Xen + Win2k3 HVM - Slow network

Xen + Win2k3 HVM - Slow network

[Sébastien RICCIO]

Hi,

I am actually testing Xen (Unstable repository) with para-virtualised
CentOS guests and HVM guests (windows 2003 server).

While doing some network throughput tests, I noticed that the para
virtualised guests gets up to 11MB/s transfers rate but the Windows
2003 Server gets only 1.3MB/s on the same file (downloaded from LAN).

Dom0 - CentOS 4.4 64bit
DomUs - CentOS 4.4 64bit
HVM guests - Win 2003 server 32bit (pcnet driver)

Any clues what could be the problem ?

Thanks a lot for your answers.

Best regards,

-- 
Sébastien Riccio
SwissCenter / OpenBusiness SA
sr@openbusiness.com
________________________________________________

OpenBusiness S.A.
World Trade Center
Av Gratta-Paille 1-2        Tel: +41 21 641 1010
CH-1000 Lausanne 30         FAX: +41 21 641 1011
Switzerland                  www.openbusiness.ch
__________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer

This email is confidential and intended solely for the use of the
individual to whom it is addressed. Any views or opinions presented are
solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the
OpenBusiness Group.
If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that you have received
this email in error and that any use, dissemination, forwarding,
printing, or copy-ing of this email is strictly prohibited.

If you have received this email in error please notify the OpenBusiness
help-desk by telephone on +41 21 641 10 10.

Re: Xen + Win2k3 HVM - Slow network

[Keir Fraser]

On 28/11/06 8:37 am, "Sébastien RICCIO" <sr@swisscenter.com> wrote:

> While doing some network throughput tests, I noticed that the para
> virtualised guests gets up to 11MB/s transfers rate but the Windows
> 2003 Server gets only 1.3MB/s on the same file (downloaded from LAN).
> 
> Dom0 - CentOS 4.4 64bit
> DomUs - CentOS 4.4 64bit
> HVM guests - Win 2003 server 32bit (pcnet driver)
> 
> Any clues what could be the problem ?

The HVM guest is emulating a rtl8139 network card rather than using a
high-performance paravirtualised frontend network driver.

 -- Keir

Re: Xen + Win2k3 HVM - Slow network

[Sébastien RICCIO]

Keir Fraser a écrit :
> The HVM guest is emulating a rtl8139 network card rather than using a
> high-performance paravirtualised frontend network driver.
>
>  -- Keir
>
>
>
>   

Hi,

Thank you for your answer.

So that means that actually there is no way to tweak this to get a 
better throughput ?
Is a frontend driver planned ?

Best regards,

-- 
Sébastien Riccio
SwissCenter / OpenBusiness SA
sr@openbusiness.com
________________________________________________

OpenBusiness S.A.
World Trade Center
Av Gratta-Paille 1-2        Tel: +41 21 641 1010
CH-1000 Lausanne 30         FAX: +41 21 641 1011
Switzerland                  www.openbusiness.ch
__________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer

This email is confidential and intended solely for the use of the
individual to whom it is addressed. Any views or opinions presented are
solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the
OpenBusiness Group.
If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that you have received
this email in error and that any use, dissemination, forwarding,
printing, or copy-ing of this email is strictly prohibited.

If you have received this email in error please notify the OpenBusiness
help-desk by telephone on +41 21 641 10 10.

Re: Xen + Win2k3 HVM - Slow network

[Pasi Kärkkäinen]

On Tue, Nov 28, 2006 at 10:29:11AM +0100, Sébastien RICCIO wrote:
> Keir Fraser a écrit :
> >The HVM guest is emulating a rtl8139 network card rather than using a
> >high-performance paravirtualised frontend network driver.
> >
> > -- Keir
> >
> >
> >
> >  
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Thank you for your answer.
> 
> So that means that actually there is no way to tweak this to get a 
> better throughput ?
> Is a frontend driver planned ?
> 

Xensource and VirtualIron already have PV drivers for Windows, but they are
not freely available nor opensource :(

I wish those would be released to the public..

-- Pasi

> Best regards,
> 
> -- 
> Sébastien Riccio
> SwissCenter / OpenBusiness SA
> sr@openbusiness.com
> ________________________________________________
> 
> OpenBusiness S.A.
> World Trade Center
> Av Gratta-Paille 1-2        Tel: +41 21 641 1010
> CH-1000 Lausanne 30         FAX: +41 21 641 1011
> Switzerland                  www.openbusiness.ch
> __________________________________________________________________________
> Disclaimer
> 
> This email is confidential and intended solely for the use of the
> individual to whom it is addressed. Any views or opinions presented are
> solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the
> OpenBusiness Group.
> If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that you have received
> this email in error and that any use, dissemination, forwarding,
> printing, or copy-ing of this email is strictly prohibited.
> 
> If you have received this email in error please notify the OpenBusiness
> help-desk by telephone on +41 21 641 10 10.
>