Smart Array P440ar Performance Issues

[Mark_SDLLC]

I have purchased a DL380 and installed the following configuration

HP ProLiant DL380 Gen9

Smart Array P440ar Controller

Windows Server 2012

Raid 6 

4 SSD hard Drives

HP SSD Smart Path Disabled

Controller Cache Enabled

Rebuild Priority: High

Physical Drive Write Cache State: Disabled

The Process:

On a daily basis I transfer several large data models from one location to another.  This process involves creating several zip files which contain thousands of small files and transferring those zip files to the second location at which point I unzip them.

The problem:

The controller cache does not seem to be able to keep up with the transfer.  When I begin unzipping the files it taxes the raid set to 100% usage and it stays at 100% usage long after the unzip is completed.  When unzipping 8 to 10 of these models it makes the server unusable for up to 2 hours after the unzips are complete.

The Question:  

Obviously how do I fix this but more specifically is there a recommended configuration for this server which will improve the performance of this process?

P.S. This thread has been moved from General to ProLiant Servers (ML,DL,SL). - Hp Forum Moderator

[Dennis Handly]

>When I begin unzipping the files it taxes the raid set to 100% usage and it stays at 100% usage long after the unzip is completed. 

Are you using the same folder and drive as source and target of the unzip?

>Controller Cache Enabled

Do you have info on the size and how much for read vs write?

[Mark_SDLLC]

Are you using the same folder and drive as source and target of the unzip?

I am using the same drive but not the same folder.

Do you have info on the size and how much for read vs write?

10%read

90%Write

[Sbrown]

You need Physical Drive Write Cache State: Enabled

And i'd suggest raid-1 for SSD not raid-6!

[Dennis Handly]

>You need Physical Drive Write Cache State: Enabled

Isn't that dangerous if the power goes out?

>I'd suggest raid-1 for SSD

Or RAID 0 if you can just use it as a scratch drive/filesystem?

[Sbrown]

If the power goes out? That is why you have APC software for your host or vcenter! Controlled shutdown.

The physical drive write cache counts for more performance than you'd want to admit!

for SSD, Lack of Raid if tolerable is not a bad idea, more spindles, more iops that can be dispatched simultaneously for concurrent i/o! RAiD-5/6 just don't belong with SSD!

[Johan Guldmyr]

If you have a lot of small IO - maybe the stripe size on the RAID array and/or the block size on the filesystems could be changed from their defaults to fit this workload better. Would take some performance testing to find out and don't think these can be changed on the fly.

[Jimmy Vance]

Since it is all on the same system wouldn't it be quicker (and less taxing on the system) to just copy the files from direcotry a to directory b and skip the whole zip/unzip?

[MM_Z]

RAID 6 doesn't make sense  with only 4 drives. Also it takes heavy penalty on writes, so you are much better off with RAID 10 IMO (for the same usable space with 4 drives as RAID 6) ...