Slow hdparm results, need to speed up disk drive

Ujjain · 05-17-2009, 02:17 PM

I went to the datacenter and I have reinstalled my server last week. Unfortunately the hdparm results are terrible. The server hdparms with only 3.5 megabyte per second.....

This is a CentOS 5.3 server with software raid(1). Minimal install. Normal servers produce 40 MB/second for buffered disk reads with the same configuration.

Code:

[root@srv13 log]# ls -al /dev/hd*
brw-r----- 1 root disk  3, 0 May 14 19:38 /dev/hda
brw-r----- 1 root disk  3, 1 May 14 19:38 /dev/hda1
brw-r----- 1 root disk  3, 2 May 14 19:38 /dev/hda2
brw-r----- 1 root disk 22, 0 May 14 19:38 /dev/hdc
brw-r----- 1 root disk 22, 1 May 14 19:38 /dev/hdc1
brw-r----- 1 root disk 22, 2 May 14 19:38 /dev/hdc2
[root@srv13 log]# hdparm /dev/hdc

/dev/hdc:
 multcount    = 16 (on)
 IO_support   =  0 (default 16-bit)
 unmaskirq    =  0 (off)
 using_dma    =  0 (off)
 keepsettings =  0 (off)
 readonly     =  0 (off)
 readahead    = 256 (on)
 geometry     = 16383/255/63, sectors = 156301488, start = 0
[root@srv13 log]# hdparm -tT /dev/hdc

/dev/hdc:
 Timing cached reads:   15868 MB in  1.99 seconds = 7963.41 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads:   12 MB in  3.10 seconds =   3.87 MB/sec
[root@srv13 log]# hdparm -tT /dev/hdc1

/dev/hdc1:
 Timing cached reads:   15784 MB in  1.99 seconds = 7921.41 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads:   12 MB in  3.09 seconds =   3.89 MB/sec
[root@srv13 log]# ls
acpid         anaconda.syslog  boot.log    btmp    conman.old  cron.1  dmesg    lastlog  maillog    messages    pm   prelink  rpmpkgs.1  secure.1  spooler.1  wtmp
anaconda.log  audit            boot.log.1  conman  cron        cups    faillog  mail     maillog.1  messages.1  ppp  rpmpkgs  secure     spooler   tallylog   yum.log
[root@srv13 log]# hdparm /dev/hdc
[root@srv13 log]# hdparm /dev/hda1

/dev/hda1:
 multcount    = 16 (on)
 IO_support   =  0 (default 16-bit)
 unmaskirq    =  0 (off)
 using_dma    =  0 (off)
 keepsettings =  0 (off)
 readonly     =  0 (off)
 readahead    = 256 (on)
 geometry     = 16383/255/63, sectors = 147894390, start = 8401995
[root@srv13 log]# hdparm -A1 /dev/hda

/dev/hda:
 setting drive read-lookahead to 1 (on)
[root@srv13 log]# hdparm -Tt /dev/hda

/dev/hda:
 Timing cached reads:   15864 MB in  1.99 seconds = 7963.03 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads:   12 MB in  3.05 seconds =   3.93 MB/sec
[root@srv13 log]# hdparm -c1 -u1 /dev/hda

/dev/hda:
 setting 32-bit IO_support flag to 1
 setting unmaskirq to 1 (on)
 IO_support   =  1 (32-bit)
 unmaskirq    =  1 (on)
[root@srv13 log]# hdparm -Tt /dev/hda

/dev/hda:
 Timing cached reads:   15756 MB in  1.99 seconds = 7908.56 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads:   24 MB in  3.08 seconds =   7.78 MB/sec
[root@srv13 log]# hdparm -c1 -u1 /dev/hdc

/dev/hdc:
 setting 32-bit IO_support flag to 1
 setting unmaskirq to 1 (on)
 IO_support   =  1 (32-bit)
 unmaskirq    =  1 (on)
[root@srv13 log]# hdparm -Tt /dev/md0

/dev/md0:
 Timing cached reads:   16256 MB in  1.99 seconds = 8159.62 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads:   24 MB in  3.06 seconds =   7.84 MB/sec
[root@srv13 log]# locate hdparm.conf
[root@srv13 log]#

Code:

