Nfs Slow

[gigiz]

Hi guys,
This is a scenario:
Server nfs with 350Gb file system exported to clients. This file system contains 550000 file of 1kb anyone.Nfs work fine also that
The problem is from ll from the client. If i do "ll command" in the nfs imported file system from the client it work in 9 minutes.
How Can i improve nfs performance for the "ll" from the client?

[Dennis Handly · Accepted solution]

I assume those 550,000 files aren't in the same directory?

You might want to look at Dave's replies about READDIR:
http://forums.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1376095
http://forums.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1081327

[gigiz]

unfortunately yes 550000 files in the same directory ... :-(

[Steven Schweda]

> unfortunately yes 550000 files in the same directory ... :-(

"Doctor, it hurts when I do this."

"Don't do that."

[gigiz]

Yes but i am the doctor !!

[Steven Schweda]

> Yes but i am the doctor !!

Physician, heal thyself.

Keeping many thousands of files in one
directory is simply asking for poor
performance (for many different OS and
file-system combinations).

There may be some directory cache parameters
which you could adjust in the NFS client or
server (about which I know nothing), but I'd
expect that a real solution to this problem
would involve re-designing your data storage
architecture to avoid having so many files in
one directory.

A few bad decisions can overcome a great deal
of computing power.

[gigiz]

>Physician, heal thyself
eh eh !! :-)

i have find this scenario from my customer.
I agree with you but i must improve the performance.
Help me

I tested the server file system and
the ll in server is very slow:
time ll
real 7:50.1
user 19.1
sys 1:22.9

I think that a problem is the file system and not nfs !!
any idea ?!!?

[Steven Schweda]

> I tested the server file system and
> the ll in server is very slow:
> [...]

Do you find this amazing? (I don't.)

> Keeping many thousands of files in one
> directory is simply asking for poor
> performance (for many different OS and
> file-system combinations).

I believe that that's still true.

> I think that a problem is the file system
> and not nfs !!
> any idea ?!!?

Only the same idea: "Don't do that."

> i have find this scenario from my customer.

Advise _him_ not to do that.


You're not the first person to observe this
effect. A Forum search for keywords like,
say:
many files directory slow
might find threads like these:

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1331134
http://forums.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1120029
[...]

[Dennis Handly]

Have you looked at Dave's READDIR threads? They may make your "ll"s faster?

[Dave Olker]

Have you looked at either of Dennis Handly's replies?