USB disk performance problems

[johnny99]

Hi

We have a huge performance problem when we try to move data from a USB disk to the local disksystem on a HP BL25p server.
We can more around 10MB/s into the server.
The test is done with 2 times 255GB files.

We have run out of ideers, so all help is welcome.

We have tried on 3 different servers (same specs) with the same result.
We have updated all drivers.

Is there any setting in USB that will limit how fast a single USB device will be allowed to move into the server?

/johnny

 

[mrdenny]

What kind of disk does the blade server have?

Is the Windows Page file on the same disk that you are writing the file to?

Does perfmon show any queueing on the hard drive?

Denny
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[johnny99]

The internal drives are 2,5" 146GB SAS drives in RAID 1, but the data goes via 2 HBA's via 2 Brocade 6140 directors to a mirrored HDS USP VM disksystem.

And we can transfer more then 300 MB/s to that disksystem from the server.
We have tested that using 10 GB files.

/johnny

 

[MikeKhod]

I had the same problem with 500gig usb drives trying to copy the Information store to my mailserver. It would go fast then slow down to a crowl and speed up for a minute and back again.

 

[johnny99]

Hi Mike

The USB drives we use are 3 1TB USB drives and it sounds a little like my problem.

A great solution for me would have been if the customer could come with the data on 3 T10000 tapes in TSM format and not on 3 USB disks, but he can't.

Did you find any solution to your problem?

/johnny

 

[theravager]

Check the servers are setup for usb2 that could be an issue.

It there realtime antivirus scanning disable it as this could cause a big slowdown if its a lot of little files, especially if its macafee.

Usb drives especially large ones are extremly slow in comparison to server enterprise quality drives, its most likely its just the physical capability of the drive. If your server permits it rip the drive out of the usb housing and internally attach it, should make a massive difference,

 

[johnny99]

We use eTrust and we have disabled it.

Servers are bladeservers using 2,5" SAS drives so no way to do that.

What setting should I check for the USB2 (sorry this has been our first time using anything larger then a big USB2 stick on a server for anything we can't wait an extended weekend for)

We have servers in any sizes from small Windows servers to big mainframes and anything in between (including Alpha, Sparc, Keystone, Superdome and God only knows what else)

USB isn't something we would use as our first choice.

So I hope that someone can help me with our USB problems.

/johnny

 

[theravager]

off memory check in device manager in usb controllers, one or more should have the keyword enhanced in them if the drivers are correctly working. If there isnt one there do a websearch on usb2 and the o/s and service pack you are running.

Also if there is setting in the bios for usb the setting for usb2 is non intuitive. I can't remember exactly but some bios the hi speed setting is actually usb1 and one of the other setting that dosent sound impressive is actually usb2

End of the day thou its probibly worthwhile checking out the transfer rate on a desktop, it could just be that the read speed of the units is as expected.

 

[johnny99]

Servicepack is SP2

We haven't been thinking about to check the bios setting so that we for sure will do.

We have had a HP tech to look at it and he couldn't see anything wrong, but again he also doesn't use USB for anything except for a bios upgrade from a USB stick.

I have a disk next to my desk at work, so that I for sure will check on monday.

Thanks

/johnny

 

[cpjust]

You do know that USB 2.0 is limited to a theoretical maximum speed of 60MB/s right?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_device_bandwidths

Do you have an eSATA port that you could use instead?