SSD performance - issues again

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Rand__

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Mar 6, 2014
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So my next attempt to find a suitable storage for my ESX boxes, this time a large single SSD filer (with a secondary hdd/optane box + smaller slower vsan robo cluster for mixed mode high resilience).

So I restarted my old napp-it installation (Feb '18), ran update (none avail) and the started blasting away at my pool.

1. CPU is a 2667 ES2 (2.6Ghz), 4 cores allocated to the VM on a X10SRA (x16/x8/x8/x8)
2. 16 GB Ram allocated
3. Drives are S3700 400Gb - i have a large number in this system but it didn't look good so I went back to a small pool to check.
4. Disks are in a Supermicro 846 with -A Backplane and attached to a 9305-16i (x8) and a 9305-8i (in x8)
5. All tests local , tried e1000 and vmxnet3 network card even if it should not matter, still old hardware version from ova, ESX is some 6.5 variant


I ran 4,6,8 drives in mirrors - most values are kind of identical and I have no clue why that would be?
Will recheck Bios settings in the morning just to be sure.


nappit1.PNG
nappit2.PNG
nappit3.PNG
 

Evan

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Jan 6, 2016
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Oh, maybe 20% of performance :(
Sorry can’t really add anything constructive since all looks ok to me setup wise, using controllers in the correct slots, setup seems ok.
 

Rand__

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At least the dd tests are better than what I see, but haven't run those explicitly yet.
 

gea

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Dec 31, 2010
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Something is limiting the performance as there is nearly no increase over number of mirrors. I would rule out now possible reasons ex

- compare a barebone setup (rule out ESXi)
- compare Sata (AHCI) results of a Raid-10 (rule out 9305 HBA)

Then motherboard related things like
- reset bios to defaults
- remove half of RAM, then check with with other half, optionally different RAM types

- try a different mainboard

update:
I have just seen that you have set readcache=none. Such a setting will extremely reduce performance as you operate like a system with 1-2 GB RAM and this is only usefull if you want to compare 2 settings and want to rule out RAM effects (RAM is what makes ZFS fast)

Compare a readcache=all (default setting for regular operation)
 
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Rand__

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good advice, will do, thanks.

Re "readcache=none." -> just following your benchmarking guide;)
upload_2018-5-1_14-9-14.png
 

gea

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Depends on what you want to know.
If you want to know the real difference between a disk, a SSD and an Optane NVMe you want to rule out RAM effects as a workload that can be processed in RAM is nearly as fast on any of them.

If you want to know how fast is a given system, you want to include RAM in the benchmark.
 

Rand__

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So, tried installing OmniOS baremetal but that didnt want to work via my KVM switch. Couldnt create a bootable USB stick from it iso either:(
Went with a linux install instead and ran fio (1 and 16 iodepth):

Code:
Fio X10SRA Native, R1, SATA, E52667v4qs

root@ubuntusra:/root#  fio --randrepeat=1 --ioengine=libaio --direct=1 --gtod_reduce=1 --name=test --

filename=/dev/md/md_r1 --bs=4k --iodepth=1 --size=8G --readwrite=randwrite
test: (g=0): rw=randwrite, bs=4K-4K/4K-4K/4K-4K, ioengine=libaio, iodepth=1
fio-2.2.10
Starting 1 process
Jobs: 1 (f=1): [w(1)] [100.0% done] [0KB/94212KB/0KB /s] [0/23.6K/0 iops] [eta 00m:00s]
test: (groupid=0, jobs=1): err= 0: pid=1734: Wed May  2 15:22:43 2018
  write: io=8192.0MB, bw=93215KB/s, iops=23303, runt= 89992msec
  cpu          : usr=5.03%, sys=22.28%, ctx=2097286, majf=0, minf=9
  IO depths    : 1=100.0%, 2=0.0%, 4=0.0%, 8=0.0%, 16=0.0%, 32=0.0%, >=64=0.0%
     submit    : 0=0.0%, 4=100.0%, 8=0.0%, 16=0.0%, 32=0.0%, 64=0.0%, >=64=0.0%
     complete  : 0=0.0%, 4=100.0%, 8=0.0%, 16=0.0%, 32=0.0%, 64=0.0%, >=64=0.0%
     issued    : total=r=0/w=2097152/d=0, short=r=0/w=0/d=0, drop=r=0/w=0/d=0
     latency   : target=0, window=0, percentile=100.00%, depth=1

