Linux: slow HDD performance?

[drizzt81]

HI,

I just recently installed Debian (testing) on my secondary PC. It runs on a PATA drive (maxtor 160GB) and I have not connected one of my recently purchased Seagate 7200.10's (500GB) to the nVidia SATA controller. I partitioned it into a large partition with GParted and made the filesystem EXT3.

It is mounted to /large and I ran bonnie++ right away.

Version  1.03       ------Sequential Output------ --Sequential Input- --Random-
                    -Per Chr- --Block-- -Rewrite- -Per Chr- --Block-- --Seeks--
Machine        Size K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP  /sec %CP
debian           2G 16541  38 16662   5  6431   1 12710  26  9805   0 187.7   0
                    ------Sequential Create------ --------Random Create--------
                    -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete--
              files  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP
                 16 +++++ +++ +++++ +++ +++++ +++ +++++ +++ +++++ +++ +++++ +++
debian,2G,16541,38,16662,5,6431,1,12710,26,9805,0,187.7,0,16,+++++,+++,+++++,+++,+++++,+++,+++++,+++,+++++,+++,+++++,+++

If i interpret these reults correct, I am using 37% CPU to get a "whopping" 16Mb/s from my HDD. If that is the case, there must be something wrong (I suspect drivers). Any idea how to start troubleshooting this?

Would it matter that bonnie++ was run through a NX-session?

 

[longblock454]

Have you confirmed DMA is enabled?

[root@localhost Desktop]# hdparm -I /dev/hda | grep DMA
        DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 *udma5 
[root@localhost Desktop]#

 

[drizzt81]

I had to apt-get hdparm and it says this:

debian:/home/gwk# hdparm -I /dev/hda | grep DMA
        DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 udma5 *udma6
           *    WRITE_{DMA|MULTIPLE}_FUA_EXT

I also ran it for my SATA drive:

debian:/home/gwk# hdparm -I /dev/sdb | grep DMA
        DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 udma5 *udma6

The noob in me guesses that the asterix indicates the current mode, which would imply that both the SATA and the PATA drives are using DMA.

 

[drizzt81]

for comparison purposes, bonnie++ on the PATA maxtor (160GB)

Version  1.03       ------Sequential Output------ --Sequential Input- --Random-
                    -Per Chr- --Block-- -Rewrite- -Per Chr- --Block-- --Seeks--
Machine        Size K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP  /sec %CP
debian           2G 31285  74 46588  16 18877   4 18298  39 28516   2 135.5   0
                    ------Sequential Create------ --------Random Create--------
                    -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete--
              files  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP
                 16 +++++ +++ +++++ +++ +++++ +++ 31572  82 +++++ +++ +++++ +++
debian,2G,31285,74,46588,16,18877,4,18298,39,28516,2,135.5,0,16,+++++,+++,+++++,+++,+++++,+++,31572,82,+++++,+++,+++++,+++

edit:

debian:/home/gwk# hdparm -t /dev/sdb

/dev/sdb:
 Timing buffered disk reads:   42 MB in  3.05 seconds =  13.76 MB/sec
debian:/home/gwk# hdparm -t /dev/hda

/dev/hda:
 Timing buffered disk reads:  160 MB in  3.03 seconds =  52.88 MB/sec

So I decided to time my Dell Raptor(160GB) as well, which is on the same SATA controller, different port:

debian:/home/gwk# hdparm -t /dev/sda

/dev/sda:
 Timing buffered disk reads:  252 MB in  3.01 seconds =  83.73 MB/sec

 

[drizzt81]

I have found the problem and I feel like an idiot for not checking this earlier. My Seagate drives were plugged into the Promise SX4-M instead of the on-board SATA controller. Apparently the Promise driver is not very good or does not like to deal with non-raid-ed drives.

I have them hooked into the nForce SATA controller now and they are working as expected.

Version  1.03       ------Sequential Output------ --Sequential Input- --Random-
                    -Per Chr- --Block-- -Rewrite- -Per Chr- --Block-- --Seeks--
Machine        Size K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP  /sec %CP
debian           2G 41872  91 73991  19 29840   7 41370  87 74460   6 183.6   0
                    ------Sequential Create------ --------Random Create--------
                    -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete--
              files  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP  /sec %CP
                 16 +++++ +++ +++++ +++ +++++ +++ +++++ +++ +++++ +++ +++++ +++
debian,2G,41872,91,73991,19,29840,7,41370,87,74460,6,183.6,0,16,+++++,+++,+++++,+++,+++++,+++,+++++,+++,+++++,+++,+++++,+++