All the parameters i tested already and the support told me that some cards have problems. I can't believe it that all my cards have problems. I have a PCIe attached Intel 82573 on board and a Intel Pro 1000XT Server Adapter in one of the PCI-X slots. And i tested a Pro 1000MT Desktop too, but same problem...
I ask you: When i made my iSCSI targets with FileIO and with this i got a 99% load of the network card in windows (111 MB/s) when using the MS iSCSI Initiator but with BlockIO i got never more than 35-40 MB/s. Can this be a network card configuration issue?
A other thing i wrote the suooprt and this points against a network issue too:
While using BlockIO i downloaded a log during a restore from LTO tape with 500 MB/Min. In the log hdparm reported this:
Timing buffered disk reads: 282 MB in 3.04 seconds = 92.70 MB/sec
Without a runnung tape restore i got:
Timing buffered disk reads: 1098 MB in 3.00 seconds = 365.94 MB/sec
Now my data is again restoring from tape and i downloaded a log again. The restore runs faster than ever i had with BlockIO, now the restore runs with 850 MB/Min:
Timing buffered disk reads: 910 MB in 3.00 seconds = 303.29 MB/sec
And the upgrade from the 2.21 to the 2.30 was the problem. I made it, deleted all data on the drive from the console and made all new from the Web-Gui. After that the system was slow. (On the same hardware i installed the OpenFiler after that i must made the volumes new, again.)
I'm sending all my informations to the support. But i think they didn't take me seriously.
One week ago they want a remote session, i should made some tests with iometer. I got no feedback what they find out. Next time i called they asked me about my controller and wanted a log. They didn't know that i send already a log? Everytime i call i think i begin for new...
Is here someone who uses the iSCSI R3 Enterprise with BlockIO and this works?
Can i use FileIO and BlockIO mixed? I have created 2 targets with FileIO on my storage and 900GB of free space. For a test, can i switch the target type to BlockIO and create a 3rd target hat uses BlockIO? If not then i'm finished with testing. Currently i made the 3rd restore of my 1,7 TB of data...
Something i noticed... Can it possible that in BlockIO the local memory will not used for caching? If i remember right, a frew weeks ago i was wondering about much free memory on my system. Now all memory is used for system cache.
Did you test with the Demo-CD - DSS yet? Also send your results to support with new logs.
In blockIO we use only cache specified for devices - fileIO use filesystem cache and devices cache. The default maximum of device cache in 32bit kernel is limited actually to about 1GB.
This was emailed to me today asking them to perform some test to verify there speed with iSCSI-R3 with 4x1Gb - MPIO from Microsoft. There must be something that needs to be tweaked on the hardware (firmware, NIC driver....), they testing with the Demo-CD then send the logs using the same ticket number.
hardware specification
Target
iSCSI-R3 Ent. Ver. 2.30 build 2820
CPU 2 x QUAD (Xeon) 2Ghz
Ram: 2Gb
Controller: LSI Logic SAS
Disc: 8x36GB (Raid0)
NIC: Intel Corporation Pro/1000 PT Quad Port LP server Adapter
Information: SSR212mc2
Client
Windows 2003 server with service pack 1
CPU: Xeon 1.86 Ghz
Ram: 2Gb
NIC: Intel Corporation Pro/1000 Pt Quat Port LP server Adapter
initiator: Windows iSCSI Initiator 2.05 build 2392
First my question: Is it possible to create a BlockIO target in a unit whre are already existing 2 FileIO targets? I don't want delete my data again only for a test.
And i tryed to download the Demo-CD but the link doesn't work. I logged in with my serial, selected the Demo-CD and then i got a error Message that the page cannot be displayed...
You cannot select a specified target to be BlockIO. As stated in release notes it is recommended to back up your data and remove volumes and recreate them.
Thanks for the link issue - you are correct there is a problem we will correct it.
Email me todd.maxwell@open-e.com and I will provide another site as this is not to be published on the Forum.
The release notes told nothing about mixed enviroments, they told only about volumes and not about volume groups or units.
At this moment my default iSCSI target type is FileIO, i have free space in my volume group. If i understand right i can now switch to BlockIO on the console and create a new volume in the free space of the volume group. The result will be that i have my 2 old iSCSI volumes in FileIO and a new one in BlockIO.
Correct?
I got a demo CD, i used my e-mail address to get a access code, with this code i can download the CD.
New volumes are created in Block IO and as stated below in order to use old volumes that are created in File IO the data will need to backed up then restored on new volumes. You can still use your existing volumes as they where created in File IO but you will not be able to mix for Replication. In the end you would be better to keep them either File IO or Block IO.
Release Notes:
NEW:
* IMPORTANT : In ver 1.30 and 1.32 New iSCSI, default volume creation is done in block-IO in contrast to the older version that was file-IO.
In order to create new iSCSI volume in "old" file-IO mode, please switch the default in console tools menu: ctrl-alt-w --> Tuning options-->iSCSI daemon options-->iSCSI volume type.
Block-IO mode is about 30% faster then File-IO and the target volume size is exactly equal to defined iSCSI volume size (in file-io the target size is a bit smaller then defined iSCSI volume size).
Additionally, initialization is no-longer required as with the old file-io volumes.
In order to migrate your data from the file-IO to block-IO volume, the data must be backed up from the existing iSCSI volumes and then restored into newly created iSCSI volumes.
NOTE: please verify data integrity prior to deleting old iSCSI volumes.
Volume replication is only possible between to similar volumes (e.g. block-io <-> block-io or file-io <-> file-io). Volume replication between old file-io and block-io volumes are NOT possible.
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