Run status group 0 (all jobs):
  WRITE: io=8192.0MB, aggrb=93215KB/s, minb=93215KB/s, maxb=93215KB/s, mint=89992msec, maxt=89992msec
root@ubuntusra:/root# ls /dev/md/md_r1 ^C
root@ubuntusra:/root#  fio --randrepeat=1 --ioengine=libaio --direct=1 --gtod_reduce=1 --name=test --

filename=/dev/md/md_r1 --bs=4k --iodepth=16 --size=8G --readwrite=randwrite
test: (g=0): rw=randwrite, bs=4K-4K/4K-4K/4K-4K, ioengine=libaio, iodepth=16
fio-2.2.10
Starting 1 process
Jobs: 1 (f=1): [w(1)] [100.0% done] [0KB/232.4MB/0KB /s] [0/59.5K/0 iops] [eta 00m:00s]
test: (groupid=0, jobs=1): err= 0: pid=1761: Wed May  2 15:23:48 2018
  write: io=8192.0MB, bw=229863KB/s, iops=57465, runt= 36494msec
  cpu          : usr=6.00%, sys=47.01%, ctx=1139030, majf=0, minf=8
  IO depths    : 1=0.1%, 2=0.1%, 4=0.1%, 8=0.1%, 16=100.0%, 32=0.0%, >=64=0.0%
     submit    : 0=0.0%, 4=100.0%, 8=0.0%, 16=0.0%, 32=0.0%, 64=0.0%, >=64=0.0%
     complete  : 0=0.0%, 4=100.0%, 8=0.0%, 16=0.1%, 32=0.0%, 64=0.0%, >=64=0.0%
     issued    : total=r=0/w=2097152/d=0, short=r=0/w=0/d=0, drop=r=0/w=0/d=0
     latency   : target=0, window=0, percentile=100.00%, depth=16

Run status group 0 (all jobs):
  WRITE: io=8192.0MB, aggrb=229862KB/s, minb=229862KB/s, maxb=229862KB/s, mint=36494msec, maxt=36494msec
Passed through the HBAs from the NappIt box to a Linux VM to compare - slower but not as bad as Napp-It:
Code:
Fio ESX ESX, R1, SATA, E52667v4es2 (2.6)

 ~/fio-2.2.10# ./fio --randrepeat=1 --ioengine=libaio --direct=1 --gtod_reduce=1 --name=test --filename=/dev/md/md_r1 --

bs=4k --iodepth=1 --size=8G --readwrite=randwrite
test: (g=0): rw=randwrite, bs=4K-4K/4K-4K/4K-4K, ioengine=libaio, iodepth=1
fio-2.2.10
Starting 1 process
Jobs: 1 (f=1): [w(1)] [100.0% done] [0KB/72740KB/0KB /s] [0/18.2K/0 iops] [eta 00m:00s]
test: (groupid=0, jobs=1): err= 0: pid=12303: Wed May  2 13:26:06 2018
  write: io=8192.0MB, bw=71929KB/s, iops=17982, runt=116623msec
  cpu          : usr=2.48%, sys=17.85%, ctx=2099197, majf=0, minf=8
  IO depths    : 1=100.0%, 2=0.0%, 4=0.0%, 8=0.0%, 16=0.0%, 32=0.0%, >=64=0.0%
     submit    : 0=0.0%, 4=100.0%, 8=0.0%, 16=0.0%, 32=0.0%, 64=0.0%, >=64=0.0%
     complete  : 0=0.0%, 4=100.0%, 8=0.0%, 16=0.0%, 32=0.0%, 64=0.0%, >=64=0.0%
     issued    : total=r=0/w=2097152/d=0, short=r=0/w=0/d=0, drop=r=0/w=0/d=0
     latency   : target=0, window=0, percentile=100.00%, depth=1

Run status group 0 (all jobs):
  WRITE: io=8192.0MB, aggrb=71929KB/s, minb=71929KB/s, maxb=71929KB/s, mint=116623msec, maxt=116623msec
root@core ~/fio-2.2.10# ./fio --randrepeat=1 --ioengine=libaio --direct=1 --gtod_reduce=1 --name=test --

filename=/dev/md/md_r1 --bs=4k --iodepth=16 --size=8G --readwrite=randwrite
test: (g=0): rw=randwrite, bs=4K-4K/4K-4K/4K-4K, ioengine=libaio, iodepth=16
fio-2.2.10
Starting 1 process
Jobs: 1 (f=1): [w(1)] [100.0% done] [0KB/203.3MB/0KB /s] [0/52.3K/0 iops] [eta 00m:00s]
test: (groupid=0, jobs=1): err= 0: pid=12348: Wed May  2 13:26:52 2018
  write: io=8192.0MB, bw=217192KB/s, iops=54298, runt= 38623msec
  cpu          : usr=11.95%, sys=64.47%, ctx=476877, majf=0, minf=7
  IO depths    : 1=0.1%, 2=0.1%, 4=0.1%, 8=0.1%, 16=100.0%, 32=0.0%, >=64=0.0%
     submit    : 0=0.0%, 4=100.0%, 8=0.0%, 16=0.0%, 32=0.0%, 64=0.0%, >=64=0.0%
     complete  : 0=0.0%, 4=100.0%, 8=0.0%, 16=0.1%, 32=0.0%, 64=0.0%, >=64=0.0%
     issued    : total=r=0/w=2097152/d=0, short=r=0/w=0/d=0, drop=r=0/w=0/d=0
     latency   : target=0, window=0, percentile=100.00%, depth=16

Run status group 0 (all jobs):
  WRITE: io=8192.0MB, aggrb=217192KB/s, minb=217192KB/s, maxb=217192KB/s, mint=38623msec, maxt=38623msec
So it does not seem to be related to HBA or X10SRA...

