Host Specs vs Emulated Performance

Here's a question, which greatly impacts the VUPS calculations. Looking at 2 lines of the DCL script Bruce posted:

< class='quote' style='width:400px;white-space:nowrap;overflow:auto'><code style='white-space:nowrap'>$ cpu_multiplier = 10 ! VAX = 10 - Alpha/AXP = 40
$ cpu_round_add = 1 ! VAX = 1 - Alpha/AXP = 9
<br><br><br></code>

You notice there are 2 values for cpu_multiplier and cpu_round_add. If I read it correctly, the script, as posted is for VAX. cpu_multiplier should be 40 and cpu_round_add should be 9 if you run the script on Alpha.

If I run the script on my DS10 exactly as posted, VUPS is 239. However, if I change those 2 values to represent an Alpha, then my VUPs is reported as 958.

The VUPs score is meaningless except as a way to provide a common comparison between different systems. I probably should not have called it VUPs, as that implies VAX Units of Performance.

As long as everyone runs the same DCL code, we will be able to compare relative performance between different host platforms and FreeAXP releases.

Yea, I get 29.4 on an Intel Core I7 920. That pegs just one core though, so I should run several at the same time...

I have posted some more scores for PersonalAlpha running on some more host variations (See edits to my earlier post above). I also performed the VUP test on a brand new Samsung notebook with Core i5 2.26ghz cpu and 4gb DDR3 memory. I can't remember the exact score but it was in the 17 -18 VUP range. This was slower than I expected and noticeably behind my 3ghz E8400 Core 2 Duo desktop system.

I have not tried FreeAXP yet but it is getting more tempting as availability of a new version has been announced. The new version includes an additional virtual serial port, which sounds like it might provide for an extra terminal session on the Host PC. The only other concerns I have relate to the lack of an idle timer on FreeAXP (although this may not be a significant problem on a multicore CPU), and also I am unsure as to how I can change the OpenVMS network interface device names so that I can use my existing PersonalAlpha container files (Don't know how to do this).

Update (05-MAY-2010)

I now have a VUPS rating for FreeAXP Beta 271 running on a brand new MSI Laptop as follows :-

MSI A6200 Laptop
Intel Core i3-330M cpu 2.13ghz
3gb DDR3 memory
320gb SATA Hard disk

Host O/S Win 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
VMS version 8.3
VUPs score 18.4 (Slightly better than the 17-18 score which I reported earlier on a faster Core i5 equipped Samsung Laptop running Personal Alpha)<hr>

Even without the extra serial port, if you've configured and started TCPIP you can just use your favorite terminal emulator to TELNET or SSH from your PC to your emulated machine.

I don't have Personal Alpha here, but from reading the FreeAXP release notes, it sounded like you'd just need to change the DECNET, TCPIP, etc. configurations to reference the correct Ethernet device name. If I was doing that, I'd make a COPY of my Personal Alpha book disk image rather than messing up the original.

Assuming you're using TCPIP rather than MULTINET or TCPWARE, just @SYS$STARTUP:TCPIP$CONFIG, select 1 (core environment), 2 (interfaces) and add a WE0 (EWA0:) interface. Then shutdown and restart TCPIP.

If you're using DECnet IV, just @SYS$MANAGER:NETCONFIG.COM to reconfigure DECnet. (I still like to run Phase IV here. Call me an old troglodyte I guess.)

BTW, the suggestion made in the FreeAXP release notes to add one or more TAP virtual Ethernet adapters, bridge them with a real adapter and then reference them in each of your FreeAXP or other emulator configurations is an EXCELLENT one. That works extremely well. Thanks guys!<hr>

1) AlphaServer DS20 500 MHz OpenVMS V8.3 EV6 (21264) 500 Mhz


Approximate System VUPs Rating : 252.6


2) Digital Personal WorkStation OpenVMS V8.3 EV56 (21164A) 500 Mhz (my
development system at home)


Approximate System VUPs Rating : 153.6


3) Installed the current FreeAXP emulator on an HP 7900 CMT, Intel Core2
Quad CPU Q9400 @2.66 Ghz 4GB Microsoft Windows XP 2002 Professional
Service Pack 2 (a reasonably recent and quite respectable office
desktop) and installed VMS V8.3 from the distribution CD


FreeAXP reported itself as


AlphaServer 400 4/166 running OpenVMS V8.3 EV4 (21064) 1216 Mhz


Approximate System VUPs Rating : 16.0


Volker.

PS: Posting results on behalf of Mark Daniel, see:

groups.google.de/group/comp.os.vms/brows...5de7ca4229dc7?hl=de#