Intel drivers wired 15.5 and 2008 R2 with WSM CPUs

[SBlitz]

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?ProductID=3035&DwnldID=19233&lang=eng&iid=dc_rss http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?ProductID=3035&DwnldID=19233&lang=eng&iid=dc_rss

Hello,

Intel just released 15.5. Can someone from Intel approve it does fix the WSM CPUs problem with more than 32GB and R2 Hyper-V ? The Readme does not mention fixes at all.

Thank you.

[Mark_H_Intel]

We did see a performance issue on some systems with more than 32GB memory when the Hyper-V role was enabled on the server using our earlier e1q driver. Maybe this is the same issue you are asking about. Using the new drivers in version 15.5, we no longer see the issue. I cannot be 100% sure that your issue is the same, but there is a good chance that version 15.5 is what you need.

Our testers had to reboot our server after upgrading the drivers to get performance where it should be. So you should plan on scheduling a reboot after upgrading the drivers.

[SBlitz]

Hello,

15.5 drivers didn't solve the problem. Still the same with more than 32GB memory. With 32GB or less, everything is perfect.

[SBlitz]

Anybody?

[Patrick_K_Intel1]

We found that we had to completely reboot the Windows Server 2008 R2 system in order for this to work properly after updating the drivers.

Have you tried this?

[SBlitz]

Yes, of course. I've installed 15.5 drivers, shut down the system and installed the extra memory (from 32GB to 48GB) and then re-tested.

Also disabled all the offloading options as recommended.

Still very low network performance. Back to 32GB, everything is 10 times faster.

[Mark_H_Intel]

How many and what model network connections or adapters do you have on your system? Our tester does not see the performance issue you are reporting, so maybe the difference is in the NICs.

[SBlitz]

The server is SR2600URLXR based on S5520UR board from Intel. Network card on board is:

Embedded dual Intel® 82575EB Gigabit Ethernet Controller with Intel® Virtualization Technology

Seems standard.

[Patrick_K_Intel1]

We have been investigating this further and have found that it MAY be caused by processor power saving mode (C6) being enabled (which is the default).

If we disable this, the issue is not reproducable for us. Please disable this in BIOS:

Advanced à Processor Configuration à Processor C6 (Disabled)

and report back.

thanx,

Patrick

[SBlitz]

Hello,

Tried disabling the C6 in BIOS - still the same slowness.

Also I rechecked the global netsh settings and all the off load setting of the NIC's. They are all disabled.

Any help will be appreciated.

[Patrick_K_Intel1]

I have been getting other reports that chaning C6 is not working for some others as well. We have also determined that this problem is not specific to Intel Ethernet controllers, that other vendors controllers exhibit the same issue as well.

One thing to check is the BIOS version. I believe there has some recent updates to BIOS for the Wesmere processors. What version do you currently have? Have you tried updating to the latest version?

I am hoping that one reason we are having troubles exactly reproducing your situation is a BIOS verion difference.

thanx,

Patrick

[SBlitz]

Hi,

We are Intel Premier for 14 years now - you can rest assure all BIOS/FW packages are updated . And yes, with Broadcom based gigalan (HP brand), we have the same issue. Do you have any clue ? Doesn't Microsoft get compla

[Patrick_K_Intel1]

I have been receiving many reports such as yours and we are also at a loss for an explaination. Only seems to be with Hyper-V role. Our challenge is that on our test systems disabling C6 makes the issue go away. We apparently have some kind of difference in our systems from what you and others have. Can you tell me the version of BIOS you are using? Would it be possible for one of the engineers to remotely access your system to 'poke' around? Maybe via a KVM box of some kind so we can look at BIOS etc.?

[SBlitz]

Hi,

Package is Version: 48.2;51;22 (BIOS 48.2 here)

The system cannot be access from outside, it's a production one in my customer's location. BIOS 50 and alike didn't fix anything related AFAIK.

Are you from the EPSD group ? Is it a generic IA problem (MNCs have the same problem exactly ?).

[Patrick_K_Intel1]

Thanx, I'll pass that information along.

I do not work in EPSD anymore - I did for a great many years, writing IPMI over LAN software and working on BMC's and such. I now work in the LAN Division at Intel, supporting manageability (more IPMI stuff) and Ethernet Virtualization.

Thus far I have only received reports of this issue occuring on Urbanna platforms. We in the LAN division as well as folks in EPSD are actively investigating this.

- Patrick

[Patrick_K_Intel1]

Which exact processor is being used? I'm trying to narrow down the differences in systems. Our tests are using the Intel X5680.

thanx,

Patrick

[SBlitz]

Hi,

CPUs are X5670

[SBlitz]

Hi,

Intel support wrote this yesterday:

"

We just received feedback from the escalation point regarding the Hyper-V not working with certain amount of memory.

The issue has been replicated and a solution has been provided. In order to solve the issue, several settings need to be enabled in the BIOS. Please see the steps below for futher instructions:

Press F2 during POST->BIOS setup page->Advanced-> Processor Configuration ->

- set Intel(R) VT for Directed I/O to Enable

- set Coherency Support to Enable

- set ATS Support to Enable

- set Pass-through DMA Support to Enable

"

We tried and it didn't help :-(

FYI.

Tnx,

- Saar

[Patrick_K_Intel1]

Yes, the same information was given to me. I didn't post it here for you because I could not verify it. Sorry if somebody jumped the gun a bit. Still working on it.

[SBlitz]

Hi,

Any news here?

[Patrick_K_Intel1]

Not any solution, no. We have reproduced this with other vendors NICs as well as with storage devices. Is not a LAN issue, but seems to be either an OS, or platform or OS & platform issue.

Our Server group has made this a priority and is actively investigating this.

Stay tuned!

- Patrick