Tests Reveal Upgrading Server Memory Dramatically Improves Performance

In today's competitive business world, IT departments are constantly challenged to find ways to improve productivity and get the most performance for the least cost. Many have looked to computer technology to accomplish this and have found that upgrading their server is one of the easiest, most economical, and most effective ways to experience dramatic productivity gains.

New tests conducted by VeriTest revealed just how dramatic the improvements can be. VeriTest measured the performance improvement of a Web server as they increased the amount of RAM in the system from 512MB to 2GB and 4GB.

The results showed that with each upgrade in the amount of RAM in a Web server, the performance levels increased significantly in both data throughput and the number of HTTP requests/second the server was able to handle.

When the amount of RAM was increased from 512MB to 2GB, the data throughput performance and number of HTTP requests/second doubled. When the amount of RAM was upgraded to 4GB, performance levels increased by more than ninefold over the results using 512MB of RAM.

In comparing the 2GB to 4GB RAM configurations, the Web server data throughput and number of HTTP requests/second increased by a factor of five.

Test results showed a significant improvement from the 512MB to the 2GB configurations, over twice the number of HTTP requests/second and data throughput, or 73.27 percent and 76.57 percent improvement, respectively. The results show a more dramatic improvement when adding 4GB of RAM. Tests revealed ten times the performance in both categories, with an 801.86 percent increase in HTTP requests/second and an 821.29 percent increase in data throughput.

Also noted was a significant improvement going from the 2GB configuration to the 4GB RAM configuration. In this case, performance increased 420.49 percent in the number of HTTP requests/second and 415.06 percent in data throughput.

VeriTest also evaluated the average latency time for all the servers in each RAM configuration. (Latency time is the sum of the average connection time plus the average data transfer time in each transaction.)

As detailed above, latency rate time was shorter with each upgrade of RAM size. The shorter the latency time, the quicker the transaction is completed, and the more requests a server can accommodate. In these tests, a completed HTTP transaction took 49.91 percent less time with 2GB of RAM than with 512MB of RAM. The latency time was 90.40 percent less when increased to 4GB of RAM. Furthermore, when the 2GB memory size was upgraded to 4GB, a transaction took 80.83 percent less time to complete after the upgrade. The greatest benefit proved to be with the 4GB configuration. This configuration allowed for the entire 3GB of Web workload data to be completely cached in RAM and, therefore, create an environment for higher data throughput, increased Web access, and quicker response time.

Clearly, one of the greatest opportunities to improve overall system performance is to upgrade your server memory. Nearly everyone is your organization accesses your networked servers on a regular basis, and if you're an e-commerce company, server performance is even more crucial. One of the biggest obstacles to making a profit is a system that can't handle the traffic that comes your way. Consumers have so many choices, and if they can't get through quickly, chances are they'll move along to a competitor for the goods and services they're looking for. The right amount of RAM can ensure that you're prepared for sudden surges in online traffic.

The number of variables involved in any given setup and situation makes it nearly impossible to offer guidelines for how much memory you should install in your server, but as these tests indicate, the general rule is the more, the better. For the greatest benefit and preparedness for the future, Crucial recommends the maximum amount of memory your servers can utilize.