CMTG cuts CPU use 70% with Lenovo AMD server refresh

CMTG has upgraded its private cloud platform with Lenovo ThinkSystem SR675 V3 servers using AMD EPYC 9475F processors, a move it says cut CPU utilisation by 70%.

The infrastructure refresh also reduced RAM usage by 10%, while customers reported faster application performance, including SQL reports running up to three times faster.

The Perth-based managed service provider, which offers private cloud, virtual desktop infrastructure, data storage and application hosting services to Australian small and medium-sized businesses, replaced server hardware nearing the end of its service life. It aimed to improve customer experience and create room for more demanding workloads, including artificial intelligence applications.

The updated platform remains based on Lenovo servers with VMware and Citrix virtualisation layers. CMTG said the new configuration improved virtual desktop performance while lowering the compute resources needed to support them.

For customers using computer-aided design applications through the company's virtual desktop infrastructure, the faster processor clock speeds improved responsiveness, even on endpoint devices not usually suited to graphics-heavy tasks. In Citrix Windows 11 VDI benchmarks, CMTG achieved 60 frames per second, which it described as the platform limit.

Management said the switchover was completed overnight without disrupting customers. CMTG used Lenovo XClarity Pro software to automate parts of the deployment and migration.

"Moving to Lenovo ThinkSystem SR675 V3 servers powered by AMD EPYC processors is night and day as far as performance is concerned, both for us and our customers," said Carl Filpo, Managing Director, CMTG. "By upgrading our infrastructure, we can provision virtual desktops with superior end-user experience and at lower cost, improving customer retention and growth."

CMTG said the upgrade comes as cloud and managed service providers face pressure to support larger and more varied workloads without expanding infrastructure at the same rate. It has also been competing with Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop and was looking for a way to strengthen its private cloud offering.

Customer response

Customers noticed the difference quickly after the new servers went live, with users reporting faster performance across applications, particularly in SQL-based reporting workloads.

"Moving to Lenovo ThinkSystem SR675 V3 servers powered by AMD EPYC processors is night and day as far as performance is concerned, both for us and our customers," said Filpo. "The morning after we completed the switch over, we had customers calling us to ask: 'what did you do? Our applications are so fast!' with one customer saying that one particular report has gone from taking several minutes to a few seconds."

CMTG also said the lower CPU load has created additional headroom in its environment. Nick Hughes, Technical Sales Manager at CMTG, said the business saw no performance impact even with 2:1 contention while the environment was being stood up.

AI planning

CMTG said the refreshed platform provides a foundation for AI-related services customers may want to run in a locally hosted environment. It sees demand for secure, Australia-based infrastructure that can support AI workloads while remaining under managed control.

AMD linked the deployment to a broader shift in infrastructure planning as more organisations move from testing AI tools to using them in production systems.

"As enterprises bring AI into production, the conversation is shifting from simply adding more compute to building infrastructure that delivers the right balance of performance, efficiency and operational control," said Alexey Navolokin, General Manager, Sales, APAC, AMD. "CMTG's deployment of AMD EPYC Server CPUs illustrates that the same infrastructure investments improving virtual desktop performance today can also provide the compute foundation needed for future AI services."

CMTG said it reviewed several processor vendors during the refresh and chose AMD after examining market options and receiving a reference from Citrix, which it said uses AMD in its own platform. It also cited its long-standing relationship with Lenovo and past experience with the vendor's hardware and support services.

Founded in 1998, CMTG is headquartered in Perth and focuses on managed private cloud systems, backups, virtual machines and hosted applications for business customers across Australia.