Initializing File-IO Volumes

[To-M]

JMO,

Good point that you make and a topic that we should add to our knowledgebase.

I agree that this will cause a performance hit due to the fact that it is using the dd command for the initialization. The best practice would be if you have a new system with 12TB (or whatever size) create the full size of 12TB (FC or iSCSI) Logical Volume and set it for the initialization. Once complete then you can delete it and you can create your logical volumes without. This will be the best way and know that your volume is good.

Other way would be to use the Volume Replication and failover to the destination server making it Source. Then once the init is completed failback, I know both can be time consuming vs the performance issue.

[enealDC]

Tom can you guys figure out a different way of initializing volumes? What about nice-ing the dd command?

[To-M]

I will have to ask the engineers on this as there might be a trade off somewhere and I now that they had thought thru many variables.

Also there will have to be some test done to verify all before going into a release.

[To-M]

Update to initializing volumes w/ nice-ing. Engineers did try this with the past kernel 2.6.17 and it didn't work so well. They will look into with the latest kernel and if there are no issues or trade offs then you will see this in future releases.

Thanks guys for helping our engineers!

[To-M]

Just an update on the nice or ionice so you don’t think we forgot. Currently developers and are overloaded to take this subject back to research. We will ask them in a few months once freed up on pre existing projects. But they are going to look into it, just need more time.

[asingh]

What is the status of this Initialization being fixed to address the slow/unusable Open-e system when a 1.5TB LUN is being initialized?

Last night my Vsphere systems stopped responding due to an initialization. This problem creates OUTAGES, which in turn means Open-e has major problems.


Lets get a real answer Open-e engineers!!!

[To-M]

We addressed this with DSS V6 build 4221 and it is in the release notes. We give option to set Slow (uses less of the system resources), Medium and or Fast (uses more of the system resources - better to use when building a new system).

* File I/O iSCSI volumes and FC volumes no longer overload the system during initialization