[Kernel-packages] [Bug 1319003] Re: Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-grants support

2014-06-18 Thread Joseph Salisbury
I sent an SRU request to the Ubuntu kernel team mailing list.  However,
since Saucy will soon be EOL, we are only accepting critical CVE
patches.

It might be best to upgrade to Trusty, which should already have this
fix.

** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu Saucy)
   Status: In Progress = Won't Fix

** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu)
   Status: In Progress = Won't Fix

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Title:
  Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-
  grants support

Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  Won't Fix
Status in “linux” source package in Saucy:
  Won't Fix

Bug description:
  Description of problem:
  When used as a Xen guest, Ubuntu 13.10 may be slower than older releases in 
terms of storage performance. This is due to the persistent-grants feature 
introduced in xen-blkfront on the Linux Kernel 3.8 series. From 3.8 to 3.12 
(inclusive), xen-blkfront will add an extra set of memcpy() operations 
regardless of persistent-grants support in the backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, 
tapdisk). Many Xen dom0s do not have backend persistent-grants support (such as 
Citrix XenServer and any Linux distro with Kernel prior to 3.8). This has been 
identified and fixed in the 3.13 kernel series [1], but was not backported to 
previous LTS kernels due to the nature of the bug (performance only).

  While persistent grants reduce the stress on the Xen grant table and
  allow for much better aggregate throughput (at the cost of an extra
  set of memcpy() operations), adding the copy overhead when the feature
  is unsupported on the backend combines the worst of both worlds.
  This is particularly noticeable when intensive storage workloads are
  active from many guests.

  The graphs attached show storage throughput numbers for Linux guests
  using kernel 3.12.9 (Graph 1) and 3.13.7 (Graph 2) running on a Citrix
  XenServer development build. The server had 4 storage repositories
  (SRs) with 1 Micron P320 SSD per SR (i.e. 10 VMs per SR means 40 VMs
  in total). When using 3.12.9 kernel, the regression is clearly visible
  for more than 2 VMs per SR and block sizes larger than 64 KiB. The
  workload consisted of sequential reads on pre-allocated raw LVM
  logical volumes.

  [1] Commits by Roger Pau Monné:
  bfe11d6de1c416cea4f3f0f35f864162063ce3fa
  fbe363c476afe8ec992d3baf682670a4bd1b6ce6

  Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
  xen-blkfront of Linux kernel 3.11

  How reproducible:
  This is always reproducible when a Ubuntu 13.10 guest is running on Xen and 
the storage backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, tapdisk) does not have support for 
persistent grants.

  Steps to Reproduce:
  1. Install a Xen dom0 running a kernel prior to 3.8 (without 
persistent-grants support).
  2. Install a set of Ubuntu 13.10 guests (which uses kernel 3.11).
  3. Measure aggregate storage throughput from all guests.

  NOTE: The storage infrastructure (e.g. local SSDs, network-attached
  storage) should not be a bottleneck in itself. If tested on a single
  SATA disk, for example, the issue will probably be unnoticeable as the
  infrastructure will be limiting response time and throughput.

  Actual results:
  Aggregate storage throughput will be lower than with a xen-blkfront versions 
prior to 3.8 or newer than 3.12.

  Expected results:
  Aggregate storage throughput should be at least as good or better than 
previous (or newer) versions of Ubuntu in cases where the backend doesn't 
support persistent grants.

  Additional info:
  Given that this is fixed on newer kernels, we urge that a backport of the 
relevant patches to the 3.11 stable branch is requested. According to the rules 
in: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt, the 
patches would be accepted on the grounds of:

  - Serious issues as reported by a user of a distribution kernel may also
     be considered if they fix a notable performance or interactivity issue.
     As these fixes are not as obvious and have a higher risk of a subtle
     regression they should only be submitted by a distribution kernel
     maintainer and include an addendum linking to a bugzilla entry if it
     exists and additional information on the user-visible impact.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+subscriptions

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[Kernel-packages] [Bug 1319003] Re: Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-grants support

2014-05-31 Thread Felipe Franciosi
Joseph, apologies for the delay on this. I have finally managed to
retest the kernel you have provided.

For reference, I added the following disks to my server:
* 4 x Micron P320
* 2 x Intel 910s (presented as 4 separate SCSI devices)
* 1 x Fusion-io ioDrive2

I created 10 LVM Logical Volumes on each one of these 9 devices.
Next, I created 10 Saucy 64bit VMs (each with 2 vCPUs and 512 MB RAM) and 
assigned one LV from each device to it.

Each data point in the graphs I am attaching now correspond to the
aggregate throughput of all LVs per VM.

Your kernel (indicated by Ubuntu 13.10 x86_64 + Backports) allows the
VMs to reach the 7 GB/s mark while the kernel without the backports will
not go past the 5 GB/s mark.

I hope this confirms that these patches are essential and that you can
include them as soon as possible.

Regards,
Felipe

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You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1319003

Title:
  Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-
  grants support

Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in “linux” source package in Saucy:
  In Progress

Bug description:
  Description of problem:
  When used as a Xen guest, Ubuntu 13.10 may be slower than older releases in 
terms of storage performance. This is due to the persistent-grants feature 
introduced in xen-blkfront on the Linux Kernel 3.8 series. From 3.8 to 3.12 
(inclusive), xen-blkfront will add an extra set of memcpy() operations 
regardless of persistent-grants support in the backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, 
tapdisk). Many Xen dom0s do not have backend persistent-grants support (such as 
Citrix XenServer and any Linux distro with Kernel prior to 3.8). This has been 
identified and fixed in the 3.13 kernel series [1], but was not backported to 
previous LTS kernels due to the nature of the bug (performance only).

  While persistent grants reduce the stress on the Xen grant table and
  allow for much better aggregate throughput (at the cost of an extra
  set of memcpy() operations), adding the copy overhead when the feature
  is unsupported on the backend combines the worst of both worlds.
  This is particularly noticeable when intensive storage workloads are
  active from many guests.

