Slow performance after firmware upgrade of HPE RAID controller P408i-a

[joachimtibi]

I measured 22924 IOPS with RAID controller firmware rev. 4.11. After upgrading RAID controller firmware to rev. 5.61 the performance goes down to 5196 IOPS. I have upgraded the firmware using tool cp057479.exe.

After RAID controller downgrade to rev. 4.11 the performance goes up to 22924 IOPS again.

I have used diskspd.exe to measure disk performance using parameters "diskspd.exe -D1000 -d30 -W10 -L -c100m -b4K -w50 -t2 -Sh -Rxml c:\temp\testfile > c:\temp\result.xml".

Test system

HW: ProLiant DL360G10 (Version2)

Raid Controller: P408-a SR

Disks: Raid1, SSD

OS: Windows Server 2019

App: "diskspd.exe -D1000 -d30 -W10 -L -c100m -b4K -w50 -t2 -Sh -Rxml c:\temp\testfile > c:\temp\result.xml".

Before Upgrade:

Raid Controller Firmware: 4.11

IOPS: 22924

After upgrade:

Raid Controller Firmware: 5.61

IOPS: 5196

No other OS/App changes!

Downgrade:

Raid Controller Firmware: 4.11

IOPS: 22924

No other OS/App changes!

You can repeat this process as often as you like.

Any ideas?

[Suman_1978]

Hi,

Have you tested with Firmware version 6.22?

Some times if the FW of the controller is latest and drive firmware is old, there may exist a possible compatibility issue.
You may also check the drive firmware versions and its fixes.
A tip on finding the drive model and part number and its firmware.

Thank You!
I work with HPE but opinions expressed here are mine.
HPE Tech Tips videos on How To and Troubleshooting topics

[joachimtibi]

Hello,

Yes, I have tested Firmware Version 6.22. The Performance with rev. 6.22 is low as version 5.61.

The Windows Device Manager -> Disk Drivers shows multiple HPE LOGICAL VOLUME SCSI Disk Device items. Each driver has the version 10.0.17763.3232 (6/21/2006). Update driver (search automatically) does not find any updates.

MSInfo

======

System Summary -> Components -> Storage -> Drives:

Drive C:

Description Local Fixed Disk

Compressed No

File System NTFS

Size 445.72 GB (478,587,908,096 bytes)

Free Space 410.37 GB (440,628,469,760 bytes)

Volume Name Windows

Volume Serial Number 1C1FB10A

System Summary -> Components -> Storage -> Disks:

Description Disk drive

Manufacturer (Standard disk drives)

Model HPE LOGICAL VOLUME SCSI Disk Device

Bytes/Sector 512

Media Loaded Yes

Media Type Fixed hard disk

Partitions 1

SCSI Bus 0

SCSI Logical Unit 1

SCSI Port 0

SCSI Target ID 1

Sectors/Track 63

Size 447.10 GB (480,068,467,200 bytes)

Total Cylinders 58,365

Total Sectors 937,633,725

Total Tracks 14,883,075

Tracks/Cylinder 255

Partition Disk #1, Partition #0

Partition Size 447.08 GB (480,051,724,288 bytes)

Partition Starting Offset 16,777,216 bytes

System Summary -> Components -> Storage -> SCSI:

Name HPE Smart Array P408i-a SR Gen10

Manufacturer Microchip Corporation.

Status OK

PNP Device ID PCI\VEN_9005&DEV_028F&SUBSYS_0602103C&REV_01\4&30DE20F2&0&0000

Memory Address 0xF3900000-0xF3907FFF

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967287

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967286

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967285

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967284

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967283

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967282

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967281

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967280

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967279

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967278

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967277

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967276

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967275

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967274

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967273

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967272

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967271

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967270

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967269

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967268

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967267

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967266

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967265

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967264

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967263

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967262

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967261

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967260

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967259

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967258

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967257

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967256

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967255

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967254

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967253

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967252

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967251

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967250

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967249

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967248

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967247

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967246

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967245

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967244

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967243

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967242

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967241

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967240

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967239

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967238

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967237

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967236

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967235

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967234

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967233

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967232

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967231

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967230

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967229

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967228

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967227

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967226

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967225

IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967224

Driver C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\SMARTPQI.SYS (106.190.4.1062, 353.89 KB (362,384 bytes), 12/25/2019 8:15 PM)

Name Microsoft Storage Spaces Controller

Manufacturer Microsoft

Status OK

PNP Device ID ROOT\SPACEPORT\0000

Driver C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\SPACEPORT.SYS (10.0.17763.4840, 688.88 KB (705,408 bytes), 11/16/2023 7:06 PM)

[Suman_1978]

Hi,

If you think that its a bug in the FW, you may contact HPE Support and log a case.

Should you require further assistance, please contact HPE Support to log a ticket @ hpe.com/contact
You may also try our chat support @ Login to chat

Thankyou
Suman

[joachimtibi]

Hi @Suman_1978 ,

the model of the disks is MK000480GWTTH, firmware revision 4IYRHPG6. I measured the same bad performance after firmware upgrade to 4IYRHPG7 (current).

I'm wondering that https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=a00052033en_us&page=GUID-AE8F0D21-5797-4FD6-831D-3983B2E44818.html does not include the model MK000480GWTTH.
Is the matrix complete or does it mean that the disk model is not (no longer?) supported by HPE?

I appreciate your help.

Thank you, Joachim

[Vinky_99]

Hello Joachim,

Good day.

The fact that a specific disk model is not listed in the firmware support matrix does not necessarily mean that it is not supported. However, it's crucial to check for compatibility and support information from HPE to ensure optimal performance and compatibility.

Here are some steps you can take to address the slow performance issue after a firmware upgrade:

>> Review the release notes and any known issues associated with the firmware upgrade. There might be specific considerations or compatibility concerns mentioned that could impact performance.

>> Reach out to HPE support for assistance. They can provide guidance on the specific disk model and whether it is supported with the firmware version you are using. They may also be aware of any issues related to your specific configuration.

>> If the performance issue occurred after the firmware upgrade, consider reverting to the previous firmware version to see if the problem persists. This can help determine if the firmware upgrade is indeed the cause of the slowdown.

>> Ensure that all disks, including the MK000480GWTTH, are in good health. Check for any errors or warnings in the system logs or RAID controller management interface. Faulty or failing disks can significantly impact performance.

>> Use monitoring tools to analyze disk performance metrics and identify any bottlenecks. This can help pinpoint whether the issue is related to the disks, RAID controller, or other components in the system.

>> Ensure that all relevant drivers, firmware, and software components are up-to-date. Sometimes, a combination of outdated drivers or firmware across different components can lead to compatibility issues.

>> If the performance issue persists, and the disks are not listed in the support matrix, consider reaching out to HPE to inquire about compatibility. It's possible that the disks may need to be replaced with a supported model for optimal performance.

Remember to back up important data before making any changes to the firmware or disk configurations. It's always a good practice to involve HPE support, especially when dealing with critical hardware components, to ensure that any actions taken align with best practices and do not compromise system integrity.

Hope this helps!