From: Me <jenright@swbell.net>
Subject: Unix Benchmark Utility v.0.3 
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 20:01:02 -0500
   
I just loaded RedHat 7.3 on a new computer (custom built).
I downloaded your benchmark utility so I could get a "before and after" reading.
Once the machine is tuned, I will build a custom kernel.
The benchmark would hopefully tell me if the custom kernel was worth the effort, so to speak. 

I found the "before" numbers a bit startling.  Perhaps if you have time, you could comment on them. 

The computer is a Tyan Thunder K7X S2468UGN with a matched pair of AMD Athalon 2200+ (1800 Mhz)
processors (64K L1, 256K L2 cache each).
It is equipped with 2 gigabytes of Kinston DDR 2100 memory, an onboard Adaptec SCSI controller
driving a matched pair of Seagate Cheetah drives with software RAID 0. 

This is not a slouchy setup, but I am still having a bit of trouble believing the numbers: 

Linux 2.4.18-3smp #1 SMP Thu Apr 18 06:59:55 EDT 2002 i686 
Ubench CPU:   115926 
Ubench MEM:   117584 
-------------------- 
Ubench AVG:   116755 

I am familiar with some of the example machines listed in the README file packaged in
the ubench distribution.  In particular, quad processor HP 9000's are not exactly slugs.
Yet they benchmark at roughly 20% of my new web development box.  Again, if you have the time,
please comment on these numbers. 

Thanks, 

John Enright 
ShadeTree Web Services