[CentOS] 3Ware 9550SX-4LP Performance

Mon Oct 2 00:20:59 UTC 2006
Kirk Bocek <t004 at kbocek.com>


Johnny Hughes wrote:
> If you are using XFS ... make sure to use the standalone modules and not
> the versions with XFS compiled into the kernel.
> 
> The standalone modules are much newer code from SGI.
> 
> I would also recommend using the x86_64 arch if it can be used as the
> x86_64 kernel is more stable w/XFS due to the 4K stacks issue that
> sometimes causes problems with the i386 arch.

Oooh, I hit a subject close to the heart of one of the developers! :)

I installed the centosplus kernel so I could play with JFS and ReiserFS as 
well as XFS. However, I don't think the XFS modules are present in the 
centosplus kernel package. At least I didn't find them under /lib/modules 
until after installing the separate kernel-module-xfs packages.

Already running x86_64 -- this host has dual Xeon 5130s.

So here's the big question, what are the pluses and minuses of XFS vs JFS vs 
ReiserFS? Below are some quick benchmarks. XFS clearly wins the speed contest 
unless there's some tuning that can be done. Any thoughts?

Kirk Bocek

XFS:
                  ------Sequential Output------ --Sequential Input- --Random-
                  -Per Chr- --Block-- -Rewrite- -Per Chr- --Block-- --Seeks--
Machine     Size K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP  /sec %CP
Beryl    10G:64k 58142  93 202483  35 55925   8 46244  73 160890  14 200.6   2
Beryl    10G:64k 60640  94 204090  38 55043   8 48603  74 168764  15 200.8   1
                  ------Sequential Create------ --------Random Create--------
                  -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete--
files:max:min     /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP
Beryl         16  3112  15 +++++ +++  4276  19  2673  13 +++++ +++   811   4
Beryl         16  3242  16 +++++ +++  4249  19  2903  15 +++++ +++   828   4

JFS:
                  ------Sequential Output------ --Sequential Input- --Random-
                  -Per Chr- --Block-- -Rewrite- -Per Chr- --Block-- --Seeks--
Machine     Size K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP  /sec %CP
Beryl    10G:64k 58559  91 152961  22 61014   8 46598  75 167160  15 204.6   2
Beryl    10G:64k 58952  92 153184  22 60521   8 49865  74 173444  15 200.3   1
Beryl    10G:64k 58942  92 148911  22 60246   8 49980  75 172518  15 193.4   1
                  ------Sequential Create------ --------Random Create--------
                  -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete--
files:max:min     /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP
Beryl         16  8829  14 +++++ +++ 10052  19  6571  31 +++++ +++  3123   9
Beryl         16  7483  14 +++++ +++ 10110  20  6329  28 +++++ +++  1257   4
Beryl         16  9601  18 +++++ +++  9890  19  6438  28 +++++ +++  1816   5

ReiserFS:
                  ------Sequential Output------ --Sequential Input- --Random-
                  -Per Chr- --Block-- -Rewrite- -Per Chr- --Block-- --Seeks--
Machine     Size K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP  /sec %CP
Beryl    10G:64k 59667  93 83212  18 37790   6 41001  67 108422  13 168.1   1
Beryl    10G:64k 59390  93 83568  18 41905   7 46799  71 110146  13 168.4   2
                  ------Sequential Create------ --------Random Create--------
                  -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete--
files:max:min     /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP
Beryl         16 +++++ +++ +++++ +++ 27965 100 32467 100 +++++ +++ 25871 100
Beryl         16 +++++ +++ +++++ +++ 27676  99 +++++ +++ +++++ +++ 26409  99