  The graphs attached show storage throughput numbers for Linux guests
  using kernel 3.12.9 (Graph 1) and 3.13.7 (Graph 2) running on a Citrix
  XenServer development build. The server had 4 storage repositories
  (SRs) with 1 Micron P320 SSD per SR (i.e. 10 VMs per SR means 40 VMs
  in total). When using 3.12.9 kernel, the regression is clearly visible
  for more than 2 VMs per SR and block sizes larger than 64 KiB. The
  workload consisted of sequential reads on pre-allocated raw LVM
  logical volumes.

  [1] Commits by Roger Pau Monné:
  bfe11d6de1c416cea4f3f0f35f864162063ce3fa
  fbe363c476afe8ec992d3baf682670a4bd1b6ce6

  Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
  xen-blkfront of Linux kernel 3.11

  How reproducible:
  This is always reproducible when a Ubuntu 13.10 guest is running on Xen and 
the storage backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, tapdisk) does not have support for 
persistent grants.

  Steps to Reproduce:
  1. Install a Xen dom0 running a kernel prior to 3.8 (without 
persistent-grants support).
  2. Install a set of Ubuntu 13.10 guests (which uses kernel 3.11).
  3. Measure aggregate storage throughput from all guests.

  NOTE: The storage infrastructure (e.g. local SSDs, network-attached
  storage) should not be a bottleneck in itself. If tested on a single
  SATA disk, for example, the issue will probably be unnoticeable as the
  infrastructure will be limiting response time and throughput.

  Actual results:
  Aggregate storage throughput will be lower than with a xen-blkfront versions 
prior to 3.8 or newer than 3.12.

  Expected results:
  Aggregate storage throughput should be at least as good or better than 
previous (or newer) versions of Ubuntu in cases where the backend doesn't 
support persistent grants.

  Additional info:
  Given that this is fixed on newer kernels, we urge that a backport of the 
relevant patches to the 3.11 stable branch is requested. According to the rules 
in: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt, the 
patches would be accepted on the grounds of:

  - Serious issues as reported by a user of a distribution kernel may also
     be considered if they fix a notable performance or interactivity issue.
     As these fixes are not as obvious and have a higher risk of a subtle
     regression they should only be submitted by a distribution kernel
     maintainer and include an addendum linking to a bugzilla entry if it
     exists and additional information on the user-visible impact.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+subscriptions

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[Kernel-packages] [Bug 1319003] Re: Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-grants support

2014-05-31 Thread Felipe Franciosi
** Attachment added: Saucy x86_64 without the backports
   
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+attachment/4123531/+files/saucy.png

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1319003

Title:
  Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-
  grants support

Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in “linux” source package in Saucy:
  In Progress

Bug description:
  Description of problem:
  When used as a Xen guest, Ubuntu 13.10 may be slower than older releases in 
terms of storage performance. This is due to the persistent-grants feature 
introduced in xen-blkfront on the Linux Kernel 3.8 series. From 3.8 to 3.12 
(inclusive), xen-blkfront will add an extra set of memcpy() operations 
regardless of persistent-grants support in the backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, 
tapdisk). Many Xen dom0s do not have backend persistent-grants support (such as 
Citrix XenServer and any Linux distro with Kernel prior to 3.8). This has been 
identified and fixed in the 3.13 kernel series [1], but was not backported to 
previous LTS kernels due to the nature of the bug (performance only).

  While persistent grants reduce the stress on the Xen grant table and
  allow for much better aggregate throughput (at the cost of an extra
  set of memcpy() operations), adding the copy overhead when the feature
  is unsupported on the backend combines the worst of both worlds.
  This is particularly noticeable when intensive storage workloads are
  active from many guests.

  The graphs attached show storage throughput numbers for Linux guests
  using kernel 3.12.9 (Graph 1) and 3.13.7 (Graph 2) running on a Citrix
  XenServer development build. The server had 4 storage repositories
  (SRs) with 1 Micron P320 SSD per SR (i.e. 10 VMs per SR means 40 VMs
  in total). When using 3.12.9 kernel, the regression is clearly visible
  for more than 2 VMs per SR and block sizes larger than 64 KiB. The
  workload consisted of sequential reads on pre-allocated raw LVM
  logical volumes.

  [1] Commits by Roger Pau Monné:
  bfe11d6de1c416cea4f3f0f35f864162063ce3fa
  fbe363c476afe8ec992d3baf682670a4bd1b6ce6

  Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
  xen-blkfront of Linux kernel 3.11

  How reproducible:
  This is always reproducible when a Ubuntu 13.10 guest is running on Xen and 
the storage backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, tapdisk) does not have support for 
persistent grants.

  Steps to Reproduce:
  1. Install a Xen dom0 running a kernel prior to 3.8 (without 
persistent-grants support).
  2. Install a set of Ubuntu 13.10 guests (which uses kernel 3.11).
  3. Measure aggregate storage throughput from all guests.

  NOTE: The storage infrastructure (e.g. local SSDs, network-attached
  storage) should not be a bottleneck in itself. If tested on a single
  SATA disk, for example, the issue will probably be unnoticeable as the
  infrastructure will be limiting response time and throughput.

  Actual results:
  Aggregate storage throughput will be lower than with a xen-blkfront versions 
prior to 3.8 or newer than 3.12.

  Expected results:
  Aggregate storage throughput should be at least as good or better than 
previous (or newer) versions of Ubuntu in cases where the backend doesn't 
support persistent grants.

