Here's an interesting problem. We're evaluating SQL 6.0 on two
machines, one a Pentium 590 with 64 MB of Memory, the other an Alpha
2100 with 190 MB of memory, that runs at 250 MHz.
Both are running NT 3.51 and SQL 6.0. We created a database on the
Compaq, and pointed a WfW 3.11 PC (ODBC) client at it to run a query
from Excel 5. This query takes about 30 minutes to complete. Then we
copied the database to the Alpha (using the Transfer Facility). Then
reran the ODBC stuff, changing the data-source to the Alpha.
The expectation was that the Alpha would completely out-perform the
Compaq. HOWEVER ... quite the reverse: the Compaq is consistently
faster (more than double). Can anyone suggest why, or whether the
assumptions made in the test are erroneous?
After the first batch of tests, we tried to optimise the Alpha: we
increased the base priority of SQLserver threads, moved TempDB to RAM,
and increased the memory of the SQLserver to 50 MB (the default is 16
MB). The compaq received none of these benefits, but nor did we see a
corresponding increase in performance.
Indeed, when we ran Performance Monitor, there was no disk i/o going
on, and the processor was essentially quiet (less than 4%).
Can anyone suggest a cause for all this?
regards
Carl