VirtualBox

Opened 14 years ago

Closed 9 years ago

#5601 closed defect (obsolete)

Poor performance

Reported by: fireworld2406 Owned by:
Component: other Version: VirtualBox 3.1.0
Keywords: Cc:
Guest type: other Host type: other

Description (last modified by Frank Mehnert)

Hi!

Since VirtualBox version, maybe 1.6, performance has been steadily declining. I use an x86 computer, no hardware virtualization or anything like that. My host, if it matters, is Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard and Windows Server 2008 Standard (yes, I have both on the same computer).

I think it is important to note that this performance degradation seems only to occur on non-Windows guests. On Windows-based VMs, performance is either the same as or better than that for VMware Server 2. However, when installing any *nix OS, performance is markedly slower than on VMware. I have used numerous *nix VMs, including Oracle Enterprise Linux, CentOS (both RedHat clones), Solaris, OpenSolaris, Ubuntu, Fedora, and probably others that I am forgetting.

VirtualBox did not have this issue before (like version 1.4). It seems to have started with 1.6, and progressively gotten worse.

Here are the relevant specifications of my computer, if needed: Processor: 2.54 GHz Intel Celeron D RAM: 1.5 GB PC3200/2700 Hard Disks: 1 250 GB IDE, 1 80 GB IDE Host OS: Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard, Windows Server 2008 Standard

Please let me know if you need any additional information.

Attachments (1)

VBox.log (73.7 KB ) - added by Jonathan Deitch 14 years ago.
Vbox log file (Centos 5.3 host, Centos 4.8 guest)

Download all attachments as: .zip

Change History (11)

comment:1 by Technologov, 14 years ago

I don't experience any performance issues.

Do you have numbers ?

If not, please do some benchmarks (of VBox v1.4 that you say was good, and, newest v3.1) to show which parts of VBox have decreased in performance.

What became bad ? Is it Graphics performance in VM ? Disk I/O ? Network I/O ? RAM I/O ?

If possible configure the new VBox 3.1 to be similar to old one (i.e. no APIC, PIIX3 IDE controller, old AMD-pcNet card, 1 CPU (UP), ...)

-Technologov, 30.11.2009.

comment:2 by fireworld2406, 14 years ago

I'd have to say its either Disk I/O or RAM I/O. I'll run some benchmarks to get specifics. It's definitely not graphics performance--it still trumps VMware Server's graphics' performance any day.

comment:3 by fireworld2406, 14 years ago

Do you have any suggestions for free benchmarking software?

comment:4 by Technologov, 14 years ago

No good / professional benchmarks exist for Linux (unlike Windows). But experienced Linux geek can use standard tools to benchmark his system.

Network: iperf

Memory/CPU: compile kernel or zip something

Disk I/O: dd

comment:5 by Jonathan Deitch, 14 years ago

I have to chime in a Me Too here ... I have a Centos 4.8 guest running on a Centos 5.3 host and its performance is ... at best - sluggish.

Noticeable lag whenever high CPU/ram or Disk IO is required (e.g. - try and load a couple hundred thousand records to a database table).

You can almost hand-type faster than it runs.

This is with any 3.x version up to and including 3.1.0, on a 64bit host, 32bit guest, and no smp (smp makes it impossible to use instead of merely painful)

comment:6 by Paul Engel, 14 years ago

I'm building a test environment using both Window 2003 R2 & RHEL 5.4. I've noticed a distinct difference in performance between the two. Even booting the Windows VM (to the logon prompt) is much faster than the RHEL, (which I don't see on physical servers). Both VMs are on the same host, FS & version of VB (3.1.0 r55467).

comment:7 by Hugh Caley, 14 years ago

Having similar problems here. Installing the DB2 client or server in a Linux VM takes at least 3X longer than it did on VMware Server 2.0 on the same hardware. Host CPU is Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33. Host memory is 8 GB. Host OS is 64-bit Fedora 12, but 64-bit CentOS 5.4 has the same problem. Guest OS's are CentOS 5.4 and RHEL 5.4, 2 GB of RAM assigned; I've tried both dynamic and static sized disks, no real difference.

comment:8 by Sander van Leeuwen, 14 years ago

Attach VBox.log files for such sessions please...

by Jonathan Deitch, 14 years ago

Attachment: VBox.log added

Vbox log file (Centos 5.3 host, Centos 4.8 guest)

comment:9 by Jonathan Deitch, 14 years ago

Log file added.

System described in that log is completely unusable for any kind of database activity, compilation, anything else that requires serious CPU/IO activity.

comment:10 by Frank Mehnert, 9 years ago

Description: modified (diff)
Resolution: obsolete
Status: newclosed
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