  Additional info:
  Given that this is fixed on newer kernels, we urge that a backport of the 
relevant patches to the 3.11 stable branch is requested. According to the rules 
in: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt, the 
patches would be accepted on the grounds of:

  - Serious issues as reported by a user of a distribution kernel may also
     be considered if they fix a notable performance or interactivity issue.
     As these fixes are not as obvious and have a higher risk of a subtle
     regression they should only be submitted by a distribution kernel
     maintainer and include an addendum linking to a bugzilla entry if it
     exists and additional information on the user-visible impact.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+subscriptions

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[Kernel-packages] [Bug 1319003] Re: Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-grants support

2014-05-31 Thread Felipe Franciosi
** Attachment added: Saucy x86_64 with the backports
   
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+attachment/4123532/+files/saucy-backports.png

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel
Packages, which is subscribed to linux in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1319003

Title:
  Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-
  grants support

Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in “linux” source package in Saucy:
  In Progress

Bug description:
  Description of problem:
  When used as a Xen guest, Ubuntu 13.10 may be slower than older releases in 
terms of storage performance. This is due to the persistent-grants feature 
introduced in xen-blkfront on the Linux Kernel 3.8 series. From 3.8 to 3.12 
(inclusive), xen-blkfront will add an extra set of memcpy() operations 
regardless of persistent-grants support in the backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, 
tapdisk). Many Xen dom0s do not have backend persistent-grants support (such as 
Citrix XenServer and any Linux distro with Kernel prior to 3.8). This has been 
identified and fixed in the 3.13 kernel series [1], but was not backported to 
previous LTS kernels due to the nature of the bug (performance only).

  While persistent grants reduce the stress on the Xen grant table and
  allow for much better aggregate throughput (at the cost of an extra
  set of memcpy() operations), adding the copy overhead when the feature
  is unsupported on the backend combines the worst of both worlds.
  This is particularly noticeable when intensive storage workloads are
  active from many guests.

  The graphs attached show storage throughput numbers for Linux guests
  using kernel 3.12.9 (Graph 1) and 3.13.7 (Graph 2) running on a Citrix
  XenServer development build. The server had 4 storage repositories
  (SRs) with 1 Micron P320 SSD per SR (i.e. 10 VMs per SR means 40 VMs
  in total). When using 3.12.9 kernel, the regression is clearly visible
  for more than 2 VMs per SR and block sizes larger than 64 KiB. The
  workload consisted of sequential reads on pre-allocated raw LVM
  logical volumes.

  [1] Commits by Roger Pau Monné:
  bfe11d6de1c416cea4f3f0f35f864162063ce3fa
  fbe363c476afe8ec992d3baf682670a4bd1b6ce6

  Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
  xen-blkfront of Linux kernel 3.11

  How reproducible:
  This is always reproducible when a Ubuntu 13.10 guest is running on Xen and 
the storage backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, tapdisk) does not have support for 
persistent grants.

  Steps to Reproduce:
  1. Install a Xen dom0 running a kernel prior to 3.8 (without 
persistent-grants support).
  2. Install a set of Ubuntu 13.10 guests (which uses kernel 3.11).
  3. Measure aggregate storage throughput from all guests.

  NOTE: The storage infrastructure (e.g. local SSDs, network-attached
  storage) should not be a bottleneck in itself. If tested on a single
  SATA disk, for example, the issue will probably be unnoticeable as the
  infrastructure will be limiting response time and throughput.

  Actual results:
  Aggregate storage throughput will be lower than with a xen-blkfront versions 
prior to 3.8 or newer than 3.12.

  Expected results:
  Aggregate storage throughput should be at least as good or better than 
previous (or newer) versions of Ubuntu in cases where the backend doesn't 
support persistent grants.

  Additional info:
  Given that this is fixed on newer kernels, we urge that a backport of the 
relevant patches to the 3.11 stable branch is requested. According to the rules 
in: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt, the 
patches would be accepted on the grounds of:

  - Serious issues as reported by a user of a distribution kernel may also
     be considered if they fix a notable performance or interactivity issue.
     As these fixes are not as obvious and have a higher risk of a subtle
     regression they should only be submitted by a distribution kernel
     maintainer and include an addendum linking to a bugzilla entry if it
     exists and additional information on the user-visible impact.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+subscriptions

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[Kernel-packages] [Bug 1319003] Re: Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-grants support

2014-05-31 Thread Felipe Franciosi
** Attachment removed: Saucy x86_64 without the backports
   
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+attachment/4123531/+files/saucy.png

** Attachment removed: Saucy x86_64 with the backports
   
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+attachment/4123532/+files/saucy-backports.png

** Attachment added: Saucy x86_64 guests with the backports
   
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+attachment/4123554/+files/saucy64-backports.png

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1319003

Title:
  Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-
  grants support

Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in “linux” source package in Saucy:
  In Progress

Bug description:
  Description of problem:
  When used as a Xen guest, Ubuntu 13.10 may be slower than older releases in 
terms of storage performance. This is due to the persistent-grants feature 
introduced in xen-blkfront on the Linux Kernel 3.8 series. From 3.8 to 3.12 
(inclusive), xen-blkfront will add an extra set of memcpy() operations 
regardless of persistent-grants support in the backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, 
tapdisk). Many Xen dom0s do not have backend persistent-grants support (such as 
Citrix XenServer and any Linux distro with Kernel prior to 3.8). This has been 
identified and fixed in the 3.13 kernel series [1], but was not backported to 
previous LTS kernels due to the nature of the bug (performance only).

  While persistent grants reduce the stress on the Xen grant table and
  allow for much better aggregate throughput (at the cost of an extra
  set of memcpy() operations), adding the copy overhead when the feature
  is unsupported on the backend combines the worst of both worlds.
  This is particularly noticeable when intensive storage workloads are
  active from many guests.

