The document discusses OLTP-EMUL, an open-source performance testing tool for Firebird. It describes how to configure and run OLTP-EMUL tests on Firebird 2.5, 3.0 and 4.0 to simulate a trading application. IBSurgeon regularly runs these tests and publishes the results online, showing significant performance improvements from Firebird 2.5 to 3.0 and 4.0, especially for the SuperServer engine. Configuration settings for Firebird.conf that optimize performance are also provided.

1. High-load performance testing:
Firebird 2.5, 3.0, 4.0
Alex Koviazin, IBSurgeon
www.ib-aid.com

2. OLTP-EMUL:
Official Firebird Performance Test
• Checkout it from Firebird repository!
• Open-source
• Easy to setup and run

3. How to configure test OLTP-EMUL
fbc = E:FB25.TMPINSTANCEbin
dbnm = D:OLTP-EMULoltp25-small.fdb
host = localhost
port = 3255
usr = SYSDBA
pwd = masterke
tmpdir = e:templogs.oltp25
• Run it:
1run_oltp_emul.bat 25 100 – Firebird 2.5, 100 clients
1run_oltp_emul.bat 30 100 – Firebird 3.0, 100 clients

4. Regular testing
• IBSurgeon runs OLTP-EMUL tests for
Firebird 2.5, 3.0, 4.0 and publishes results
• http://ib-aid.com/en/logs-2-5/
• http://ib-aid.com/en/logs-3-0/
• http://ib-aid.com/en/logs-4-0/
• Test machine: 16GB RAM, 4 CPU, SSD,
database 64Gb.

5. What does the OLTP-EMUL test?
• Simulates trading application with the following operations
1. Create/change/cancel order
2. Order to supplier
3. Create/change/cancel invoice
4. Invoice accept/reject
5. Reserve for customer/change/delete
6. Payment from customer
7. Payment to supplier
8. Service operations
9. etc

6. SuperServer
SuperClassic
Classic
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
Firebird 2.5
Firebird 3.0
Firebird 4.0

7. SuperServer
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
Firebird 2.5 Firebird 3.0 Firebird 4.0
SuperServer

8. SuperClassic and Classic
580
620
770
579
596
762
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Firebird 2.5 Firebird 3.0 Firebird 4.0
SuperClassic
Classic

9. Performance over time: Firebird 2.5 SC
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
1
5
9
13
17
21
25
29
33
37
41
45
49
53
57
61
65
69
73
77
81
85
89
93
97
101
105
109
113
117
121
125
129
133
137
141
145
149
153
157
161
165
169
173
177
181

10. Performance over time: Firebird 3.0 SS
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
1
5
9
13
17
21
25
29
33
37
41
45
49
53
57
61
65
69
73
77
81
85
89
93
97
101
105
109
113
117
121
125
129
133
137
141
145
149
153
157
161
165
169
173
177
181
185
189

11. Performance over time: Firebird 4.0 SS
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
1
5
9
13
17
21
25
29
33
37
41
45
49
53
57
61
65
69
73
77
81
85
89
93
97
101
105
109
113
117
121
125
129
133
137
141
145
149
153
157
161
165
169
173
177
181
185
189

12. Firebird.conf settings for 2.5 SC
• TempDirectories = e:temp
• FileSystemCacheThreshold = 65536
• DefaultDbCachePages = 384
• TempBlockSize = 2048576
• TempCacheLimit = 67108864
• LockMemSize = 5048576
• LockHashSlots = 20011

13. Firebird.conf for 3.0
• DefaultDbCachePages = 768K
• LockHashSlots = 22111
• MaxUnflushedWrites = -1
• MaxUnflushedWriteTime = -1
• TempDirectories = e:temp
• MaxUserTraceLogSize = 99999
• FileSystemCacheThreshold = 65536K

14. Firebird.conf for 4.0
• DefaultDbCachePages = 768K
• LockHashSlots = 22111
• MaxUnflushedWrites = -1
• MaxUnflushedWriteTime = -1
• TempDirectories = e:temp
• MaxUserTraceLogSize = 99999
• FileSystemCacheThreshold = 65536K

15. Hardware Guide
• http://ib-aid.com/en/articles/firebird-
hardware-guide/

16. Optimized HQbird Firebird configurations
• https://ib-aid.com/en/optimized-firebird-
configuration/
• Free!