Performance vs. Efficiency: Choosing Between Intel® Xeon® 6 Processors with P-Cores and E-Cores for Next-Gen Firewall Applications on Lanner NCA-6250 - Lanner Electronics | Network Appliance | uCPE SD-WAN| MEC Server | Intelligent Edge Appliance

Introduction

Lanner collaborates with Intel to build the next-generation network security appliances powered by Intel Xeon 6 processors with Performance cores (P-cores) and Efficiency cores (E-cores). These hybrid architectures provide distinct advantages for different workloads, particularly for next-generation firewall (NGFW) applications. This whitepaper explores the performance and efficiency trade-offs between P-cores and E-cores when deploying NGFW on the Lanner NCA-6250 network security appliance.

Difference Between Intel Xeon 6 Processors P-cores and E-cores

Intel Xeon 6 processors feature Performance cores (P-cores) and Efficiency cores (E-cores), each optimized for specific workloads:

P-cores (Performance cores):

• Designed for maximum performance per core
• Ideal for multi-threaded and data-parallel workloads
• Feature a wider and deeper microarchitecture with larger caches, higher bandwidth, and wider vectors
• Excel in AI, ML, analytics, and workloads requiring data acceleration and vectorized code execution

E-cores (Efficiency cores):

• Prioritize performance per watt and high core density
• Single-threaded, optimized for throughput-oriented workloads
• Scale efficiently to handle high-density computing environments
• Provide better integer performance per watt and per socket

Source: Intel

Both core types share the same architecture and software ecosystem, enabling scalable optimizations across diverse applications in cloud, edge, and enterprise computing.

Testing NGFW on Lanner NCA-6250 with P-core and E-core

Lanner collaborated with Intel to run Intel’s NGFW reference implementation, included within the NetSec reference software from Intel, on the NCA-6250 network security appliance. This reference implementation includes essential security features such as firewall and intrusion prevention.

Source: Intel

 

Test Results

The test results comparing the Lanner NCA-6250 using Intel® Xeon® 6780E processor (E-core) and Intel® Xeon® 6787P processor (P-core) are summarized in the table below:

Metric	Intel® Xeon® 6780E	Intel® Xeon® 6787P
Total No. of Cores	144	86
Base Freq (GHz)	2.3	2.0
TDP (W)	330	350
Cache Size (MB) L3	108	336
Core Type	E-core	P-core
Instructions supported	Intel®AVX2	Intel® AVX-512
Intel® Hyper Threading Technology	No	Yes
Throughput (Gbps)	165	179
Throughput per Snort Core (Gbps)	1.29	2.32
Throughput per Core (Gbps)	1.18	2.13
Throughput per Thread (Gbps)	1.18	1.07
Power (W)	244	294
Perf/Watt	0.68	0.61
No. of VPP Cores	12c12t	7C14T
No. of Snort Cores	128c128t	77c154T

 

Analysis

The results highlight the performance difference between P-cores and E-cores in NGFW applications:

Efficiency-Oriented (E-core) Configuration (Intel Xeon 6780E processor):

• Features a higher number of VPP cores and Snort cores.
• Delivers strong performance per watt, making it ideal for power-constrained environments.
• Handles lower throughput (165 Gbps) but provides better energy efficiency.

Performance-Oriented (P-core) Configuration (Intel Xeon 6787P processor):

• Features fewer VPP cores and Snort cores but achieves higher overall throughput (179 Gbps).
• Provides better performance per core and per socket.
• Leverages Intel AVX-512 instructions and hyperthreading to optimize compute intensive workloads.

Conclusion

Choosing between P-cores and E-cores for next-gen firewall applications on the Lanner NCA-6250 depends on the specific requirements of the deployment:

• For power-efficient, high-density computing with balanced throughput, E-cores offer better performance per watt.
• For maximum performance, higher throughput, and computationally demanding workloads, P-cores provide superior per-core and per-socket performance and performance density.

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