  The graphs attached show storage throughput numbers for Linux guests
  using kernel 3.12.9 (Graph 1) and 3.13.7 (Graph 2) running on a Citrix
  XenServer development build. The server had 4 storage repositories
  (SRs) with 1 Micron P320 SSD per SR (i.e. 10 VMs per SR means 40 VMs
  in total). When using 3.12.9 kernel, the regression is clearly visible
  for more than 2 VMs per SR and block sizes larger than 64 KiB. The
  workload consisted of sequential reads on pre-allocated raw LVM
  logical volumes.

  [1] Commits by Roger Pau Monné:
  bfe11d6de1c416cea4f3f0f35f864162063ce3fa
  fbe363c476afe8ec992d3baf682670a4bd1b6ce6

  Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
  xen-blkfront of Linux kernel 3.11

  How reproducible:
  This is always reproducible when a Ubuntu 13.10 guest is running on Xen and 
the storage backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, tapdisk) does not have support for 
persistent grants.

  Steps to Reproduce:
  1. Install a Xen dom0 running a kernel prior to 3.8 (without 
persistent-grants support).
  2. Install a set of Ubuntu 13.10 guests (which uses kernel 3.11).
  3. Measure aggregate storage throughput from all guests.

  NOTE: The storage infrastructure (e.g. local SSDs, network-attached
  storage) should not be a bottleneck in itself. If tested on a single
  SATA disk, for example, the issue will probably be unnoticeable as the
  infrastructure will be limiting response time and throughput.

  Actual results:
  Aggregate storage throughput will be lower than with a xen-blkfront versions 
prior to 3.8 or newer than 3.12.

  Expected results:
  Aggregate storage throughput should be at least as good or better than 
previous (or newer) versions of Ubuntu in cases where the backend doesn't 
support persistent grants.

  Additional info:
  Given that this is fixed on newer kernels, we urge that a backport of the 
relevant patches to the 3.11 stable branch is requested. According to the rules 
in: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt, the 
patches would be accepted on the grounds of:

  - Serious issues as reported by a user of a distribution kernel may also
     be considered if they fix a notable performance or interactivity issue.
     As these fixes are not as obvious and have a higher risk of a subtle
     regression they should only be submitted by a distribution kernel
     maintainer and include an addendum linking to a bugzilla entry if it
     exists and additional information on the user-visible impact.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+subscriptions

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[Kernel-packages] [Bug 1319003] Re: Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-grants support

2014-05-31 Thread Felipe Franciosi
** Attachment added: Saucy x86_64 guests without the backports
   
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+attachment/4123555/+files/saucy64.png

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel
Packages, which is subscribed to linux in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1319003

Title:
  Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-
  grants support

Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in “linux” source package in Saucy:
  In Progress

Bug description:
  Description of problem:
  When used as a Xen guest, Ubuntu 13.10 may be slower than older releases in 
terms of storage performance. This is due to the persistent-grants feature 
introduced in xen-blkfront on the Linux Kernel 3.8 series. From 3.8 to 3.12 
(inclusive), xen-blkfront will add an extra set of memcpy() operations 
regardless of persistent-grants support in the backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, 
tapdisk). Many Xen dom0s do not have backend persistent-grants support (such as 
Citrix XenServer and any Linux distro with Kernel prior to 3.8). This has been 
identified and fixed in the 3.13 kernel series [1], but was not backported to 
previous LTS kernels due to the nature of the bug (performance only).

  While persistent grants reduce the stress on the Xen grant table and
  allow for much better aggregate throughput (at the cost of an extra
  set of memcpy() operations), adding the copy overhead when the feature
  is unsupported on the backend combines the worst of both worlds.
  This is particularly noticeable when intensive storage workloads are
  active from many guests.

  The graphs attached show storage throughput numbers for Linux guests
  using kernel 3.12.9 (Graph 1) and 3.13.7 (Graph 2) running on a Citrix
  XenServer development build. The server had 4 storage repositories
  (SRs) with 1 Micron P320 SSD per SR (i.e. 10 VMs per SR means 40 VMs
  in total). When using 3.12.9 kernel, the regression is clearly visible
  for more than 2 VMs per SR and block sizes larger than 64 KiB. The
  workload consisted of sequential reads on pre-allocated raw LVM
  logical volumes.

  [1] Commits by Roger Pau Monné:
  bfe11d6de1c416cea4f3f0f35f864162063ce3fa
  fbe363c476afe8ec992d3baf682670a4bd1b6ce6

  Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
  xen-blkfront of Linux kernel 3.11

  How reproducible:
  This is always reproducible when a Ubuntu 13.10 guest is running on Xen and 
the storage backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, tapdisk) does not have support for 
persistent grants.

  Steps to Reproduce:
  1. Install a Xen dom0 running a kernel prior to 3.8 (without 
persistent-grants support).
  2. Install a set of Ubuntu 13.10 guests (which uses kernel 3.11).
  3. Measure aggregate storage throughput from all guests.

  NOTE: The storage infrastructure (e.g. local SSDs, network-attached
  storage) should not be a bottleneck in itself. If tested on a single
  SATA disk, for example, the issue will probably be unnoticeable as the
  infrastructure will be limiting response time and throughput.

  Actual results:
  Aggregate storage throughput will be lower than with a xen-blkfront versions 
prior to 3.8 or newer than 3.12.

  Expected results:
  Aggregate storage throughput should be at least as good or better than 
previous (or newer) versions of Ubuntu in cases where the backend doesn't 
support persistent grants.

