Date: September 12, 2011
IBM System zEnterprise System™ has achieved a new world record result in running SAP Core Banking with DB2®10 for z/OS®. These results were obtained using core banking workloads for the SAP for banking application. The results demonstrate superior client value in delivering world-class performance and scalability, reaffirming that zEnterprise is the most scalable mainframe ever and the ideal platform for banks with large core banking workloads..
A core bank system with 150 million banking accounts reached record results with typical workload for both day and night processing scenarios. The first scenario, day processing, reflects online usage that generally occurs during the daytime. The second scenario, night processing, reflects account balancing that generally occurs overnight in batch mode.
In brief
- Huge SAP database load of 150 million accounts
- Based on SAP for Banking 7.0
- Running on IBM zEnterprise System and DB2 10 for z/OS
- Throughput of more than 59 million account postings per hour for day processing workload
- Settled more than 37 million accounts per hour balanced in night processing scenarios
The results showcase the superior performance and scalability of IBM's hardware and database software when running the SAP for Banking solution, and emphasize IBM's leading role in the IT environment for banking.
How can banks be certain that the hardware and software they choose will scale to meet their needs? And will it perform reliably and allow for business continuity? To answer these questions, IBM recognized the customer requirement and launched a IBM System z SAP Core Banking Solution performance test.
To address performance and scalability, IBM took the opportunity to implement an impressively large database size of 150 Million accounts. This would not only satisfy the needs of large global financial institutions but also the small and mid range financial communities. The database size selected has the most impact on central processing unit (CPU) time, logging, virtual storage and other factors as well as being representative of today's large banking clients and their future growth requirements.
The performance test was performed by IBM's System z SAP Software Performance Team in Poughkeepsie, New York, and finalized in July. The performance test environment was comprised of an IBM zEnterprise 196 (z196) with IBM BladeCenter® and IBM zEnterprise BladeCenter Extension (zBX). The zEnterprise System tested was an integrated, hybrid platform bringing together the zEnterprise mainframe servers with IBM POWER7® blades. This hybrid environment can combine advanced hardware and software technologies including the z196, select IBM blades, WebSphere®, and Java™ under a single self managing environment that can reduce risk, staffing, and cost of scale out networks.
The zEnterprise System was configured in two-way data sharing mode, equipped with integrated coupling facilities for DB2 buffer pool management, and IBM System Storage® DS8800 with Solid State Drive technology.
The performance test covered online transaction processing (OLTP) which is typical day processing, and performed account balancing at regular intervals to settle accounts in the night processing scenario.
Results
More than 59 million account postings per hour for OLTP were reached for the typical daytime-oriented use. For a customary night processing scenario with batch workload the results settled with more than 37 million accounts balanced per hour. In the measurements, all 150 million accounts populated with 3 billion payment items were processed.
Proven mission critical reliability with world-class scalability and record-setting performance are among the reasons most clients choose the IBM System z platform to run their core banking applications. The reliability, availability, and security that the platform provides for the clients' business critical applications are added benefits. The IBM zEnterprise System is a next generation integrated, hybrid platform with mainframe qualities of service, bringing together the zEnterprise mainframe servers with select IBM blades.
With IBM being a leading provider of hardware and software in the banking industry, the results of the 150 million accounts performance test give further proof that even the largest organizations can have confidence in the scalability and performance of zEnterprise to meet current and future growth needs. IBM zEnterprise System has the proven capability to handle huge databases with superior performance and throughput, and at the same time offers high availability and fulfills highest sensitive security requirements that banks demand.
