One thing to check. Is the write cache on the controller and disks enabled. I don't think either is by default. I've just set up 2 similar servers and had to enable that with the HP Array manager tool. Also, something I've seen in server 08 is that it wont let you enable caching from device manager/disk drives/policies. Says the driver has disabled it. May not be an issue in server 03 but something to check.
Everything I could find on the net, said to update drivers and controller bios. Did both but no help. Also might want to set the stripe size to max. I think 512. Saw that as a recommendation somewhere too. And yes you can change that without interruption, if it is on a UPS. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 2:24 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Performance problem on VMwareServer2 - gah Single Array, RAID5, made up of 3 physical disks (thats all we have). Original Message: ----------------- From: Charlie Kaiser [email protected] Date: Fri, 22 May 2009 11:08:22 -0700 To: [email protected] Subject: RE: Performance problem on VMwareServer2 - gah How are the physical drives configured? We usually put no more than one VM on a spindle. The conflicts between two VMs on one spindle produce unacceptable bottlenecks in my experience. *********************** Charlie Kaiser [email protected] Kingman, AZ *********************** > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 10:49 AM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: Performance problem on VMwareServer2 - gah > > Thought I'd ask our resident gurus... > > I have a brand new HP DL360 server. 8GB memory, 2 quads, 3 > SAS drives with a P400i/512 controller w/BBWC. > > I am running Windows 2003 R2 Enterpise on the host machine. I > also created > (4) VMs (each 75GB in size, preallocated) each with a Single > vCPU, and 2GB of memory, running Windows 2003 R2 Enterprise. > NOTE -- These VMs have NOTHING on them except the O/S. No > applications, no nothing. > > I have serious performance problems as it relates to the VMs > becoming unusable for a periond of 15 minutes or so every now > and then.... I am noticing, on the HOST, that the logical > disk - % write time performance counter just shoots up 100% > for as much as 10-15 minutes (see attachment > diskusage1.jpg) and then slowly comes down back to near zero > (see attachment diskusage2.jpg). The graphs show a total time > duration of 16 minutes - FYI... > > During this high spike of Disk Write % on the host, the VMs > themselves are doing NOTHING. Again, they are PLAIN OS > installed with nothing installed. > Performance monitoring on those VMs shows barely ANY > activiate at all, while the host shows 100% disk write %. So > it's definitely the host, it seems, causing the poor > performance. Also, notice in Attachment diskusage2.jpg the > slow decline of Disk Write %... This ALWAYS happens after a > period of 100% disk write % usage.... it trails off slowly > like that over a 10-15 minute period before it come down to > zero again. > > Any idea what is causing this? I'm thinking about giving up > and going to ESXi. ?? > > picture1 - > http://communities.vmware.com/servlet/JiveServlet/download/126 > 0005-23055/dis > kusage1.jpg?tstart=0 > > picture2- > http://communities.vmware.com/servlet/JiveServlet/download/126 > 0005-23054/dis > kusage2.jpg?tstart=0 > > Thanks all! > > Remember the true meaning of Memorial Day! > JR > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > mail2web.com - Enhanced email for the mobile individual based > on MicrosoftR Exchange - > http://link.mail2web.com/Personal/EnhancedEmail > > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource > hog! ~ ~ > <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web.com - Microsoft(r) Exchange solutions from a leading provider - http://link.mail2web.com/Business/Exchange ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