  Additional info:
  Given that this is fixed on newer kernels, we urge that a backport of the 
relevant patches to the 3.11 stable branch is requested. According to the rules 
in: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt, the 
patches would be accepted on the grounds of:

  - Serious issues as reported by a user of a distribution kernel may also
     be considered if they fix a notable performance or interactivity issue.
     As these fixes are not as obvious and have a higher risk of a subtle
     regression they should only be submitted by a distribution kernel
     maintainer and include an addendum linking to a bugzilla entry if it
     exists and additional information on the user-visible impact.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+subscriptions

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[Kernel-packages] [Bug 1319003] Re: Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-grants support

2014-05-13 Thread Felipe Franciosi
** Description changed:

  Description of problem:
  When used as a Xen guest, Ubuntu 13.10 may be slower than older releases in 
terms of storage performance. This is due to the persistent-grants feature 
introduced in xen-blkfront on the Linux Kernel 3.8 series. From 3.8 to 3.12 
(inclusive), xen-blkfront will add an extra set of memcpy() operations 
regardless of persistent-grants support in the backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, 
tapdisk). Many Xen dom0s do not have backend persistent-grants support (such as 
Citrix XenServer and any Linux distro with Kernel prior to 3.8). This has been 
identified and fixed in the 3.13 kernel series [1], but was not backported to 
previous LTS kernels due to the nature of the bug (performance only).
  
  While persistent grants reduce the stress on the Xen grant table and
  allow for much better aggregate throughput (at the cost of an extra set
  of memcpy() operations), adding the copy overhead when the feature is
  unsupported on the backend combines the worst of both worlds.   This is
  particularly noticeable when intensive storage workloads are active from
  many guests.
  
  The graphs attached show storage throughput numbers for Linux guests
  using kernel 3.12.9 (Graph 1) and 3.13.7 (Graph 2) running on a Citrix
  XenServer development build. The server had 4 storage repositories (SRs)
  with 1 Micron P320 SSD per SR (i.e. 10 VMs per SR means 40 VMs in
  total). When using 3.12.9 kernel, the regression is clearly visible for
  more than 2 VMs per SR and block sizes larger than 64 KiB. The workload
  consisted of sequential reads on pre-allocated raw LVM logical volumes.
  
  [1] Commits by Roger Pau Monné:
  bfe11d6de1c416cea4f3f0f35f864162063ce3fa
  fbe363c476afe8ec992d3baf682670a4bd1b6ce6
  
- 
  Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
  xen-blkfront of Linux kernel 3.11
- 
  
  How reproducible:
  This is always reproducible when a Ubuntu 13.10 guest is running on Xen and 
the storage backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, tapdisk) does not have support for 
persistent grants.
  
  Steps to Reproduce:
  1. Install a Xen dom0 running a kernel prior to 3.8 (without 
persistent-grants support).
  2. Install a set of Ubuntu 13.10 guests (which uses kernel 3.11).
  3. Measure aggregate storage throughput from all guests.
  
  NOTE: The storage infrastructure (e.g. local SSDs, network-attached
  storage) should not be a bottleneck in itself. If tested on a single
  SATA disk, for example, the issue will probably be unnoticeable as the
  infrastructure will be limiting response time and throughput.
  
- 
  Actual results:
  Aggregate storage throughput will be lower than with a xen-blkfront versions 
prior to 3.8 or newer than 3.12.
  
- 
  Expected results:
- Aggregate storage throughput should be at least as good or better than 
previous versions of RHEL in cases where the backend doesn't support persistent 
grants.
- 
+ Aggregate storage throughput should be at least as good or better than 
previous (or newer) versions of Ubuntu in cases where the backend doesn't 
support persistent grants.
  
  Additional info:
- Given that this is fixed on newer kernels, we urge that Red Hat request a 
backport of the relevant patches to the 3.11 stable branch. According to the 
rules in: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt, the 
patches would be accepted on the grounds of:
+ Given that this is fixed on newer kernels, we urge that a backport of the 
relevant patches to the 3.11 stable branch is requested. According to the rules 
in: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt, the 
patches would be accepted on the grounds of:
  
  - Serious issues as reported by a user of a distribution kernel may also
     be considered if they fix a notable performance or interactivity issue.
     As these fixes are not as obvious and have a higher risk of a subtle
     regression they should only be submitted by a distribution kernel
     maintainer and include an addendum linking to a bugzilla entry if it
     exists and additional information on the user-visible impact.

** Package changed: ubuntu = linux-meta (Ubuntu)

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1319003

Title:
  Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-
  grants support

Status in “linux-meta” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Description of problem:
  When used as a Xen guest, Ubuntu 13.10 may be slower than older releases in 
terms of storage performance. This is due to the persistent-grants feature 
introduced in xen-blkfront on the Linux Kernel 3.8 series. From 3.8 to 3.12 
(inclusive), xen-blkfront will add an extra set of memcpy() operations 
regardless of persistent-grants support in the backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, 
tapdisk). Many Xen dom0s do not have backend persistent-grants support 

[Kernel-packages] [Bug 1319003] Re: Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-grants support

2014-05-13 Thread Brad Figg
** Package changed: linux-meta (Ubuntu) = linux (Ubuntu)

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1319003

Title:
  Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-
  grants support

Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Description of problem:
  When used as a Xen guest, Ubuntu 13.10 may be slower than older releases in 
terms of storage performance. This is due to the persistent-grants feature 
introduced in xen-blkfront on the Linux Kernel 3.8 series. From 3.8 to 3.12 
(inclusive), xen-blkfront will add an extra set of memcpy() operations 
regardless of persistent-grants support in the backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, 
tapdisk). Many Xen dom0s do not have backend persistent-grants support (such as 
Citrix XenServer and any Linux distro with Kernel prior to 3.8). This has been 
identified and fixed in the 3.13 kernel series [1], but was not backported to 
previous LTS kernels due to the nature of the bug (performance only).

  While persistent grants reduce the stress on the Xen grant table and
  allow for much better aggregate throughput (at the cost of an extra
  set of memcpy() operations), adding the copy overhead when the feature
  is unsupported on the backend combines the worst of both worlds.
  This is particularly noticeable when intensive storage workloads are
  active from many guests.

