Benchmark: McObject eXtremeDB Financial Edition & EMC XtremSF Server-Based PCIe Flash Card Technologies Boost IMDS Speed, Durability & Scalability

In McObject's Tests, In-Memory Database System w/ Transaction Logging Outperforms On-Disk DBMS by 500%; Speed Advantage Grows to 2,100% With EMC Server-Based PCIe Flash


FEDERAL WAY, WA--(Marketwired - May 1, 2014) - McObject®, provider of innovative database system software, today released lab results showcasing the higher speed and data durability attained deploying McObject eXtremeDB® Financial Edition using its in-memory database system (IMDS) capabilities with EMC® XtremSF™ server-based PCIe flash cards for transaction log storage. The McObject benchmark tests demonstrate the speed advantage of eXtremeDB Financial Edition with transaction logging and EMC XtremSF increasing along with the number of concurrent processes, delivering scalability, high throughput and the ability to leverage up-to-date multi-processor/multi-core hardware.

eXtremeDB Financial Edition offers both in-memory and persistent data storage (as well as support for hybrid on-disk/in-memory database designs). Designers of high performance capital markets systems often choose to use eXtremeDB Financial Edition's in-memory storage because when configured as an IMDS, the technology eliminates caching, I/O, data transfer and other forms of latency resulting from persistent storage. Some applications require a higher level of data durability (i.e. recoverability) than volatile in-memory storage can provide. As a solution, eXtremeDB Financial Edition (like virtually all in-memory databases) offers transaction logging to accompany in-memory storage. But critics object that logging re-introduces the storage-related latency that builds slowness into on-disk database systems.

McObject's benchmark tests -- described in a free report, Gaining an Extreme Performance Advantage -- refute this criticism. For the database operations most likely to induce latency, the eXtremeDB Financial Edition operating as an IMDS with transaction logging (IMDS+TL), and storing its transaction log on a hard disk drive (HDD), outperformed the on-disk DBMS configuration using HDD storage by more than 5 times. In addition, dramatic gains were achieved when using EMC XtremSF server-based PCIe flash cards to store the transaction log. The technology enabled the IMDS+TL to achieve a 2,100% speed advantage over the on-disk DBMS configuration.

A second phase of the benchmark tested scalability by measuring throughput while adding concurrent processes to interact with the database system and its storage. EMC and McObject point to their technologies' ability to exploit today's multi-core CPUs as important product strengths. McObject's tests using a traditional on-disk DBMS configuration with EMC XtremSF technology demonstrate its capabilities in this area: with 2 processes running simultaneously, the benchmark application was able to complete 3.89 loops per millisecond; with 36 concurrent processes, this grew to 12.21 loops/ms -- an increase of 314%.

When switching to the eXtremeDB Financial Edition with transaction logging, and using EMC XtremSF technology to store the transaction log, the rate of throughput increase was even more impressive -- for a gain of 505%. 

"McObject's benchmark tests with eXtremeDB Financial Edition and EMC XtremSF server-based PCIe flash cards show that an in-memory database system that gains recoverability via transaction logging can maintain its dramatic speed advantage over traditional on-disk DBMSs," McObject CEO Steve Graves said. "The tests examining concurrent processing demonstrate that the strengths of an IMDS with transaction logging play into those of server-based PCIe flash storage, resulting in a durable, high-throughput data management solution that is greater than the sum of its parts."

"The macro trends of mobile, social, cloud and big data are forming what is known as the third platform of IT. The emergence of in-memory database architectures, like McObject's eXtremeDB Financial Edition, is in response to the high-frequency, low-latency demands of next generation applications for the third platform. Flash technologies, like PCIe flash, are engineered to uniquely meet these demands -- and McObject's testing results demonstrate this. This is another example of EMC's commitment to helping our customers bridge second platform enterprise-class data durability with third platform performance and scale," said Ken Taylor, Director, EMC Emerging Technologies Product Division.

About McObject

Founded by embedded database and real-time systems experts, McObject offers proven data management technology that makes capital markets technology faster, more reliable and more cost-effective to develop and maintain. McObject counts among its customers industry leaders such as TradeStation, NSE.IT, SunGard Kingstar, Transaction Network Services, Dalian Commodity Exchange, Financial Technologies of India Ltd. (FTIL), BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, Siemens, Philips, EADS, Spirent Communications, F5 Networks, Motorola and Boeing. McObject, based in Federal Way, WA is committed to providing innovative technology and first-rate services to customers and partners. The company can be reached at +1-425-888-8505, or visit http://financial.mcobject.com.

McObject and eXtremeDB are registered trademarks of McObject LLC. EMC and XtremSF are either trademarks or registered trademarks of EMC Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact Information:

Ted Kenney

(425) 888-8505 x213