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Obsolete Releases => SME Server 7.x => Topic started by: bldgfac on September 25, 2009, 02:57:51 PM

Title: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: bldgfac on September 25, 2009, 02:57:51 PM
Hello,

For years i've been running SME Server on a P4 with 512mb of ram which was plenty fast for what we need the server to do (small file/email/web server). Just recently we started having hardware issues and I figured it was time to upgrade... so I picked up a AMD 64 2 6000+ and Asus M3N72-D with the NVIDIA nForce 750a SLI chipset. After spending hours of trying to get SME to detect the hard drives, I decided to swap the mobo/cpu with a E6600 & Asus P5B.

The remaining pc components are:

(2) Western Digital Caviar Blue WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA
2 GB of Corsair DDR2 800

SME is installed normally, with hardware raid disabled and software RAID-1 being it's default configuration.

The problem we are having is slow seek? times to the ibays through windows explorer. It can take up to 5-7 seconds to refresh some folders (file quantity and sizes doesn't appear to be a factor). A problem we never had with the previous hardware. This can be somewhat frustrating when you're consistently browsing these files.

I've reinstalled SME twice thinking maybe it was a software glitch, but same results. I'm thinking about trying hardware RAID, but I hear it's not as dependable or safe? Does anyone think it will help?

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks
Title: Re: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: Stefano on September 25, 2009, 03:10:34 PM
is the raid1 array in sync?

please post here the resul

Code: [Select]
cat /proc/mdstat

thank you
Title: Re: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: bldgfac on September 25, 2009, 03:28:32 PM
Stefano,

Not sure what i'm looking at, but it appears they are?

Code: [Select]
[root@smeserver ~]# cat /proc/mdstat
Personalities : [raid1]
md2 : active raid1 sda2[0] sdb2[1]
      156183808 blocks [2/2] [UU]

md1 : active raid1 sda1[0] sdb1[1]
      104320 blocks [2/2] [UU]

unused devices: <none>
[root@smeserver ~]#
Title: Re: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: Stefano on September 25, 2009, 03:38:04 PM
ok, raid array is synced.. so the issue is somewhere else..

I think you should open a bug, but I suspect the issue is on the hw side (not correctly recognized by SME)
Title: Re: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: bldgfac on September 25, 2009, 03:49:28 PM
Thanks for your input. I'm going to try SME 8 beta and see if that makes a difference, if not i'll then try hardware raid. If neither of these work i'll go back to software raid 7.4 and report the bug.
Title: Re: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: Stefano on September 25, 2009, 03:56:00 PM
I'd suggest you to forget about raid hw: at 99,99% is a fake raid and it has more cons than pros..

anyway, I think that giving a try to SME8 could be a good choice.. remember to post any bug you'd find in bugzilla

Thank you
Title: Re: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: Jáder on September 25, 2009, 04:29:01 PM
Thanks for your input. I'm going to try SME 8 beta and see if that makes a difference, if not i'll then try hardware raid. If neither of these work i'll go back to software raid 7.4 and report the bug.

I´d bet it´s a network problem.
Could you try to put an Intel or Broadcom NIC on your server ? It´s quicker and easier than reinstall.

Title: Re: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: bldgfac on September 25, 2009, 05:39:29 PM
SME8 is a no-go. It won't install :mad:

I got these messages:

(http://bldgfac.com/files/pic1.JPG)
(http://bldgfac.com/files/pic2.JPG)
(http://bldgfac.com/files/pic3.JPG)

This exception occurs immediately after initiating the install.

 
I´d bet it´s a network problem.
Could you try to put an Intel or Broadcom NIC on your server ? It´s quicker and easier than reinstall.
:| :|

I can't at the moment as I don't have a NIC card lying around, but i'll pick one up this weekend and give it a shot. I gotta get this up and running smoothly soon. My boss is giving me the :confused: look.

I'm thinking about trying centos if this doesn't work. Think it's worth it?
Title: Re: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: Stefano on September 25, 2009, 05:43:39 PM
SME8 is a no-go. It won't install :mad:

This exception occurs immediately after initiating the install.


so, please, open a bug in bugzilla..  (*)

Quote
I'm thinking about trying centos if this doesn't work. Think it's worth it?

if SME8 doesn't work, CentOS will not.. (*) maybe you should post your bug in Centos's bugzilla

ciao
Title: Re: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: bldgfac on September 25, 2009, 06:44:25 PM
I'll post one now, thanks
Title: Re: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: idp_qbn on September 25, 2009, 09:58:40 PM
Hi bldgfac,
Check your NW config - especially compare it with the old SME.
I had a a similar problem some years ago (forgotten details, sorry) and it turned out to be a DNS problem of my own doing.

The little I can remember is that all internal DNS requests were being handled by the ISP which was not ideal - and hence the delays.

Another possibility: are you using a domain? have the work PCs been joined to the new domain (the Domain name may be the same but it is a new server and you may need to rejoin so the new server has the credentials of the PCs....a feature of Microsoft domains, not SME)

Good luck
Ian
Title: Re: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: bldgfac on September 26, 2009, 12:09:35 AM
Thanks for the info Ian. It ended up being the NIC card.... I found a old PCI one inside an abandoned PC and threw it in and so far it seems to be better. Won't really know until next week though.

Thanks again for all your help...

Matt
Title: Re: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: Normando on September 26, 2009, 01:15:49 AM
SME8 is a no-go. It won't install :-x

I got these messages:

(http://bldgfac.com/files/pic1.JPG)
(http://bldgfac.com/files/pic2.JPG)
(http://bldgfac.com/files/pic3.JPG)

This exception occurs immediately after initiating the install.

  :-| :-|

I can't at the moment as I don't have a NIC card lying around, but i'll pick one up this weekend and give it a shot. I gotta get this up and running smoothly soon. My boss is giving me the :confused: look.

I'm thinking about trying centos if this doesn't work. Think it's worth it?

Please report this issue (include these images) at bugzilla. Reporting issues at bugzilla will help us to fix fast the problems.
Title: Re: New 7.4 install, slow seek/access times via local computers
Post by: Normando on September 26, 2009, 01:20:54 AM
Sorry, you have correctly reported to bugzilla. Thanks

In the future please add a reference to the bug on the post:

http://bugs.contribs.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5493