 server and storage solution using VMware ESX. Full report and summary.
Initial investment payback analysis: Dell PowerEdge R710 solution with VMware ESX vs. HP ProLiant DL385 solution We estimate how many months it would take to recapture initial investment costs when consolidating multiple 4-year-old HP ProLiant DL385 server and storage solutions onto a Dell™ PowerEdge™ R710 server and storage solution using VMware ESX. Full report and summary.
SMB workload performance comparison: Dell PowerEdge T410 vs. HP ProLiant ML150 G6 We simultaneously ran three workloads exercising functions that typical small business servers handle. We used WebBench to simulate Web traffic, Microsoft Exchange Load Generator (LoadGen) to simulate email activity, and DVD Store Version 2 (DS2) to simulate database activity. Full report and Summary.
Dell PowerEdge R710 solution vs. HP ProLiant DL385 solutionWe estimate how many months it would take to recapture initial investment costs when consolidating multiple 4-year-old HP ProLiant DL385 server and storage solutions onto a Dell™ PowerEdge™ R710 server and storage solution. Full report and summary.
Dell PowerEdge R710 solution vs. Dell PowerEdge 2850 solution We estimate how many months it would take to recapture initial investment costs when consolidating multiple 4-year-old Dell™ PowerEdge™ 2850 server and storage solutions onto a Dell PowerEdge R710 server and storage solution. Full report and summary.
Dell PowerEdge R710 solution with Hyper-V vs. HP ProLiant DL385 solution We estimate how many months it would take to recapture initial investment costs when consolidating multiple 4-year-old HP ProLiant DL385 server and storage solutions onto a Dell™ PowerEdge™ R710 server and storage solution using Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 with Hyper-V™ technology (Hyper-V). Full report and summary.
Initial investment payback analysis: Dell PowerEdge R710 solution with Hyper-V vs. Dell PowerEdge 2850 solution We estimate how many months it would take to recapture initial investment costs when consolidating multiple 4-year-old Dell™ PowerEdge™ 2850 server and storage solutions onto a Dell PowerEdge R710 server and storage solution using Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 with Hyper-V™ technology (Hyper-V). Full report and summary.
OLTP and Exchange Server performance summary of Intel Xeon Processor E5506, E5520, E5540, and X5550 on the Dell PowerEdge R710 server We used DVD Store and LoadGen to compare the performance of four Intel Xeon processors, each running on the same Dell PowerEdge R710 server.
Exchange Server 2007 workload performance comparison: Intel Xeon Processor E5506-based Dell PowerEdge R710 server vs. Intel Xeon Processor E5520-based Dell PowerEdge R710 server We used the Microsoft Exchange Load Generator test tool to compare the performance of two Intel Xeon processors, each running on the same server.
Exchange Server 2007 workload performance comparison: Intel Xeon Processor E5540-based Dell PowerEdge R710 server vs. Intel Xeon Processor X5550-based Dell PowerEdge R710 server We used the Microsoft Exchange Load Generator test tool to compare the performance of two Intel Xeon processors, each running on the same server.
PT is working with Dell to create a series of Deployment Guides outlining our recommended approach for implementing a tested and validated solution for SQL Server in a variety of environments. PT is performing hands-on testing and research and drawing on real-world experiences to document best practices and help systems administrators and database administrators simplify operations and take full advantage of the software’s features.
The Deployment Guides we have created this year appear below. Click here for those we created in 2008.
Consolidation via Microsoft's Hyper-V
Consolidating multiple SQL Server systems onto Dell PowerEdge R610 servers using Microsoft’s Hyper-V
Consolidating SQL Server 2000 databases onto Dell PowerEdge R610 using Microsoft’s Hyper-V
iSCSI 1Gb Software Initiator performance analysis We compare the CPU usage and throughput results of software-based iSCSI initiators, TCP offload engines (TOE), and hardware-based adapters in large and small block tests on the 1Gb Broadcom BCM5708C NetXtreme II GigE network card.
Dell Latitude E6400 notebook competitive analysis We tested the battery life and data performance of three notebook systems: Dell Latitude E6400, HP EliteBook 6930p, and Lenovo ThinkPad T400.
Dell Latitude E5400 notebook competitive analysis We tested the performance and battery life of four notebook systems: Acer TravelMate 4730, Dell Latitude E5400, HP Compaq 6530b, and Lenovo ThinkPad R400.
OLTP performance comparison: Intel Xeon Processor E5506-based Dell PowerEdge R710 server vs. Intel Xeon Processor E5520-based Dell PowerEdge R710 server We used DVD Store test tool to compare the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 performance of two Intel Xeon processors, each running on the same server.
OLTP performance comparison: Intel Xeon Processor E5540-based Dell PowerEdge R710 server vs. Intel Xeon Processor X5550-based Dell PowerEdge R710 server We used DVD Store test tool to compare the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 performance of two Intel Xeon processors, each running on the same server.
Dell 11th Generation PowerEdge servers We conduct a series of tests of these new Dell servers vs. competing HP servers shipping at the time of the tests.
Dell manual server installation time We measured the manual setup time of preparing a server and installing Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition SP2 and several common server applications.
BIND DNS performance on Dell and Sun servers running Solaris We measured the DNS performance of the following two servers running the Sun Solaris operating system: Dell PowerEdge R900 running BIND 9.3.5-P1 on Solaris 10 and Sun Fire V440 running BIND 8.3.3 on Solaris 9.
Migrating from Solaris 9 Enterprise Edition on Sun Fire V440 with BIND 8.3.3 to Solaris 10 Enterprise Edition on Dell PowerEdge R900 with BIND 9.3.5-P1 Covers installing Solaris 10 and configuring DNS on the PowerEdge R900 and migrating a simple DNS configuration from the Sun Fire V440 to the Dell PowerEdge R900.
OLTP performance test comparing Dell PowerVault MD3000i iSCSI SAN Array and HP StorageWorks 2000i Modular Smart Array We compared performance for online transaction processing (OLTP) of two entry-level storage area network (SAN) solutions. We tested both solutions with iSCSI.
SPECjbb2005 performance and power consumption on Sun Solaris 10 multi-processor AMD-based blade servers from Dell, HP, and IBM We tested the following single blades in their respective enclosures: Dell PowerEdge M905, HP ProLiant BL685c G5, and IBM BladeCenter LS42.
Dell PowerEdge T605 with AMD Opteron 2384 and HP ProLiant ML370 G5 Server with Intel Xeon E5450 comparison We measured the performance of the following servers running Microsoft Windows Server 2008: Dell PowerEdge T605 with AMD Opteron 2384 and HP ProLiant ML370 G5 Server with Intel Xeon E5450. We ran workloads that exercised three of the functions a typical small business server handles: Web, email, and database services.
Dell Latitude E4300 ultraportable notebook competitive analysis We tested the performance and features of two notebook systems: Dell Latitude E4300 and Lenovo ThinkPad X301. We examined battery life, performance, battery charge time, and boot time.
