VirtualBox

Opened 15 years ago

Last modified 10 years ago

#4392 closed defect

Huge IO-APIC/guest SMP overhead with 32 bits guests — at Version 10

Reported by: rafael Owned by:
Component: VMM/HWACCM Version: VirtualBox 3.0.6
Keywords: Cc:
Guest type: other Host type: other

Description (last modified by Sander van Leeuwen)

Symptoms are high CPU usage while running e.g. 32 bits Windows XP/2000 guests with IO-APIC enabled.

Current status:

  • fixed for AMD-V in VirtualBox 3.0.6 (requires 3.0.6 guest additions to be installed)
  • still relevant for certain Intel CPUs without the APIC access hardware optimization feature
  • Solaris/OpenSolaris guests have similar issues, but a kernel fix is underway.

Does not apply to:

  • 64 bits guests
  • 32 bits Windows Vista of Windows 7

Change History (11)

comment:1 by rafael, 15 years ago

noticed the following, if I disable the IOAPIC and set VCPU to 1, install goes fine and fast ...

comment:2 by Sander van Leeuwen, 15 years ago

Summary: windows xp VM extremely slow when AMD-v is enable with 2 cpuhuge IO-APIC/guest SMP overhead with 32 bits guests (AMD-V only)

Known problem and mentioned in the manual. 32 bits guests are extremely slow with the IO-APIC enabled on AMD cpus. Will be fixed in a future release.

comment:3 by mike.mcse, 15 years ago

I can confirm this behavior on 3.0.2 on AMD Phenom, Mandriva 2009.1. I can also confirm that changing the HAL on the guest VM to Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC, changing the VM properties to disable IO-APIC, single vCPU. The guest then runs quickly and without problems - but of course, single vCPU. Is there any roadmap for a fix?

The exact same VM runs fine with multiple vCPU and IOAPIC on Intel VT-x, what's the problem with AMD-V ?

comment:4 by Sander van Leeuwen, 15 years ago

It's being worked on. Intel provides an optimization feature for APIC TPR access. AMD does not, so I have fix it myself.

comment:5 by mike.mcse, 15 years ago

Similar statements also apply to VMs running Standard PC HAL compared with MPS Multiprocessor HAL. Switching to Standard speeds it up very much with the IOAPIC turned off in the VM settings.

Do we have a possible timeline for a fix, either a whole new version of VB3 incorporating AMD-friendly technology, or a patch to 3.0.2 ?

comment:6 by Sander van Leeuwen, 15 years ago

Summary: huge IO-APIC/guest SMP overhead with 32 bits guests (AMD-V only)huge IO-APIC/guest SMP overhead with 32 bits guests (AMD-V only) -> fixed in SVN/3.0.6

Fixed in 3.0.6, but only after you've installed the 3.0.6 guest additions.

comment:7 by Frank Mehnert, 15 years ago

Resolution: fixed
Status: newclosed

comment:8 by mike.mcse, 15 years ago

Resolution: fixed
Status: closedreopened

Thanks for the good work on this bug. I will be testing it as soon as I can get my hands on 3.0.6.

Can I please ask you to regression-test this fix against Windows XP 64-bit Edition on AMD-V [3.0.4 crashes when Nested Paging is on, machine occasionally aborts without warning or logging an error when Nested Paging is off]. Host is 32-bit Mandriva 2009 and 2008.

by George Greer, 15 years ago

Attachment: VBox.log added

Windows 2000 SMP under Ubuntu 9.0.4 64-bit VT-x

comment:9 by George Greer, 15 years ago

It's not AMD-V only; my VT-x does it too, even with 3.0.6 Guest Additions installed. (See attachment.)

Windows 2000 SMP with Ubuntu 9.0.4 64-bit VT-x.

comment:10 by Sander van Leeuwen, 15 years ago

Description: modified (diff)
Summary: huge IO-APIC/guest SMP overhead with 32 bits guests (AMD-V only) -> fixed in SVN/3.0.6Huge IO-APIC/guest SMP overhead with 32 bits guests
Version: VirtualBox 3.0.0VirtualBox 3.0.6

mike: please don't mention unrelated problems in this defect. If you still see this xp64 abort with 3.0.6, then open another defect with a proper description and VBox.log.

greerga: your Intel CPU doesn't support the APIC access optimization. I intend to enable the same fix once we get more feedback about AMD-V.

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