Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation

The Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC) is an American non-profit corporation that aims to produce, establish, maintain, and endorse a standardized set of performance benchmarks for computers.[1]

"SPEC" redirects here. For other uses, see SPEC (disambiguation).

Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation
Formation1988
TypeNon-profit corporation
HeadquartersGainesville, Virginia
Membership
Hardware & Software Vendors, Universities, Research Centers
Staff
5
Websitewww.spec.org

SPEC was founded in 1988.[2][3] It was originally called System Performance Evaluation Cooperative. Their first benchmark standard was SPEC [1989] or SPEC Benchmark Suite Release 1.0, October 1989.[4] SPEC benchmarks are widely used to evaluate the performance of computer systems; the test results are published on the SPEC website.

Over time, SPEC evolved into an umbrella organization comprising four main groups: the Graphics and Workstation Performance Group (GWPG), the High Performance Group (HPG), the Open Systems Group (OSG), and the most recent addition, the Research Group (RG).


Structure
  • Open Systems Group (OSG)
  • High-Performance Group (HPG)
  • Graphics and Workstation Performance Group (GWPG)
  • SPEC Research Group (RG)

Membership

Any interested company or entity willing to commit to SPEC's standards can become a member. Membership benefits include:


  • Participation in benchmark development
  • Participation in review of results
  • Complimentary software based on group participation

The list of members is available on SPEC's membership page;.

Membership Levels
  • Sustaining Membership requires payment and typically includes hardware or software companies.
  • SPEC "Associates" pay a reduced fee as nonprofits; typically includes academia and research organizations.

SPEC Benchmark Suites

The benchmarks aim to test "real-life" situations. There are several benchmarks testing Java scenarios, from simple computation (SPECjbb) to a full system with Java EE, database, disk, and network (SPECjEnterprise).

The SPEC CPU suites test CPU performance by measuring the run time of several programs such as the compiler GCC, the chemistry program gamess, and the weather program WRF. The various tasks are equally weighted; no attempt is made to weigh them based on their perceived importance. An overall score is based on a geometric mean.

Cloud

Measuring and comparing the provisioning, compute, storage, and network resources of IaaS cloud platforms.

  • SPEC Cloud IaaS 2018
  • SPEC Cloud IaaS 2016

CPU
Current SupportedHave been retired
  • SPEC CPU2017
  • SPEC CPU2006
  • SPEC CPU2000
  • SPEC CPU95
  • SPEC CPU92

Measuring and comparing combined performance of CPU, memory and compiler.

  • SPEC CPU2006 contains two suites:
  • SPEC CPU 2017 package contains four suites.
    • The SPECspeed 2017 Integer and SPECspeed 2017 Floating Point suites are used for comparing time for a computer to complete single tasks.
    • The SPECrate 2017 Integer and SPECrate 2017 Floating Point suites measure the throughput or work per unit of time.

Graphics and Workstation Performance

Measuring performance of an OpenGL 3D graphics system, tested with various rendering tasks from several popular 3D-intensive real applications on a given system.

Benchmark SuiteCurrent ReleaseOld Releases
SPECviewperfSPECviewperf 2020
  • SPECviewperf 13
  • SPECviewperf 12
  • SPECviewperf 11
SPECwpcSPECwpc v2.1
SPECapcSM
SPECapcSM for 3ds Max™SPECapcSM for 3ds Max™ 2015
  • SPECapc for 3ds Max™ 2011
SPECapcSM for MayaSPECapcSM for Maya 2017
  • SPECapcSM for Maya 2012
SPECapcSM for PTC CreoSPECapcSM for PTC Creo 3.0
  • SPECapcSM for PTC Creo 2.0
SPECapcSM for Siemens NXSPECapcSM for Siemens NX 9.0 and 10.0
  • SPECapcSM for Siemens NX 8.5
SPECapcSM for SolidWorksSPECapcSM for SolidWorks 2017
  • SPECapcSM for SolidWorks 2013

High Performance Computing, OpenMP, MPI, OpenACC, OpenCL
Benchmark SuitesCurrent SupportedHave been retired
HPC(none)
  • SPEC HPC2002
  • SPEC HPC96
OMP
  • SPEC OMP2012
  • SPEC OMP2001 V3.2
MPI
  • SPEC MPI2007
(none)
ACCEL
  • SPEC ACCEL
(none)
OMP

The SPEC OMP (OpenMP) is the first one for evaluating performance based on OpenMP applications, for measuring the performance of SMP (Shared memory Multi-Processor, i.e. UMA) systems.

