I'm using the gplpv passthru driver now so it's using my nic directly rather than a virtual Realtek 100Mbps one and I'm getting much better transfer speeds - a recommendation from the Xen mailing list. Regularly getting 120Mbps drag and drop to a file share on a 2k8R2 server a thousand miles away. Was getting 25Mbps with the virtual Realtek. --Russell > -----Original Message----- > From: centos-bounces at centos.org [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On > Behalf Of Nico Kadel-Garcia > Sent: Wednesday, 16 February 2011 3:42 p.m. > To: CentOS mailing list > Subject: Re: [CentOS] Virtualization supporting 1000Mbps nics? > > On Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 2:34 PM, Smithies, Russell > <Russell.Smithies at agresearch.co.nz> wrote: > > I've got xen-3.0.3-105.el5_5.5 running on Centos 5.5 and all is > running > > smooth but I notice that any VMs running under it only have access to > > Realtek RTL8139C at 100 Mbps nics. > > In general, don't bother. Let the virtualization server handle all the > cute features of the network interfaces, because it's going to > *anyway* as part of its role translating the kernel operations of the > virtualized driver into real hardware interactions with the NIC you > actually use. > > > We have 4 x 1G nics configured in a port channel so I'd really like > to be > > able to give my VMs 1000Mbps nics. > > Actually test the performance, and if possible, use a para-virtualized > kernel. You should see surprisingly good performance. > > > Does anyone know if this is possible and how to do it? > > > > If not, does KVM support faster nics because at this point it would > be > > fairly simple to change. > > See above. In reality, I'll be surprised if you don't easily > outperform a physical RealTek device. > _______________________________________________ > CentOS mailing list > CentOS at centos.org > http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos ======================================================================= Attention: The information contained in this message and/or attachments from AgResearch Limited is intended only for the persons or entities to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipients is prohibited by AgResearch Limited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately. =======================================================================