  The graphs attached show storage throughput numbers for Linux guests
  using kernel 3.12.9 (Graph 1) and 3.13.7 (Graph 2) running on a Citrix
  XenServer development build. The server had 4 storage repositories
  (SRs) with 1 Micron P320 SSD per SR (i.e. 10 VMs per SR means 40 VMs
  in total). When using 3.12.9 kernel, the regression is clearly visible
  for more than 2 VMs per SR and block sizes larger than 64 KiB. The
  workload consisted of sequential reads on pre-allocated raw LVM
  logical volumes.

  [1] Commits by Roger Pau Monné:
  bfe11d6de1c416cea4f3f0f35f864162063ce3fa
  fbe363c476afe8ec992d3baf682670a4bd1b6ce6

  Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
  xen-blkfront of Linux kernel 3.11

  How reproducible:
  This is always reproducible when a Ubuntu 13.10 guest is running on Xen and 
the storage backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, tapdisk) does not have support for 
persistent grants.

  Steps to Reproduce:
  1. Install a Xen dom0 running a kernel prior to 3.8 (without 
persistent-grants support).
  2. Install a set of Ubuntu 13.10 guests (which uses kernel 3.11).
  3. Measure aggregate storage throughput from all guests.

  NOTE: The storage infrastructure (e.g. local SSDs, network-attached
  storage) should not be a bottleneck in itself. If tested on a single
  SATA disk, for example, the issue will probably be unnoticeable as the
  infrastructure will be limiting response time and throughput.

  Actual results:
  Aggregate storage throughput will be lower than with a xen-blkfront versions 
prior to 3.8 or newer than 3.12.

  Expected results:
  Aggregate storage throughput should be at least as good or better than 
previous (or newer) versions of Ubuntu in cases where the backend doesn't 
support persistent grants.

  Additional info:
  Given that this is fixed on newer kernels, we urge that a backport of the 
relevant patches to the 3.11 stable branch is requested. According to the rules 
in: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt, the 
patches would be accepted on the grounds of:

  - Serious issues as reported by a user of a distribution kernel may also
     be considered if they fix a notable performance or interactivity issue.
     As these fixes are not as obvious and have a higher risk of a subtle
     regression they should only be submitted by a distribution kernel
     maintainer and include an addendum linking to a bugzilla entry if it
     exists and additional information on the user-visible impact.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+subscriptions

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[Kernel-packages] [Bug 1319003] Re: Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-grants support

2014-05-13 Thread Felipe Franciosi
I am unable to collect logs with apport-collect as I do not have a set of 
Ubuntu guests setup for repro at the moment.
I also believe logs are not relevant for this particular case.

** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu)
   Status: Incomplete = Confirmed

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1319003

Title:
  Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-
  grants support

Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Description of problem:
  When used as a Xen guest, Ubuntu 13.10 may be slower than older releases in 
terms of storage performance. This is due to the persistent-grants feature 
introduced in xen-blkfront on the Linux Kernel 3.8 series. From 3.8 to 3.12 
(inclusive), xen-blkfront will add an extra set of memcpy() operations 
regardless of persistent-grants support in the backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, 
tapdisk). Many Xen dom0s do not have backend persistent-grants support (such as 
Citrix XenServer and any Linux distro with Kernel prior to 3.8). This has been 
identified and fixed in the 3.13 kernel series [1], but was not backported to 
previous LTS kernels due to the nature of the bug (performance only).

  While persistent grants reduce the stress on the Xen grant table and
  allow for much better aggregate throughput (at the cost of an extra
  set of memcpy() operations), adding the copy overhead when the feature
  is unsupported on the backend combines the worst of both worlds.
  This is particularly noticeable when intensive storage workloads are
  active from many guests.

  The graphs attached show storage throughput numbers for Linux guests
  using kernel 3.12.9 (Graph 1) and 3.13.7 (Graph 2) running on a Citrix
  XenServer development build. The server had 4 storage repositories
  (SRs) with 1 Micron P320 SSD per SR (i.e. 10 VMs per SR means 40 VMs
  in total). When using 3.12.9 kernel, the regression is clearly visible
  for more than 2 VMs per SR and block sizes larger than 64 KiB. The
  workload consisted of sequential reads on pre-allocated raw LVM
  logical volumes.

  [1] Commits by Roger Pau Monné:
  bfe11d6de1c416cea4f3f0f35f864162063ce3fa
  fbe363c476afe8ec992d3baf682670a4bd1b6ce6

  Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
  xen-blkfront of Linux kernel 3.11

  How reproducible:
  This is always reproducible when a Ubuntu 13.10 guest is running on Xen and 
the storage backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, tapdisk) does not have support for 
persistent grants.

  Steps to Reproduce:
  1. Install a Xen dom0 running a kernel prior to 3.8 (without 
persistent-grants support).
  2. Install a set of Ubuntu 13.10 guests (which uses kernel 3.11).
  3. Measure aggregate storage throughput from all guests.

  NOTE: The storage infrastructure (e.g. local SSDs, network-attached
  storage) should not be a bottleneck in itself. If tested on a single
  SATA disk, for example, the issue will probably be unnoticeable as the
  infrastructure will be limiting response time and throughput.

  Actual results:
  Aggregate storage throughput will be lower than with a xen-blkfront versions 
prior to 3.8 or newer than 3.12.

  Expected results:
  Aggregate storage throughput should be at least as good or better than 
previous (or newer) versions of Ubuntu in cases where the backend doesn't 
support persistent grants.

