Performance shock

[James Gray]

On Sunday 07 August 2005 16:35, pszilard wrote:
> I am just experimenting with Ubuntu and noticed that using the local
> 100Mbps ethernet connection I could transer a 2GB file to Samba almost
> wtice as fast as to an XP Pro file server. What is even more
> interesting is that Ubuntu is running on my test PC which is a 700MHz
> Pentium with 256MB ram, whereas the XP file server was on a 2.4GHz P4
> with 512MB DDRAM.

...SNIPPED...

> Anyone else try similar?

Indeed :) I have a P166 (non-MMX version) Compaq Deskpro4000 (with 256MB RAM) 
doing file server duties on a LAN for 5 people who do photo editing.  
Tranferring several-hundred-MB uncompressed TIFF's around over 100Mbps 
Ethernet, and managing almost half a terrabyte of storage[1] on Debian Sarge 
(ok not Ubunutu...but close).  Try doing THAT on the same hardware with 
Windows ;)

Transfers from host <-> server usually manage a sustained 8-9MB/s (or about 
80-90Mbps which is roughly 80-90% bandwidth saturation).  The server has a 
relatively recent Intel-based (server grade) network card, and all the 
clients run 3Com connected via a managed switch.  Originally the whole LAN 
was using RTL8169 cards and performance was dismal - but that's more a 
reflection on the crappy RTL8169 chipset than on Linux.

Cheers  

James
[1] PCI-based hardware SCSI RAID5 (Compaq SmartArray5i with 128MB cache) which 
I scavenged from a dead Proliant server I found in a dumpster at the 
university where I study!  Finders-keepers lol.  The drives and external 
enclosure were sourced from Ebay - all Compaq kit.
-- 
Never sleep with a woman whose troubles are worse than your own.
  -- Nelson Algren
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