KVM network performance problem

[charon]

Hi!

At one site i've got three Win2k3 Servers running on a proxmox VE environment.

I have huge performance issues from the proxmox host to the KVM nodes.

Here is some iperf output:

[  3] 225.0-226.0 sec  1744 KBytes  14287 Kbits/sec
[  3] 226.0-227.0 sec  5712 KBytes  46793 Kbits/sec
[  3] 227.0-228.0 sec  2344 KBytes  19202 Kbits/sec
[  3] 228.0-229.0 sec  3880 KBytes  31785 Kbits/sec
[  3] 229.0-230.0 sec  2232 KBytes  18285 Kbits/sec
[  3] 230.0-231.0 sec  3656 KBytes  29950 Kbits/sec
[  3] 231.0-232.0 sec  1784 KBytes  14615 Kbits/sec
[  3] 232.0-233.0 sec  2544 KBytes  20840 Kbits/sec
[  3] 233.0-234.0 sec  5264 KBytes  43123 Kbits/sec
[  3] 234.0-235.0 sec  5240 KBytes  42926 Kbits/sec
[  3] 235.0-236.0 sec  4320 KBytes  35389 Kbits/sec
[  3] 236.0-237.0 sec  2168 KBytes  17760 Kbits/sec
[  3] 237.0-238.0 sec  4984 KBytes  40829 Kbits/sec
[  3] 238.0-239.0 sec  10776 KBytes  88277 Kbits/sec
[  3] 239.0-240.0 sec  10360 KBytes  84869 Kbits/sec
[  3] 240.0-241.0 sec  7504 KBytes  61473 Kbits/sec
[  3] 241.0-242.0 sec  3968 KBytes  32506 Kbits/sec
[  3] 242.0-243.0 sec  2880 KBytes  23593 Kbits/sec
[  3] 243.0-244.0 sec  4312 KBytes  35324 Kbits/sec
[  3] 244.0-245.0 sec  4896 KBytes  40108 Kbits/sec
[  3] 245.0-246.0 sec  5792 KBytes  47448 Kbits/sec
[  3] 246.0-247.0 sec  6384 KBytes  52298 Kbits/sec
[  3] 247.0-248.0 sec  8864 KBytes  72614 Kbits/sec
[  3] 248.0-249.0 sec  8816 KBytes  72221 Kbits/sec
[  3] 249.0-250.0 sec  5432 KBytes  44499 Kbits/sec
[  3] 250.0-251.0 sec  5456 KBytes  44696 Kbits/sec
[  3] 251.0-252.0 sec  5560 KBytes  45548 Kbits/sec
[  3] 252.0-253.0 sec  5688 KBytes  46596 Kbits/sec
[  3] 253.0-254.0 sec  4072 KBytes  33358 Kbits/sec
[  3] 254.0-255.0 sec  6256 KBytes  51249 Kbits/sec
[  3] 255.0-256.0 sec  6184 KBytes  50659 Kbits/sec
[  3] 256.0-257.0 sec  6304 KBytes  51642 Kbits/sec
[  3] 257.0-258.0 sec  2992 KBytes  24510 Kbits/sec
[  3] 258.0-259.0 sec  2680 KBytes  21955 Kbits/sec
[  3] 259.0-260.0 sec  5480 KBytes  44892 Kbits/sec
[  3] 260.0-261.0 sec  4104 KBytes  33620 Kbits/sec
[  3] 261.0-262.0 sec  8664 KBytes  70975 Kbits/sec
[  3]  0.0-262.3 sec  1070384 KBytes  33424 Kbits/sec

Maybe there is a hardware issue?
The measurements from other clients in the "real" network to the proxmox host work out fine.


I use the actual virtio drivers in the win2k3 guests.

In the forum the e1000 cards are recommended, but in your video you choose virtio?
Which one is the better choice?

 

[tom]

....
In the forum the e1000 cards are recommended, but in your video you choose virtio?
Which one is the better choice?

new virtio drivers are announced, hopefully available soon (see KVM project page), also virtio block drivers.

I recommend e1000, but hopefully after the release of the new drivers we can recommend virtio (this applies for windows guests only).

 

[charon]

well,
did someone already did test this?

http://www.linux-kvm.com/content/redhat-releases-windows-kvm-virtio-drivers-under-gplv2

where can i find the sources? or will they release everything when RHEL 5.4 comes out?

edit:
at first glance, the e1000 throughput is about 250 MBit/s, this should be enough unti the new virtio drivers will be released.