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Re: MSA1500cs and internal array 5i Plus performance

 
EdwardD
Occasional Contributor

MSA1500cs and internal array 5i Plus performance

Hello,

There is the following system configuration:
1. Storage array: MSA1500cs with 2 MSA1000 controllers connected to one MSA30 SCSI enclosure with twelve 15k U320 disk drives in it.
2. At this time storage is connected through one MSA1000 controller only to one HP SAN Switch 2/8V (there are no more other systems connected to switch)
3. One HP Proliant DL585 server with Qlogic HBA connected to FC switch above. Server internal storage: four 15k U320 disk drives (same as in MSA30 enclosure) connected to Integrated Smart Array 5i Plus Controller on one channel (default server configuration).
4. Operating system: fresh install of Windows 2000 Advanced Server with SP4 installed by using SmartStart7.10 CD
5. additional software: HBA drivers installed from hp StorageWorks modular Smart array 1500cs Support Software CD Version 7.01-01 (latest from HP web)

Test environment and executed tasks:
1. Both Storages controllers (MSA1000 and 5i Plus) setting:
- cache distributing: read-50% ;write-50%
2. LUNs:
- external on MSA1500: one LUN 200GB on 12 disks on RAID0+1 (disk "D:" in Windows)
- internal 5i Plus: one LUN 70GB on 4 disks on RAID0+1 (2 partitions "C:" and "E:" in Windows)
3. Used performance test environment: Intel IOmeter
4. Tested disks performance: "D:" and "E:" with same IOmeter tests conditions
5. IOmeter performance reports created

Test results:
All disks performance tests shows, that internal disk E (placed on 4 disks in RAID1+0 on 5i Plus) is about 1,5 times faster than disk D (placed on 12 disks in RAID1+0 on MSA1000 controller)

Problem:
Could you explain those results and make your sugestions is it normal situation, because both raid controllers are Ultra3, both LUNs are on one channel RAID0+1, but MSA LUN is placed on more spindles.

There are helpful files (zipped to logs.zip) attached to mail where environment configuration, versions, test results could be found:
resultsmsa1500.csv - IOmeter results for MSA created LUN
results5iplus.csv - IOmeter results for 5iplus created LUN
switchcfg.txt - switch "supportshow" report
msa1500cs.txt - msa1500 config report
diag.xml - HP diagnostics report for server
iometertestcfg.icf - test condition for IOMeter
5
11 REPLIES 11
John Kufrovich
Honored Contributor

Re: MSA1500cs and internal array 5i Plus performance

Edward
When you ran the IOmeter, under the Disk Target tab. What did you set the "# outstanding I/O".

Adrian Ogden
Frequent Advisor

Re: MSA1500cs and internal array 5i Plus performance

I've been experimenting with a MSA1000 and found a huge difference in sequential write performance in RAID0+1 and RAID0 configurations. I'm only getting 18MB/s in RAID0+1 against 80MB/s RAID 0

I'm still pondering why this should be so and will be trying some simpler tests.
John Kufrovich
Honored Contributor

Re: MSA1500cs and internal array 5i Plus performance

Adrian,
Need more information on your LUN configuration. How many spindles in the Raid 0 and how many in the Raid10.

Adrian Ogden
Frequent Advisor

Re: MSA1500cs and internal array 5i Plus performance

I had two 15krpm 36Gb disks in both configs. Each drive was on a different channel e.g. at either end of the MSA1000 shelf (no external shelves).
John Kufrovich
Honored Contributor

Re: MSA1500cs and internal array 5i Plus performance

Adrian,
Your comparing a two disk RAID0 with two disk RAID 10.

What is your block size.

To be fair you will need to have four drives in your RAID 10. That way you will only see the double write overhead.



Adrian Ogden
Frequent Advisor

Re: MSA1500cs and internal array 5i Plus performance

I'm using the max block size when setting up the array. I'll try your four disk config.

The results come from SiSoft Sandra.
Thanks
Adrian Ogden
Frequent Advisor

Re: MSA1500cs and internal array 5i Plus performance

I got the same results with two disks on each channel set up as RAID10 (I call it 0+1). Seq Write of 23MB/s. Array was set up using highest chunk size, formatted default settings NTFS and tested with SISoft.
John Kufrovich
Honored Contributor

Re: MSA1500cs and internal array 5i Plus performance

I'm not familiar with the product.

There is a difference in RAID 1+0 and RAID 0+1. We, the MSA, uses RAID10.

If you would like, I can set my msa in the lab to duplicate your results with IOmeter.






Adrian Ogden
Frequent Advisor

Re: MSA1500cs and internal array 5i Plus performance

That would be great.
Its a pecularity of my system that we are primarily interested in sequential I/O of quite large files (500MB) and would like to get to the bottom of this.

Thanks