Intel® C++ Compiler
Community support and assistance for creating C++ code that runs on platforms based on Intel® processors.

Extremely slow compilation

Gregory_F_
Beginner
941 Views

I am having very slow compilations using the 2016 compiler, that are still happening after upgrading to the latest update (2016 U2). I'm getting no replies from any of my "premier" support requests (6000143197, 6000151208), so I thought I'd try here instead, as it looks like I'm not the only one. There's only one license in the directory pointed to by INTEL_LICENSE_FILE, and no difference if I point that variable to the .lic file directly. I do not have a license server, but rather a stand-alone license (the machine is isolated).

$ time icpc -V
Intel(R) C++ Intel(R) 64 Compiler for applications running on Intel(R) 64, Version 16.0.2.181 Build 20160204
Copyright (C) 1985-2016 Intel Corporation.  All rights reserved.

real	0m0.393s
user	0m0.003s
sys	0m0.046s
#include <iostream>
int main() { std::cout << "Hello, world!" << std::endl; return 0; }
$ time icpc helloworld.cpp 

real	0m8.880s
user	0m0.259s
sys	0m0.819s

I won't post the output of enabling INTEL_LMD_DEBUG, but I can say most of the compilation time are these two lines printing over and over:

    INTEL_LMD: flex_post_fork: called
    INTEL_LMD: flex_pre_fork: called
0 Kudos
1 Solution
Kittur_G_Intel
Employee
941 Views

Hi Gregory,
I received the input on the option (--SHARED_INSTALL) from the install team. They say that it has nothing to do with NWS speed and is used fro other purposes (Eg: Unpack everything we have in install to shared drive) and so that option won't help.  If  the file access speed is low when working with NWS drive, there is no way for installation or any other program to increase it. That's how the infrastructure is configured it seems. 

The only possible workaround to try is to first install to a local directory and after that share it across other nodes with the already installed product and see if that helps.

Regards,
Kittur

 

View solution in original post

0 Kudos
13 Replies
Kittur_G_Intel
Employee
941 Views

Hi Gregory,
Sorry to hear you've not heard a response on those issues (6000143197, 6000151208) you've filed and I'll let the issue owners know. Appreciate your patience of course.
BTW, have you set the path to the INTEL_LICENSE_FILE to the full path to the license file (ex:  %export INTEL_LICENSE_FILE=/x/y/my.lic)

Can you please set the below environment variable and run your sample application and attach the log you get from the run? You can send me email (private) with the attached log which I can pass on to the licensing group so they can investigate and find out 
  %export FLEXLM_DIAGNOSTICS=3

Appreciate your help above and of course patience through this.
_Regards,
Kittur

 

0 Kudos
Kittur_G_Intel
Employee
941 Views

Hi Gregory,
Thanks for the log through the email which is being investigated by our license group and will keep you updated accordingly. Appreciate your patience again;.
_Kittur

0 Kudos
Kittur_G_Intel
Employee
941 Views

Hi Gregory,
Thanks for your patience and here's an update from the investigation. The NFS mounts is the key to this slowness as searching for files in NFS mounted folders can be very slow. Not only do we search all *.lic* files in every specified folder we tell FNP to look in, but if any licenses are found to have expiration dates (license expiration dates like evaluations, betas and some enabling licenses) FlexNet stats all files in several folders like /tmp and /etc which can be extremely slow if mounted.

Please try to make sure that your  /home, /etc, and /tmp folders are not mounted and install to an unmounted folder to see what difference it makes, appreciate much.

Regards,
Kittur

 

0 Kudos
Gregory_F_
Beginner
941 Views

In my situation, /home, /etc, and /tmp are not NFS, but rather the default XFS. The Intel compiler files are installed on NFS. I can try to install these to a non-NFS location, but this will be detrimental to our development lab environment. Doesn't seem to be unsupported either.

0 Kudos
Kittur_G_Intel
Employee
941 Views

Thanks Gregory. Yes, if you can try out the compiler with a non-nfs scenario and let us know that would be great so I can pass that on to the group - appreciate much.
_Kittur

0 Kudos
Kittur_G_Intel
Employee
941 Views

Hi Gregory,
Any update? Did you try the non-nfs scenario? Appreciate your input.
Thx,
Kittur

0 Kudos
Gregory_F_
Beginner
941 Views

I have not yet, but it is on the list of things to do. I also discovered the documented '--enable-shared' installation flag that may prove useful. Do you have more information on that flag and how it might relate to this NFS installation?

0 Kudos
Gregory_F_
Beginner
941 Views

I did a local install (XFS) and see normal speeds. Going back to the install manual, I don't see where I thought I saw an "--enable-shared" option, so maybe I'm thinking of something else. I know I've seen other users install the compiler on NFS. Are there any recommendations on how to do this without incurring this dramatic slowdown? Installing the software on all cluster nodes is not ideal because of the size.

0 Kudos
Kittur_G_Intel
Employee
941 Views

Hi Gregory,
I am awaiting a response from our install group so I can get the proper info and will touch base with you as soon as I get an update. Appreciate your patience, again.
_Kittur

0 Kudos
Gregory_F_
Beginner
941 Views

Kittur: I found the the option again. It wasn't "--enable-shared" (I must have been thinking about libraries), it's "--INSTALL_SHARED"

$ ./install.sh --help
This program installs Intel(R) Software Development Products.

Usage: install.sh [options]
   ...
    --SHARED_INSTALL                install to a network-mounted drive or shared file system

I tried another install to the NFS shared file system with this option and have the same slow speed issue.

0 Kudos
Kittur_G_Intel
Employee
942 Views

Hi Gregory,
I received the input on the option (--SHARED_INSTALL) from the install team. They say that it has nothing to do with NWS speed and is used fro other purposes (Eg: Unpack everything we have in install to shared drive) and so that option won't help.  If  the file access speed is low when working with NWS drive, there is no way for installation or any other program to increase it. That's how the infrastructure is configured it seems. 

The only possible workaround to try is to first install to a local directory and after that share it across other nodes with the already installed product and see if that helps.

Regards,
Kittur

 

0 Kudos
Kittur_G_Intel
Employee
941 Views

Hi Gregory,
Hope my previous communication answered your question. Let me know if you need any other clarifications. Again, appreciate your patience and feedback throughout this issue.
Cheers,
Kittur

0 Kudos
Kittur_G_Intel
Employee
941 Views

Hi Gregory,
We tried different NFS related scenarios on our end and we couldn't reproduce any slowness issue you do on your end. Our license expert suggested that the only way to do so is through a live session with you to see what's going on. You can respond to me through a private email and we can proceed further? Let me know. Appreciate your patience through this.

Regards,
Kittur

0 Kudos
Reply