Xen users - Sep 2009 - Poor network performance on Win2k3 DomU

Hi everyone.
I´m having this problem with Red Hat 5.4 running on a HP ProLiant BL460c G6.

I have two windows 2k3 x64, but network performance is extremely bad without
PV drivers, i mean, it takes a lot of time to access any location and if the
path has many folders it can´t conect.
Redhat provides some PV dirvers. I´ve installed them, but with no
improvements.
I tested another  DomU, with the gplpv_fre_wnet_AMD64_0.10.0.86 drivers, and
the results where better, but still slow.
Network on Dom0 works perfect. And file transfer between Dom0 and DomU works
great too.
I´ve tested a Win 32bit also, but the problem persist.
what could possibly be the reason?
thanks in advance;

Juan Pablo


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On Mon, Sep 07, 2009 at 02:36:13PM -0300, Juan Pablo Torres
wrote:
> Hi everyone.
> I?m having this problem with Red Hat 5.4 running on a HP ProLiant BL460c
G6.
> 
> I have two windows 2k3 x64, but network performance is extremely bad
without
> PV drivers, i mean, it takes a lot of time to access any location and if
the
> path has many folders it can?t conect.
> Redhat provides some PV dirvers. I?ve installed them, but with no
> improvements.
> I tested another  DomU, with the gplpv_fre_wnet_AMD64_0.10.0.86 drivers,
and
> the results where better, but still slow.
> Network on Dom0 works perfect. And file transfer between Dom0 and DomU
works
> great too.
> I?ve tested a Win 32bit also, but the problem persist.
> what could possibly be the reason?
> thanks in advance;
> 
Without PV drivers you should have model=e1000 for the guest, dunno if
this is the default in RHEL 5.4. That''s the best performing Qemu
emulated NIC.

PV drivers should be faster/fastest though, since there''s no need for
any kind of emulation then.

Did you play with offloading settings, or try disabling checksumming on
the gplpv adapter settinst in Windows? 

-- Pasi


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Thanks for the reply;
I know that PV drivers improve performance, but in this case. It is unusable
without those drivers and barely usable with them, and that´s not normal.
Both, packet offloading and checksumming are disabled. But the problem
persist.
I´ve notice that the problem is with file sharing, ´cause i can access those
windows servers through RDP, prefectly well.
I´ve installed a Win 2008 Server, but it does exactly the same.


On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 4:58 AM, Pasi Kärkkäinen <pasik@iki.fi> wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 07, 2009 at 02:36:13PM -0300, Juan Pablo Torres wrote:
> > Hi everyone.
> > I?m having this problem with Red Hat 5.4 running on a HP ProLiant
BL460c
> G6.
> >
> > I have two windows 2k3 x64, but network performance is extremely bad
> without
> > PV drivers, i mean, it takes a lot of time to access any location and
if
> the
> > path has many folders it can?t conect.
> > Redhat provides some PV dirvers. I?ve installed them, but with no
> > improvements.
> > I tested another  DomU, with the gplpv_fre_wnet_AMD64_0.10.0.86
drivers,
> and
> > the results where better, but still slow.
> > Network on Dom0 works perfect. And file transfer between Dom0 and DomU
> works
> > great too.
> > I?ve tested a Win 32bit also, but the problem persist.
> > what could possibly be the reason?
> > thanks in advance;
> >
>
> Without PV drivers you should have model=e1000 for the guest, dunno if
> this is the default in RHEL 5.4. That''s the best performing Qemu
> emulated NIC.
>
> PV drivers should be faster/fastest though, since there''s no need
for
> any kind of emulation then.
>
> Did you play with offloading settings, or try disabling checksumming on
> the gplpv adapter settinst in Windows?
>
> -- Pasi
>
>

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> 
> Thanks for the reply;
> I know that PV drivers improve performance, but in this case. It is
unusable
> without those drivers and barely usable with them, and that´s not normal.
> Both, packet offloading and checksumming are disabled. But the problem
> persist.
> I´ve notice that the problem is with file sharing, ´cause i can access
those
> windows servers through RDP, prefectly well.
> I´ve installed a Win 2008 Server, but it does exactly the same.
> 
If you are familiar with tcpdump and/or wireshark it would be useful to capture
some packets and see if you can notice anything out of the ordinary.

What kernel version are you using? There were some big problems (both GPLPV and
normal Linux PV) with newer Dom0 kernels in terms of network performance. I
can''t remember the version or the patch flavour used though.

James

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Kernel Version: 2.6.18-164.el5Xen
I will try with tcpdump, but when i check the windows network monitor, there
is almost no traffic.

2009/9/8 James Harper <james.harper@bendigoit.com.au>
> >
> > Thanks for the reply;
> > I know that PV drivers improve performance, but in this case. It is
> unusable
> > without those drivers and barely usable with them, and that´s not
normal.
> > Both, packet offloading and checksumming are disabled. But the problem
> > persist.
> > I´ve notice that the problem is with file sharing, ´cause i can access
> those
> > windows servers through RDP, prefectly well.
> > I´ve installed a Win 2008 Server, but it does exactly the same.
> >
>
> If you are familiar with tcpdump and/or wireshark it would be useful to
> capture some packets and see if you can notice anything out of the
ordinary.
>
> What kernel version are you using? There were some big problems (both GPLPV
> and normal Linux PV) with newer Dom0 kernels in terms of network
> performance. I can''t remember the version or the patch flavour
used though.
>
> James
>

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