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status:  (0x02) Offline data collection activity
                                        was completed without error.
                                        Auto Offline Data Collection: Disabled.
Self-test execution status:      (   0) The previous self-test routine completed
                                        without error or no self-test has ever
                                        been run.
Total time to complete Offline
data collection:                 (1848) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities:                    (0x5b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
                                        Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
                                        Suspend Offline collection upon new
                                        command.
                                        Offline surface scan supported.
                                        Self-test supported.
                                        No Conveyance Self-test supported.
                                        Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities:            (0x0003) Saves SMART data before entering
                                        power-saving mode.
                                        Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability:        (0x01) Error logging supported.
                                        General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine
recommended polling time:        (   1) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time:        (  30) minutes.
SCT capabilities:              (0x003f) SCT Status supported.
                                        SCT Feature Control supported.
                                        SCT Data Table supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME          FLAG     VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE      UPDATED  WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
  1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate     0x000f   100   100   051    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  3 Spin_Up_Time            0x0007   100   100   025    Pre-fail  Always       -       3968
  4 Start_Stop_Count        0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       54
  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct   0x0033   253   253   010    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  7 Seek_Error_Rate         0x000f   253   253   051    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  8 Seek_Time_Performance   0x0025   253   253   015    Pre-fail  Offline      -       0
  9 Power_On_Hours          0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       22464
 10 Spin_Retry_Count        0x0033   253   253   051    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
 11 Calibration_Retry_Count 0x0012   253   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
 12 Power_Cycle_Count       0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       54
187 Reported_Uncorrect      0x0032   253   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel 0x0022   136   088   000    Old_age   Always       -       34
194 Temperature_Celsius     0x0022   136   088   000    Old_age   Always       -       34
195 Hardware_ECC_Recovered  0x001a   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       6251683
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032   253   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
197 Current_Pending_Sector  0x0012   253   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable   0x0030   253   253   000    Old_age   Offline      -       0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count    0x003e   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate   0x000a   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
201 Soft_Read_Error_Rate    0x000a   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
202 TA_Increase_Count       0x0032   253   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0

SMART Error Log Version: 1
No Errors Logged

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
No self-tests have been logged.  [To run self-tests, use: smartctl -t]


SMART Selective Self-Test Log Data Structure Revision Number (0) should be 1
SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 0
Warning: ATA Specification requires selective self-test log data structure revision number = 1
 SPAN  MIN_LBA  MAX_LBA  CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
    1        0        0  Not_testing
    2        0        0  Not_testing
    3        0        0  Not_testing
    4        0        0  Not_testing
    5        0        0  Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
  After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.

[root@srv13 log]# smartctl -a /dev/hda1
smartctl version 5.38 [i686-redhat-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-8 Bruce Allen
Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family:     SAMSUNG SpinPoint P80 SD series
Device Model:     SAMSUNG HD080HJ
Serial Number:    S08EJ20L502009
Firmware Version: ZH100-41
User Capacity:    80,026,361,856 bytes
Device is:        In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is:   7
ATA Standard is:  ATA/ATAPI-7 T13 1532D revision 4a
Local Time is:    Sun May 17 23:09:28 2009 CEST
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status:  (0x02) Offline data collection activity
                                        was completed without error.
                                        Auto Offline Data Collection: Disabled.
Self-test execution status:      (   0) The previous self-test routine completed
                                        without error or no self-test has ever
                                        been run.
Total time to complete Offline
data collection:                 (1848) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities:                    (0x5b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
                                        Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
                                        Suspend Offline collection upon new
                                        command.
                                        Offline surface scan supported.
                                        Self-test supported.
                                        No Conveyance Self-test supported.
                                        Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities:            (0x0003) Saves SMART data before entering
                                        power-saving mode.
                                        Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability:        (0x01) Error logging supported.
                                        General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine
recommended polling time:        (   1) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time:        (  30) minutes.
SCT capabilities:              (0x003f) SCT Status supported.
                                        SCT Feature Control supported.
                                        SCT Data Table supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME          FLAG     VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE      UPDATED  WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
  1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate     0x000f   100   100   051    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  3 Spin_Up_Time            0x0007   100   100   025    Pre-fail  Always       -       3968
  4 Start_Stop_Count        0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       54
  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct   0x0033   253   253   010    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  7 Seek_Error_Rate         0x000f   253   253   051    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  8 Seek_Time_Performance   0x0025   253   253   015    Pre-fail  Offline      -       0
  9 Power_On_Hours          0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       22464
 10 Spin_Retry_Count        0x0033   253   253   051    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
 11 Calibration_Retry_Count 0x0012   253   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
 12 Power_Cycle_Count       0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       54
187 Reported_Uncorrect      0x0032   253   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel 0x0022   136   088   000    Old_age   Always       -       34
194 Temperature_Celsius     0x0022   136   088   000    Old_age   Always       -       34
195 Hardware_ECC_Recovered  0x001a   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       6251683
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032   253   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
197 Current_Pending_Sector  0x0012   253   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable   0x0030   253   253   000    Old_age   Offline      -       0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count    0x003e   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate   0x000a   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
201 Soft_Read_Error_Rate    0x000a   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
202 TA_Increase_Count       0x0032   253   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0

SMART Error Log Version: 1
No Errors Logged

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
No self-tests have been logged.  [To run self-tests, use: smartctl -t]


SMART Selective Self-Test Log Data Structure Revision Number (0) should be 1
SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 0
Warning: ATA Specification requires selective self-test log data structure revision number = 1
 SPAN  MIN_LBA  MAX_LBA  CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
    1        0        0  Not_testing
    2        0        0  Not_testing
    3        0        0  Not_testing
    4        0        0  Not_testing
    5        0        0  Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
  After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.

Ujjain · 05-17-2009, 02:35 PM

I don't think it could be related, but this server had Windows 2003 installed with 2x80GB software raid before it was reinstalled to CentOS 5.3. It took about 20 minutes to format the drives in CentOS install, but the installation went fast enough.

Ujjain · 05-17-2009, 02:44 PM

I suspect the bios has SATA_mode=IDE instead of SATA_mode=enhanced.

This also explains why the SATA drives are seen as /dev/hda and /dev/hdc instead of /dev/sda and /dev/sdc.