  Additional info:
  Given that this is fixed on newer kernels, we urge that a backport of the 
relevant patches to the 3.11 stable branch is requested. According to the rules 
in: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt, the 
patches would be accepted on the grounds of:

  - Serious issues as reported by a user of a distribution kernel may also
     be considered if they fix a notable performance or interactivity issue.
     As these fixes are not as obvious and have a higher risk of a subtle
     regression they should only be submitted by a distribution kernel
     maintainer and include an addendum linking to a bugzilla entry if it
     exists and additional information on the user-visible impact.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+subscriptions

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[Kernel-packages] [Bug 1319003] Re: Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-grants support

2014-05-13 Thread Joseph Salisbury
** Tags added: kernel-da-key saucy

** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided = Medium

** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu)
   Status: Confirmed = Triaged

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1319003

Title:
  Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-
  grants support

Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged

Bug description:
  Description of problem:
  When used as a Xen guest, Ubuntu 13.10 may be slower than older releases in 
terms of storage performance. This is due to the persistent-grants feature 
introduced in xen-blkfront on the Linux Kernel 3.8 series. From 3.8 to 3.12 
(inclusive), xen-blkfront will add an extra set of memcpy() operations 
regardless of persistent-grants support in the backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, 
tapdisk). Many Xen dom0s do not have backend persistent-grants support (such as 
Citrix XenServer and any Linux distro with Kernel prior to 3.8). This has been 
identified and fixed in the 3.13 kernel series [1], but was not backported to 
previous LTS kernels due to the nature of the bug (performance only).

  While persistent grants reduce the stress on the Xen grant table and
  allow for much better aggregate throughput (at the cost of an extra
  set of memcpy() operations), adding the copy overhead when the feature
  is unsupported on the backend combines the worst of both worlds.
  This is particularly noticeable when intensive storage workloads are
  active from many guests.

  The graphs attached show storage throughput numbers for Linux guests
  using kernel 3.12.9 (Graph 1) and 3.13.7 (Graph 2) running on a Citrix
  XenServer development build. The server had 4 storage repositories
  (SRs) with 1 Micron P320 SSD per SR (i.e. 10 VMs per SR means 40 VMs
  in total). When using 3.12.9 kernel, the regression is clearly visible
  for more than 2 VMs per SR and block sizes larger than 64 KiB. The
  workload consisted of sequential reads on pre-allocated raw LVM
  logical volumes.

  [1] Commits by Roger Pau Monné:
  bfe11d6de1c416cea4f3f0f35f864162063ce3fa
  fbe363c476afe8ec992d3baf682670a4bd1b6ce6

  Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
  xen-blkfront of Linux kernel 3.11

  How reproducible:
  This is always reproducible when a Ubuntu 13.10 guest is running on Xen and 
the storage backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, tapdisk) does not have support for 
persistent grants.

  Steps to Reproduce:
  1. Install a Xen dom0 running a kernel prior to 3.8 (without 
persistent-grants support).
  2. Install a set of Ubuntu 13.10 guests (which uses kernel 3.11).
  3. Measure aggregate storage throughput from all guests.

  NOTE: The storage infrastructure (e.g. local SSDs, network-attached
  storage) should not be a bottleneck in itself. If tested on a single
  SATA disk, for example, the issue will probably be unnoticeable as the
  infrastructure will be limiting response time and throughput.

  Actual results:
  Aggregate storage throughput will be lower than with a xen-blkfront versions 
prior to 3.8 or newer than 3.12.

  Expected results:
  Aggregate storage throughput should be at least as good or better than 
previous (or newer) versions of Ubuntu in cases where the backend doesn't 
support persistent grants.

  Additional info:
  Given that this is fixed on newer kernels, we urge that a backport of the 
relevant patches to the 3.11 stable branch is requested. According to the rules 
in: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt, the 
patches would be accepted on the grounds of:

  - Serious issues as reported by a user of a distribution kernel may also
     be considered if they fix a notable performance or interactivity issue.
     As these fixes are not as obvious and have a higher risk of a subtle
     regression they should only be submitted by a distribution kernel
     maintainer and include an addendum linking to a bugzilla entry if it
     exists and additional information on the user-visible impact.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+subscriptions

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[Kernel-packages] [Bug 1319003] Re: Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-grants support

2014-05-13 Thread Joseph Salisbury
** Also affects: linux (Ubuntu Saucy)
   Importance: Undecided
   Status: New

** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu Saucy)
   Importance: Undecided = Medium

** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu Saucy)
   Status: New = Triaged

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1319003

Title:
  Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-
  grants support

Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged
Status in “linux” source package in Saucy:
  Triaged

Bug description:
  Description of problem:
  When used as a Xen guest, Ubuntu 13.10 may be slower than older releases in 
terms of storage performance. This is due to the persistent-grants feature 
introduced in xen-blkfront on the Linux Kernel 3.8 series. From 3.8 to 3.12 
(inclusive), xen-blkfront will add an extra set of memcpy() operations 
regardless of persistent-grants support in the backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, 
tapdisk). Many Xen dom0s do not have backend persistent-grants support (such as 
Citrix XenServer and any Linux distro with Kernel prior to 3.8). This has been 
identified and fixed in the 3.13 kernel series [1], but was not backported to 
previous LTS kernels due to the nature of the bug (performance only).

  While persistent grants reduce the stress on the Xen grant table and
  allow for much better aggregate throughput (at the cost of an extra
  set of memcpy() operations), adding the copy overhead when the feature
  is unsupported on the backend combines the worst of both worlds.
  This is particularly noticeable when intensive storage workloads are
  active from many guests.

  The graphs attached show storage throughput numbers for Linux guests
  using kernel 3.12.9 (Graph 1) and 3.13.7 (Graph 2) running on a Citrix
  XenServer development build. The server had 4 storage repositories
  (SRs) with 1 Micron P320 SSD per SR (i.e. 10 VMs per SR means 40 VMs
  in total). When using 3.12.9 kernel, the regression is clearly visible
  for more than 2 VMs per SR and block sizes larger than 64 KiB. The
  workload consisted of sequential reads on pre-allocated raw LVM
  logical volumes.

