SPEC CPU2006 software OS and BIOS Settings Descriptions for Huawei Platform systems

Operating System Tuning Parameters

Install only the relevant files

Select only test related files when installing the operating system,So that many services are not installed, this will reduce the consumption of resources by the operating system itself. In accordance with the following methods to install the operating system: 1.The software installation mode was selected 'Customize now'. 2.Next,In 'base System' column, We choose the following installation package,'Base','Compatibility Libraries', 'Java Platform','Large Systems Performance','Performance Tools','Perl Support'.In 'Development' column, We choose the following installation package,'Development tools'.That is all the installation package.

HUGETLB_MORECORE

Set this environment variable to "yes" to enable applications to use large pages.

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib64/libhugetlbfs.so

Setting this environment variable is necessary to enable applications to use large pages.


Firmware / BIOS / Microcode Settings

Hardware Prefetch

This BIOS option allows the enabling/disabling of a processor mechanism to prefetch data into the cache according to a pattern-recognition algorithm In some cases, setting this option to Disabled may improve performance.Users should only disable this option after performing application benchmarking to verify improved performance in their environment.

Adjacent Sector Prefetch

This BIOS option allows the enabling/disabling of a processor mechanism to fetch the adjacent cache line within a 128-byte sector that contains the data needed due to a cache line miss.In some cases, setting this option to Disabled may improve performance. Users should only disable this option after performing application benchmarking o verify improved performance in their environment.

Intel Turbo boost Technology

Enabling this option allows the processor cores to automatically increase its frequency and increasing performance if it is running below power, temperature.

Intel Hyper Threading Technology:

Enabling this option allows to use processor resources more efficiently, enabling multiple threads to run on each core and increases processor throughput, improving overall performance on threaded software.

Power Efficiency Mode (Default=Custom)

Values for this BIOS setting can be: Efficiency: Maximize the power efficiency of the server,Performance:Maximize the performance of the server, Custom:Allows the user to customize power and performance related options individually.

DRAM Maintenace (Default=Auto)

Values for this BIOS setting can be: Auto: System can configures DRAM maintenace mode to pTRR mode or TRR mode,Manual:Allows the user to customize DRAM maintenace mode related options individually(pTRR or TRR mode).Disabled:not use any kind of DRAM maintenace mode.

DRAM Maintenace Mode (Default=Disabled)

Values for this BIOS setting can be: When the DRAM Maintence set to 'Manual',user can set two kind of mode: pTRR Mode: when the server not has pTRR DIMMS,user can sets to pTRR mode,and the performance will be good,TRR Mode:when the server has pTRR DIMMs,can set to TRR mode.

Lockstep Memory Mode (Default=Enabled)

Values for this BIOS setting can be: Lockstep memory mode uses two memory channels at a time and provides an even higher level of protection.You can adjust the mode to disabled.

cooling Configuration

The Baseboard Management Controller allows the user to adjust the fan speed manually,If the server is in a stressful environment, the CPU have high temperature, you can adjust the fan speed to 100%.

Memory Power Saving

Selects the memory power saving mode, Depends on the selected mode, the Power Down clock mode, CKE, and IBT are intialized accordingly, disable this featrue will keep memory in high performance mode.

C-State

Core C3, Core C6 can be disabled for latency-sensitive applications in order to minimize latency, but disable Core C-states can also significantly limit the amount of turbo when a low number of cores are active,C3 and C6 are recommended to enable in SPEC CPU benchmark.

VT Support

If virtualization is not used, this option should be set to "Disabled", this can result in slight performance liftings and energy savings

Patrol Scrub

Patrol Scrub is a mechanism for memory controller to periodically read all memory.Corrected read data is writen back to memory when a correctable error is detected.This default setting is "Enabled".

Demand Scrub

Demand Scrub ia a mechanism for memory controller to correct a correctable error in memory.Corrected read data is sent to the requestor and written back to memory.This default setting is "Enabled".

QPI Snoop Configuration

There are 3 snoop mode options for how to maintain cache coherency across the Intel QPI fabric, each with varying memory latency and bandwidth characteristics depending on how the snoop traffic is generated. Cluster on Die (COD) mode logically splits a socket into 2 NUMA domains that are exposed to the OS with half the amount of cores and LLC assigned to each NUMA domain in a socket. This mode utilizes an on-die directory cache and in memory directory bits to determine whether a snoop needs to be sent. Use this mode for highly NUMA optimized workloads to get the lowest local memory latency and highest local memory bandwidth for NUMA workloads. In Home Snoop and Early Snoop modes, snoops are always sent , they just originate from different places: the caching agent (earlier) in Early Snoop mode and the home agent (later) in Home Snoop mode. Use Home Snoop mode for NUMA workloads that are memory bandwidth sensitive and need both local and remote memory bandwidth. Use Early Snoop mode for workloads that are memory latency sensitive or for workloads that benefit from fast cache-to-cache transfer latencies from the remote socket. Snoops are sent out earlier, which is why memory latency is lower in this mode.

CPU C1E Support

TEnabling this option which is the default allows the processor to transmit to its minimum frequency when entering the power state C1. If the switch is disabled the CPU stays at its maximum frequency in C1. Because of the increase of power consumption users should only select this option after performing application benchmarking to verify improved performance in their environment.