The document discusses how virtualization software from Parallels and Intel's Xeon 5500 processor allow geoscientists to run multiple operating systems and applications on a single workstation. Performance tests showed that two demanding geoscience applications could run at near-native speeds in a virtual machine on a Xeon 5500 workstation, providing a 570x improvement over a Xeon 5400 workstation. This allows more productive and cost-effective workflows compared to using multiple physical workstations.

1. Performance Brief
Intel® Xeon® Processor 5500
Intel® Virtualization Technology
Parallels Workstation Extreme
and Parallels Bring Native Graphics
Innovation to Virtual Machines
Visualizing complex multi-OS workloads concurrently
“High-performance Geoscientists and engineers in the oil and gas industry require multiple workstations,
virtualization on each running a different operating system and different business-critical applications.
Intel Xeon processor It’s an expensive computing strategy; it hampers a user’s ability to efficiently sift
5500 series-based through complex information and it drives up power consumption and IT maintenance
costs per user. Now there’s a more productive and cost-effective way to operate in
workstations is a game-
these resource-intensive, graphical workflow-driven environments.
changing capability. We
With workstations based on the latest Intel® Xeon® processor 5500∆ series and Parallels Workstation
can allocate multiple
Extreme* virtualization software, engineers and geoscientists can run multiple high-end Linux* and
cores, up to 64 GB of Windows* applications concurrently on a single workstation and realize near-native performance (95 to
memory and a dedicated 100 percent of a dedicated workstation). Even complex graphics are rendered at full speed, since Intel®
Virtualization Technology◊ for Directed I/O (Intel® VT-d) enables fully accelerated graphics performance
graphics card to each
in a virtualized environment. Users can run all their applications on a single system and experience the
virtual machine. The power of a high-end workstation for each application. It’s a more productive and satisfying way to work,
results are spectacular.” and it can dramatically reduce IT costs.
— Russ Sagert, Geoscience Unprecedented performance in a virtualized workstation
Technical Advisor – North To validate the power of this new paradigm, engineers from Schlumberger, the world’s leading oil field
America, Schlumberger services provider, ran performance tests for two of their most demanding applications, GeoFrame* and
Petrel.* These applications help engineers analyze complex geologic and geophysical data to evaluate
reservoir potential and optimize production strategies. GeoFrame runs on Linux. Petrel runs on Windows.
Normally, Schlumberger’s engineers run these applications on two separate workstations.

2. To test concurrent performance, GeoFrame and Petrel were run 570x performance increase
for an application running in a Parallels virtual machine
together on an Intel® Xeon® processor-based workstation. Petrel with emulated graphics vs. assigned graphics
was run on a Windows Vista* 64-bit host operating system. Geo-
Assigned
Frame was run in a virtual machine, using Parallels Workstation Native host:
30 frames/sec
Native host: graphics:
30 frames/sec 30 frames/sec
Extreme and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3.
• Test 1: Running on an Intel® Xeon® processor 5400 series-based
workstation: Petrel ran at full native speed, but performance for Emulated graphics:
1 frame/19 sec
GeoFrame was massively degraded, with graphic refresh rates of only (.053 frames/sec)
1 frame every 19 seconds (versus 30 frames per second for Petrel).
Intel® Xeon® Intel® Xeon®
processor 5400 processor 5500
• Test 2: Running on the latest Intel Xeon processor 5500 series- series-based series-based
based workstation: Both applications ran at full native speed, with workstation workstation
graphics refresh rates of 30 frames per second, a 570x improvement Petrel graphics performance (running on a Windows Vista 64-bit host)
for the virtualized application. According to Russ Sagert, Schlumberger’s GeoFrame graphics performance (running on Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 5.3 in a Parallels Workstation Extreme virtual machine)
Geoscience Technical Advisor for North America, “Our engineers were
blown away by the performance. We hammered these machines Figure 1. Breakthrough graphics performance in a virtual machine –
with extreme workloads that stressed every aspect of the system. An Intel Xeon processor 5500 series-based workstation running Parallels
Workstation Extreme delivers near native performance for high-end
Amazingly, the new workstation based on the Intel Xeon processor applications running in virtual machines.1
5500 series provided performance enabling this multiple OS, multiple
application environment to be usable for the first time.”
• Optimized Workstations and Graphics Cards: For current supported
configurations including workstation platforms, graphic cards, and
The Next Generation of Workstation Innovation host/guest OSs, visit www.parallels.com/products/extreme
It took coordinated innovation on several fronts to deliver this
massive increase in virtualized workstation performance. Better Productivity at Lower Cost
If you have engineers or geoscientists juggling multiple workstations,
• The Intel Xeon processor 5500 series: With its larger and
consider consolidating those systems onto a fully configured Intel
more efficient cache, greater memory capacity (up to 192 GB),
Xeon processor 5500 series-based workstation running Parallels
and 3.5x boost in system bandwidth, this processor provides
Workstation Extreme. Creativity and productivity will be unleashed
extreme scalability for technical workloads. It also supports Intel
with a powerful workstation upgrade that streamlines the work
VT-d in the chipset, which enables direct assignment of graphics
interface, reduces office noise and clutter, and delivers major perfor-
and network cards to virtual machines.
mance gains. Your IT organization will also benefit, through lower
• Parallels Workstation Extreme: This innovative virtualization soft- capital, management, support, space and energy costs, plus the
ware leverages the Parallels FastLane* Architecture, Intel Virtualization ability to standardize on a single OS image while easily addressing
Technology (including Intel VT-d), and dynamic resource allocation to alternative requirements.
deliver unprecedented performance for high-end applications running
concurrently. It also provides quick access to data and a great multi-OS Learn More
user experience with Parallels SmartX* technologies.
www.intel.com/products/workstation/processors/index.htm
www.parallels.com/products/extreme
∆
Intel processor numbers are not a measure of performance. Processor numbers differentiate features within each processor family, not across different processor families. See www.intel.com/products/processor_number for details.
◊
Intel® Virtualization Technology requires a computer system with an enabled Intel® processor, BIOS, virtual machine monitor (VMM) and, for some uses, certain platform software enabled for it. Functionality, performance or other benefits
will vary depending on hardware and software configurations and may require a BIOS update. Software applications may not be compatible with all operating systems. Please check with your application vendor.
1
Workstation Configurations – Test 1: HP Z800* workstation with 2X Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series, 2X Intel® Xeon® processor W5580, 3.20GHz, NVIDIA Quadro FX3800, FX4800 and FX5800, 48 GB RAM, 1333 MHz DDR3, Vista-64
SP1 Enterprise Edition. Test 2: HP xw8600* workstation with 2X Intel® Xeon® processor 5400 series, 2X Intel® Xeon® processor E5430, 2.66 GHz, NVIDIA Quadro FX3800, FX4800 and FX5800, 32 GB RAM, 1066 MHz DDR2, Vista-64 SP1
Enterprise Edition.
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