Java Client/Server
Benchmark SuiteCurrent SupportedHave been retired
LatestWill be retired
jAppServer (none) (none)
  • SPECjAppServer2004
  • SPECjAppServer2002
  • SPECjAppServer2001
JBB
  • SPECjbb2015
(none)
  • SPECjbb2013
  • SPECjbb2005
  • SPECjbb2000
jEnterprise
  • SPECjEnterprise 2018 Web Profile
  • SPECjEnterprise 2010
(none)(none)
JMS
  • SPECjms2007
(none)(none)
JVM
  • SPECjvm2008
(none)
  • SPECjvm98

JBB

evaluates the performance of server side Java by emulating a three-tier client/server system (with emphasis on the middle tier).

j Enterprise

A multi-tier benchmark for measuring the performance of Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) technology-based application servers.

Mail Servers
Current SupportedHave been retired
(none)
  • SPECmail2009
  • SPECmail2008
  • SPECmail2001

Storage
Current SupportedHave been retired
  • SPEC SFS 2014
  • SPECsfs2008
  • SPEC SFS97_R1 (3.0)
  • SPEC SFS97 (2.0)
  • SPEC SFS93 (LADDIS)

SPEC SFS is for measuring file server throughput and response time supporting both NFS and SMB protocol access.

Power
Current SupportedHave been retired
  • SPECpower_ssj 2008
 (none)

Virtualization
Current SupportedHave been retired
  • SPEC virt_sc2010

Web Servers
Current SupportedHave been retired
(none)
  • SPECweb2009
  • SPECweb2005
  • SPECweb96
  • SPECweb99
  • SPECweb99_SSL

SPEC Tools
  • Server Efficiency Rating Tool (SERT). Intended to measure server efficiency, initially as part of the second generation of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR for Computer Servers program.
  • SPEC Chauffeur WDK Tool. Designed to simplify the development of workloads for measuring both energy efficiency and performance.
  • PTDaemon. The SPEC PTDaemon software is used to control power analyzers in benchmarks which contain a power measurement component.

Benchmark Search Program
  • SPEC CPUv6, The CPU Search Program seeks to encourage those outside of SPEC to assist them in locating applications that could be used in the next CPU-intensive benchmark suite, currently designated as SPEC CPUv6. Obsoleted now.

Retired Benchmarks (No Successor)
  • SPEC SDM91
  • SPECsip_infrastructure2011 - the benchmark is still available for purchase but no additional result submissions are being accepted and support is no longer offered.

Retired Benchmarks (No Longer Documented)
  • SPECapcSM for Lightwave 3D 9.6, performance evaluation software for systems running NewTek LightWave 3D v9.6 software.
  • SPEC 2001
  • SPEC CPU89

Portability

SPEC benchmarks are written in a portable programming language (usually C, C#, Java or Fortran), and the interested parties may compile the code using whatever compiler they prefer for their platform, but may not change the code. Manufacturers have been known to optimize their compilers to improve performance of the various SPEC benchmarks. SPEC has rules that attempt to limit such optimizations.

Licensing

In order to use a benchmark, a license has to be purchased from SPEC; the costs vary from test to test with a typical range from several hundred to several thousand dollars. This pay-for-license model might seem to be in violation of the GPL as the benchmarks include software such as GCC that is licensed by the GPL. However, the GPL does not require software to be distributed for free, only that recipients be allowed to redistribute any GPLed software that they receive; the license agreement for SPEC specifically exempts items that are under "licenses that require free distribution", and the files themselves are placed in a separate part of the overall software package.

References
  1. "SPEC Frequently Asked Questions". Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  2. "The SPEC Organization". Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  3. "SPEC Membership". Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  4. Reilly, James, Kheradpir, Shervin, "An Overview of High-performance Hardware Design Using the 486 CPU", Intel Corporation, Microcomputer Solutions, November/December 1990, page 20
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