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Hi, Fabrizio

I need to ensure that _every_ CPU core (i.e. every job) can read at a steady 
rate from the storage space made up by the file servers. 4MB/s per job is 
what we will require, but the CMS TDR has set higher values. These however 
seem to be ignored by most centers as over the top. A discussion with a 
member of the storage task force seems to indicate that most centers go for a 
2MB/s per job rate.

The XrdMon will be nice to measure the complete xrootd system's performance, 
but I need to define an easily measurable and well defined procedure which 
can be used for the bidding companies. I could sure use xrootd to compose 
such a procedure and I was initially thinking about that. I just want to get 
an overview what has been used by others.

If I was to use xrootd, I would try to get the clients to read at a given 
rate. Then I could look at the server statistics. I would gradually increase 
the specified rate and look at the actually measured rate. 

The nice thing about using xrootd naturally is that it is one of the tools 
used for the real case.

BTW: A good link about measurement techniques (but not containing the definite 
answer to my problem) is here
http://dast.nlanr.net/NPMT/

Thanks,
Derek


On Monday 03 April 2006 17.59, Fabrizio Furano wrote:
> Hi Derek,
>
> Derek Feichtinger wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > This is slightly off-topic, but nontheless important for the setup of
> > large direct attached storage systems typically used with xrootd. Maybe
> > some of you have good suggestions or experiences.
>
>   Well, I don't know exactly your requirements, but wouldn't it be
> sufficient to look at the traffic by making an average of the data seen
> by each client after the file close ?
>
>   Another (better) way could be to setup XrdMon. Why not ?
>
>
> Fabrizio
>
> > For our next upgrade of our Tier2 I would need a benchmark with which I
> > can measure whether I can satisfy an I/O requirement per worker node (WN,
> > or CPU core). This has to be tested while all WNs are reading in parallel
> > from all file servers. I just want to assume that the clients from the
> > WNs are reading in a nicely distributed fashion from the file servers,
> > e.g. in the case of 10 file servers and 150 WNs, I would assume that in
> > average 15 WNs are reading at the same time from any file server. But any
> > combination of 15 WNs must be able to yield the desired bandwidth.
> >
> > Naturally, this benchmark is targeted at mimicking a cluster running
> > analysis applications.
> >
> > A primitive test (but not exactly matching the use case) could be using
> > netperf or iperf in UDP mode. E.g. the file servers would receive packets
> > from the required fraction of worker nodes (The sending intervals and
> > packet sizes can be set for netperf). One would gradually increase the
> > sending rate per worker node until UDP packet loss is observed.
> >
> > I'm glad for any suggestions.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Derek

-- 
Dr. Derek Feichtinger                   Tel:   +41 56 310 47 33
AIT Group                               email: [log in to unmask]
PSI                                     http://people.web.psi.ch/feichtinger
CH-5232 Villigen PSI