I then reinstalled Napp-IT, updated OmniOS and rerun

Single Mirror
nappitB_1.PNG

2x Mirror
nappitB_2.PNG

3x Mirror

nappitB_3.PNG

so it scales ok from 1 to 2 drives, but there it gets stuck. The weird thing is that its 512 MB and 1024MB, this looks like a configured barrier

Tried to install fio on omnios but couldn't get it to work (spent only 10 mins).
Have not tried other HW changes yet... but have similar issues on another box with nvme drives (also ESX) so it seems I am doing sth fundamentally wrong
 

gea

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Can you add a sequence without disabling all ram for caching (readcache=all)

btw
in current napp-it benchmark default is readcache=all (system default) with
sequential read=filebench: singlestreamread
 
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Rand__

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Here you go

1 pair
nappitC_1.PNG

2 pairs
nappitC_2.PNG

3 pairs
nappitC_3.PNG

And some more discs ...

upload_2018-5-2_22-55-51.png
 
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gea

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The Filebench filemicro are not very exact, they are only fast.
The filemicro read seems only testing ramcache performance not disk performance.

In current napp-it 18.01 free+, I switched Filebench defaults to
test3: randomwrite
test4: singlestreamwrite
test 7: randomread
test8: randomrw
test9: singlestreamread

These tests run longer but witch more exact results.
You can also compare a dd for a basic test.

In any case, readvalues without ramcache is bad on ZFS
The readcache is also important for write as you must read many metadata prior write.

If you compare other benchmarks they are mostly pure sequential without disabling RAM or enabling sync write. With Filebench you can select a lot of workload cases, each with a different result.
 

Rand__

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Will create a set with defaults then.
But regardless of tool, this does not scale well :/

Or maybe my expectations are off?
Do you have a recommendation how to get fio deployed? Does OmniOS have a compiler & stuff onboard?

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3
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4
nappitD_4.PNG
5
nappitD_5.PNG
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Rand__

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And some more :)
dd, total size 12.4 GB each - Note the bad read speed...

6 drive pairs
4K
nappitE_4k_1.PNG
2M
nappitE_2m_1.PNG

10 drive pairs - perf dropped a lot...
4K
nappitE_4k_2.PNG
2M
nappitE_2m_2.PNG


And one default benchmark while I have the 10 pair pool:

nappitD_10.PNG
 

gea

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At least the values are ok now for AiO and scale as expected up to three mirrors. Then you seem to hit a barrier. I suppose more RAM and a barebone setup can give some more performance and would show the impact of virtualisation or RAM.
 

Rand__

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Ok, thanks for the feedback. Will try to get that done on the weekend.
 

Rand__

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So physical setup seems to look better... Here are 1..4 mirrors; will need to move the installation to the big box for more drives.

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nappitF_1.PNG

2
nappitF_2.PNG

3
nappitF_3.PNG

4
nappitF_4.PNG
 

Rand__

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So looks like Openindiana doesn't like ES CPUs ... thought it were the MLX cards but nope;)

Hm its not the ES CPU... still happens

upload_2018-5-6_15-38-44.png


Edit: It seems as if this is an USB issue with my KVM over IP switch... as soon as I plug that in ...

Will check the hint's re USB config
 
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Rand__

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Ok, so in the 846, 2 runs with 3 & 7 mirrors... its better than as VM, but there are still weird limits...

3 Mirrors - sync always=360MB, singlestream read 3.2 GB/s, dd 2.2 GB/s
nappitG_3.PNG

7 Mirrors - sync always=360MB, singlestream read 3.2 GB/s, dd 2.2 GB/s

nappitG_7.PNG
 

gea

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It is hard to go above 3 GB/s read even with faster disks.

Sync write with 300-400 MB/s seems ok (disk based pools are at 30-50 MB/s).
btw. This is quite the same with one Optane.

In my tests with 8 x Sandisk Pro Extreme 960 I achieved 150 MB/s (OmniOS)
With 4 x Optane 900P (Optane is best of all) I got 900 MB/s

On the new Solaris 11.4, I got 1200 MB/s with 4 x Optane
So I suppose if you want more you need either Optane and/or a commercial Solaris.
 
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Rand__

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Ok, so you say even a large number of SSDs will not get faster than this ? Now thats weird and disappointing...
Ok, I will move the physical install over to the nvme box then, got 4 P3700s waiting for tests there...