SPC-2 Benchmark Results

SPC-2 benchmark results provide a source of comparative storage performance information that is objective, relevant, and verifiable. That information will provide value throughout the storage product lifecycle, which includes development of product requirements, product implementation, performance tuning, capacity planning, market positioning, and purchase evaluations. The SPC-2 Benchmark is designed to be vendor/platform independent and are applicable across a broad range of storage configuration and topologies. Any vendor should be able to sponsor and publish an SPC-2 benchmark result, provided their tested configuration satisfies the requirements of the SPC-2 benchmark specification.

SPC Benchmark 2 (SPC-2)
SPC-2 consists of three distinct workloads designed to demonstrate the performance of a storage subsystem during the execution of business critical applications that require the large-scale, sequential movement of data. Those applications are characterized predominately by large I/Os organized into one or more concurrent sequential patterns. A description of each of the three SPC-2 workloads is listed below as well as examples of applications characterized by each workload.

• Large File Processing: Applications in a wide range of fields, which require simple sequential process of one or more large files such as scientific computing and large-scale financial processing.
• Large Database Queries: Applications that involve scans or joins of large relational tables, such as those performed for data mining or business intelligence.
• Video on Demand: Applications that provide individualized video entertainment to a community of subscribers by drawing from a digital film library.

Listed below is a table of all current SPC-2 benchmark results. In addition, the following information is available to aid in comparing SPC Results as well understanding status levels and categorization applicable for each SPC Result:

• Comparing SPC Results
• SPC Peer Review Status
• Active/Inactive Status
• Revision Status
• Tested Storage Product (TSP) Categories
• Withdrawn Status

(updated: 4 August 2010)

Comparing SPC Results

When comparing SPC Results, the difference between the Tested Storage Configuration and the Tested Storage Product of each SPC Result must be considered.

Tested Storage Configuration (TSC)
The TSC consists of all storage hardware and software used to produce an SPC Result. Included in the TSC are all storage devices, controllers/adapters, enclosures, storage software, etc. The TSC represents a complete storage solution.

Tested Storage Product (TSP)
The TSP is a distinct, customer orderable storage product, which is the focal point of an SPC Result. Each SPC Result is labeled with the formal name of the TSP. The TSP may essentially be identical to the Tested Storage Configuration. The TSP in those cases would typically include all of the storage hardware and software as a single customer orderable storage product. In other cases, the TSP may be a component of the Tested Storage Configuration such as a storage software product. In such cases, the Tested Storage Configuration consists of multiple, distinct customer orderable products including the TSP.

Accurate SPC Result Comparison
Comparison between SPC Results that only considers the Tested Storage Product may, in some cases, compare a total storage solution against a single component of a storage solution, which would be an inaccurate comparison. Accurate comparison of SPC Results compares the Tested Storage Configuration rather than the Tested Storage Product of each result, ensuring comparison between the total storage solution required to achieve each SPC Result.

SPC Peer Review Status

An SPC benchmark measurement becomes a new SPC benchmark result upon successful completion of the required SPC Audit and SPC submission process. The new SPC result is initially given a Submitted for Review status for a minimum of 60 days during which the SPC Peer Review occurs. The SPC Peer Review allows SPC members an opportunity to review the details of the SPC benchmark result and raise any compliance issues resulting from that review. If there are no compliance issues raised at the end of the SPC Peer Review, the status of the SPC benchmark result will transition to an Accepted status. If compliance issues are raised during the SPC Peer Review and the SPC benchmark result is found to be compliant with the appropriate SPC specification, the status of the SPC benchmark result will transition to an Accepted status. If the SPC benchmark result is found to be non-compliant during the SPC Peer Review, the SPC benchmark will either be withdrawn or revised to become compliant and then will transition to an Accepted status.

Active/Inactive Status

A new SPC benchmark result is automatically designated as Active. An existing SPC benchmark result may be designated as Inactive by the Test Sponsor. An Active SPC benchmark result typically becomes Inactive when the Test Sponsor no longer supports all components that were priced in the SPC benchmark result, but those components are available and supported via third-party suppliers. A Test Sponsor may also designate an existing SPC benchmark result as Inactive in cases where the SPC benchmark result references a product that has been superceded by a more recent model/version, but the original product is still available and/or supported by the Test Sponsor. Inactive SPC results remain on the SPC Benchmark Results website pages and may continue to be publicly referenced.

Revision Status

A Test Sponsor may voluntarily submit a revised Full Disclosure Report (FDR) to update pricing, component availability, or any other allowable change to an existing SPC benchmark result. A Test Sponsor may also be required to submit a revised FDR to address confirmed compliance issues that were identified during the SPC Peer Review of an existing SPC benchmark result. All revisions will be listed in the Key Dates and Revision Information section of the FDR and Executive Summary.

Tested Storage Product (TSP) Categories

The TSP is a distinct, customer orderable product, which is the focal point of an SPC benchmark result. Each SPC benchmark result is labeled with the formal name of the TSP.

If all of the storage devices, priced in an SPC benchmark result, are included as components of TSP, the SPC benchmark result will be categorized as "TSP includes all storage". Inclusion of all storage devices must be via one or more selectable options when ordering the TSP.

If the TSP does not offer any selectable options to include all storage devices priced in an SPC benchmark result, the SPC benchmark result will be categorized as "TSP does not include all storage". In such cases, the storage devices are not considered to be part of the TSP and are ordered separately to complete the priced configuration.

SPC benchmark results in the first category typically feature a TSP that is primarily a hardware storage product, which includes all configured storage devices. The second category of SPC benchmark results typically features a TSP that is primarily a software storage product and requires the configured storage devices to be ordered separately from the TSP.

Withdrawn Status

An SPC benchmark result may be withdrawn voluntarily by the Test Sponsor or as directed by the SPC. Each withdrawn SPC benchmark will be placed in one of the following three categories:

• Withdrawn 1: The SPC benchmark result was voluntarily withdrawn by the Test Sponsor without any compliance issues raised concerning the SPC benchmark result. This action is typically taken when an existing SPC benchmark result references a product that is no longer supported or has been superceded by a more recent model/version.

• Withdrawn 2: The SPC benchmark result was withdrawn by the Test Sponsor after one or more compliance issues were raised during the SPC Peer Review. The SPC benchmark result was withdrawn prior to resolution of the compliance issue(s).

• Withdrawn 3: The SPC benchmark result was withdrawn by the SPC after being ruled non-compliant with the appropriate SPC specification.

A withdrawn SPC benchmark result will remain on the SPC Benchmark Results website pages for 120 days from the date of withdrawal and may be publicly referenced during that period as a withdrawn SPC benchmark result. At the end of the 120-day period, the withdrawn SPC benchmark result will be removed from the SPC Benchmark Results website pages and is no longer considered a SPC benchmark result and should not be referenced as such.

.