  [1] Commits by Roger Pau Monné:
  bfe11d6de1c416cea4f3f0f35f864162063ce3fa
  fbe363c476afe8ec992d3baf682670a4bd1b6ce6

  Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
  xen-blkfront of Linux kernel 3.11

  How reproducible:
  This is always reproducible when a Ubuntu 13.10 guest is running on Xen and 
the storage backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, tapdisk) does not have support for 
persistent grants.

  Steps to Reproduce:
  1. Install a Xen dom0 running a kernel prior to 3.8 (without 
persistent-grants support).
  2. Install a set of Ubuntu 13.10 guests (which uses kernel 3.11).
  3. Measure aggregate storage throughput from all guests.

  NOTE: The storage infrastructure (e.g. local SSDs, network-attached
  storage) should not be a bottleneck in itself. If tested on a single
  SATA disk, for example, the issue will probably be unnoticeable as the
  infrastructure will be limiting response time and throughput.

  Actual results:
  Aggregate storage throughput will be lower than with a xen-blkfront versions 
prior to 3.8 or newer than 3.12.

  Expected results:
  Aggregate storage throughput should be at least as good or better than 
previous (or newer) versions of Ubuntu in cases where the backend doesn't 
support persistent grants.

  Additional info:
  Given that this is fixed on newer kernels, we urge that a backport of the 
relevant patches to the 3.11 stable branch is requested. According to the rules 
in: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt, the 
patches would be accepted on the grounds of:

  - Serious issues as reported by a user of a distribution kernel may also
     be considered if they fix a notable performance or interactivity issue.
     As these fixes are not as obvious and have a higher risk of a subtle
     regression they should only be submitted by a distribution kernel
     maintainer and include an addendum linking to a bugzilla entry if it
     exists and additional information on the user-visible impact.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+subscriptions

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[Kernel-packages] [Bug 1319003] Re: Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-grants support

2014-05-13 Thread Joseph Salisbury
I built a Saucy test kernel with a cherry pick of commits:
  bfe11d6de1c416cea4f3f0f35f864162063ce3fa
  fbe363c476afe8ec992d3baf682670a4bd1b6ce6

The test kernel can be downloaded from:
http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~jsalisbury/lp1319003/

Can you test this kernel and confirm if it resolves this bug or not?

** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu Saucy)
   Status: Triaged = In Progress

** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu)
   Status: Triaged = In Progress

** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu)
 Assignee: (unassigned) = Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)

** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu Saucy)
 Assignee: (unassigned) = Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1319003

Title:
  Storage performance regression when Xen backend lacks persistent-
  grants support

Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in “linux” source package in Saucy:
  In Progress

Bug description:
  Description of problem:
  When used as a Xen guest, Ubuntu 13.10 may be slower than older releases in 
terms of storage performance. This is due to the persistent-grants feature 
introduced in xen-blkfront on the Linux Kernel 3.8 series. From 3.8 to 3.12 
(inclusive), xen-blkfront will add an extra set of memcpy() operations 
regardless of persistent-grants support in the backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, 
tapdisk). Many Xen dom0s do not have backend persistent-grants support (such as 
Citrix XenServer and any Linux distro with Kernel prior to 3.8). This has been 
identified and fixed in the 3.13 kernel series [1], but was not backported to 
previous LTS kernels due to the nature of the bug (performance only).

  While persistent grants reduce the stress on the Xen grant table and
  allow for much better aggregate throughput (at the cost of an extra
  set of memcpy() operations), adding the copy overhead when the feature
  is unsupported on the backend combines the worst of both worlds.
  This is particularly noticeable when intensive storage workloads are
  active from many guests.

  The graphs attached show storage throughput numbers for Linux guests
  using kernel 3.12.9 (Graph 1) and 3.13.7 (Graph 2) running on a Citrix
  XenServer development build. The server had 4 storage repositories
  (SRs) with 1 Micron P320 SSD per SR (i.e. 10 VMs per SR means 40 VMs
  in total). When using 3.12.9 kernel, the regression is clearly visible
  for more than 2 VMs per SR and block sizes larger than 64 KiB. The
  workload consisted of sequential reads on pre-allocated raw LVM
  logical volumes.

  [1] Commits by Roger Pau Monné:
  bfe11d6de1c416cea4f3f0f35f864162063ce3fa
  fbe363c476afe8ec992d3baf682670a4bd1b6ce6

  Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
  xen-blkfront of Linux kernel 3.11

  How reproducible:
  This is always reproducible when a Ubuntu 13.10 guest is running on Xen and 
the storage backend (i.e. xen-blkback, qemu, tapdisk) does not have support for 
persistent grants.

  Steps to Reproduce:
  1. Install a Xen dom0 running a kernel prior to 3.8 (without 
persistent-grants support).
  2. Install a set of Ubuntu 13.10 guests (which uses kernel 3.11).
  3. Measure aggregate storage throughput from all guests.

  NOTE: The storage infrastructure (e.g. local SSDs, network-attached
  storage) should not be a bottleneck in itself. If tested on a single
  SATA disk, for example, the issue will probably be unnoticeable as the
  infrastructure will be limiting response time and throughput.

  Actual results:
  Aggregate storage throughput will be lower than with a xen-blkfront versions 
prior to 3.8 or newer than 3.12.

  Expected results:
  Aggregate storage throughput should be at least as good or better than 
previous (or newer) versions of Ubuntu in cases where the backend doesn't 
support persistent grants.

  Additional info:
  Given that this is fixed on newer kernels, we urge that a backport of the 
relevant patches to the 3.11 stable branch is requested. According to the rules 
in: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/stable_kernel_rules.txt, the 
patches would be accepted on the grounds of:

  - Serious issues as reported by a user of a distribution kernel may also
     be considered if they fix a notable performance or interactivity issue.
     As these fixes are not as obvious and have a higher risk of a subtle
     regression they should only be submitted by a distribution kernel
     maintainer and include an addendum linking to a bugzilla entry if it
     exists and additional information on the user-visible impact.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1319003/+subscriptions

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