Re: Server Running Very Slow

DHamer wrote:
On 19 Mar, 14:30, "Craig Collins" <u49...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi DHamer,

Have you found any solution to your problem, I am curious I about to get a
server with pretty much the same configuration Raid1for the OS and Raid 5
for the data, not as many users?

"DHamer" <d.ha...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message

news:b6b1b2f4-89be-48ed-93a4-c4483f65f87a@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The server itself has 2 internal drives, using RAID1. This raid
contains only the OS (server 2003)

The drive array (PV220S) has 7 drives (sorry not 6), and is configured
as RAID 5.

On 18 Mar, 09:17, Filipe Matias <filipe.mat...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:



DHamer wrote:
On 17 Mar, 10:38, Filipe Matias <filipe.mat...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
DHamer wrote:
Firstly.... the server:
POWEREDGE 2800 - XEON 3.2GHZ/2MB 800FSB
4GB SINGLE RANK DDR2 MEMORY (4X1GB)
ADDITIONAL XEON 3.2GHZ/2MB 800FSB, CACHE
ADAPTEC SCSI 39160 CONTROLLER CARD(N)
PERC 4/DC DUAL CHANNEL RAID CARD, 128MB
Hooked upto this is a Powervault Drive Array housing 6 drives (all
15k) as a raid 5 array
The server is acting as the storage for user's home area. We have
around 10,000 users (students), but only around 400 logged on at any
one time.
Basically the server is quite often comming to a standstill. The
users cant login, the ones logged in cannot do anything. We have run
some performance monitoring, and have tried to find out the
problem....but there is so much conflicting information out there
regarding perfmon, and how to resolve the problems.
As I write, the server is running OK as far as the users are
concerned, but the perfmon is showing a graph which resembles
something my 8month old might draw!
For the last 30 minute averages:
Pages/sec Averages:997
Disk Queue Length: 10.2
% Processor Time: 41
Does anyone have any clues about how I can event start to resolve the
problem with this server? How do those stats look to you?
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Hello,
Disk Queue Length: 10.2 -------> This may be a I/O problem. can you
post
here your average queue lenght for your disks?
If your queue is too high everything will seem to stop until it is
cleared..- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
I assume I am quoting the correct thing. I have added a counter in
performance monitor called "Avg. Disk Queue Length" the current
readings are;
Last:13.04
Average: 6.5
Minimum: 0.97
Maximum: 34.459
Thanks again.
Well if i had to bet money i would say that is your problem right there.
Usualy a queue above 2 indicates a high load on disks and originates I/O
problems.
You are having a average of 6.5 and a maximum of 34.
What kind of raid do you have on the disks that contain the S.O.?- Hide
quoted text -
- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

Sadly no solution as yet. It has been suggested that we shouldnt use
RAID 5 on a home area storage array by one DELL technician I spoke to,
but I havent had anyone else back that up yet. Someone else suggested
increasing the cache one the scsi controller from 128Mb may help.
Someone else has suggested totally changing the drive array for a new
MD3000 with 7x 15k SAS drives. Very difficulat to try and solve a
problem like this without just throwing cash at it.
Changing to a new MD3000 isnt going to solve your problem.
From what you mentioned here i belive that it is the RAID for your OS disks that is creating the problem and if you get a new array with faster disks it may make it worse.
Even if all your student data is in the disk array it is still the OS that responds to requests.
Probably the only solution to your problem would be to upgrade that rAID( maybe a new RAID 10 with SAS disks)but that would be an extra cost.
Of course this is an assumption based on what you posted here and it is hard to say it would be the best solution without knowing your system better.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Exchange Disks
    ... I was looking at using a cheaper alternative with 7,200 RPM Server SATA ... Logs raid 1 mirror ... consider single drives for the OS and or Logs instead of mirrors. ... Is there some sort of rule-of-thumb for setting up disks based on a number ...
    (microsoft.public.exchange.setup)
  • Re: Making a RAID array
    ... hard it might be to set up my own RAID array. ... and then set it up to do RAID. ... disks to that, but I'd like to see how easy it is to do it in the Mac ... If I add disks to the mirror set, ...
    (uk.comp.sys.mac)
  • Re: Exchange Disks
    ... I just finished going through an upgrade of our email server and here's what ... Got 8 10k 72gb SCSI hard drives: ... RAID 5 for the Data store ... option would be a local mirror and iSCSI attached SAN disks for the ...
    (microsoft.public.exchange.setup)
  • Re: Server Running Very Slow
    ... PERC 4/DC DUAL CHANNEL RAID CARD, ... Basically the server is quite often comming to a standstill. ... Disk Queue Length: 10.2 ... Usualy a queue above 2 indicates a high load on disks and originates I/O problems. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.general)
  • Re: insufficient space in super block for rotational layout
    ... Occurs typically on very high density disks. ... the file system structure cannot ... Is this really an issue with a RAID 5 storage ... It doesn't sound like a problem with the array, but the size of the array. ...
    (comp.unix.solaris)