Virtualbox 3.2.8 on OSOL b134 with high load Ubuntu 10.04.1 Server guest hangs

[zebra]

Hi.

Problem isn't a simple one to pin down.

Background info from my post here:

​http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=34495&start=0

Effectively, an OpenSolaris b134 64bit host with a Q6600 CPU base on the bare metal. Guest is Ubuntu Server 10.04.1 fully patched.

When running the Ubuntu VM guest, we find that under high CPU time/IO load using several different methods to generate said CPU utilisation (cifsd, nfsd), the host will hang, spinlock and use 100% CPU time of said guest. Becomes completely unresponsive. The only solution is to shutdown vbox forcefully, and start it up again.

Removing SMP capability, and allocating only a single core seems to remedy this instability.

Please see the VBox log file. Not sure if it's useful - can confirm however 100% that allocating more than one physical proc to the guest creates this scenario, and removing it stabilises the issue. NB: The guest was initially installed with both cores. It is *only* unstable when high load scenarios are apparent inside the guest.

[zebra]

VBox Log

[Sander van Leeuwen]

The guest will hang or the host? Above you say '.... cifsd, nfsd), the host will hang,'.

[zebra]

Hi.

To clarify:

The GUEST will hang - not the host.

Thank you.

[zebra]

Additionally, I can confirm that it's not just b134 that is impacted here. Testing b147 (OpenIndiana) has the same results and behaviour.

Thank you.

z

[Frank Mehnert]

Still relevant with VBox 4.1.6?

[Frank Mehnert]

No response, closing.