StarWind V5.9/6.0 Beta

Public beta (bugs, reports, suggestions, features and requests)

Moderators: art (staff), anton (staff), Anatoly (staff), Max (staff)

sammybendover
Posts: 25
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2012 10:05 pm

Fri Aug 10, 2012 9:16 pm

In the StarWind product, I have to connect each mpio connection manually, and in the MS initiator I also just that to pick the target ip address, if i choose anything else, it will only allow for one of my vlans, vlan 11.

The experience was not horrible, i just expected the MPIO to be set up by itself, like the built in iscsi target and OpenIndiana. I do not have either products running at this time time, so an exact comparison i cannot provide at this time. Overall, not that big of a deal, just not expecting that.

What I did find stange was the tab where you can bing an ip or interface to a target, it is called "Access Rights". I think it should be a property of each target, but that is just my humble opnion.

I am also wondering if were are still supposed to use this as a guide to tune interfaces and global tcp properties, even for Server 2012 RC and or RTM? Is this still current and best advice for this product?
http://www.starwindsoftware.com/forums/ ... t2293.html

Any specific DSM were are supposed to use in MPIO? Any other tuning recommendation for Server 2012 RC, being unsupported and best efforts advice only?
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Bohdan (staff)
Staff
Posts: 435
Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 12:58 pm

Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:29 pm

OK, we'll check the MPIO behavior in our test lab. Thank you.
As for the TCP settings there is no definite answer. In most cases yes you should apply them, but sometimes JumboFrames can hurt performance. Run several performance tests without and with the applied settings to make a decision.
tkboyle
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:08 am

Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:13 am

Hi,

I have installed the latest beta so that I can perform some testing with the VMware backup Plugin.

I have setup the installer a few times although find that I'm running into the same problems with the storage pool.
I have created a dedup iscsi device on the local machine and presented it to the storage pool.
The disk mounts and everything is fine, until i reboot. The Pool then shows as invalid.

Any suggestions.
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Bohdan (staff)
Staff
Posts: 435
Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 12:58 pm

Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:50 am

I have created a dedup iscsi device on the local machine and presented it to the storage pool.
Does it mean that you installed StarWind and Backup server on the same machine?

The service responsible for storage pools is "DiSpoolSVC". Is it running?
tkboyle
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:08 am

Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:55 am

Bohdan (staff) wrote:
I have created a dedup iscsi device on the local machine and presented it to the storage pool.
Does it mean that you installed StarWind and Backup server on the same machine?

The service responsible for storage pools is "DiSpoolSVC". Is it running?
Yes. It's running on one machine.

Yes the DiSpoolSVC is running.
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Bohdan (staff)
Staff
Posts: 435
Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 12:58 pm

Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:00 pm

The issue is caused by StarWind and Backup services' startup type.
As a temporary solution just restart backup services after the StarWind service is in running state:
net stop distoresvc
net stop dispoolsvc
net stop ImgServSvc
net start distoresvc
net start dispoolsvc
net start ImgServSvc

It will be fixed soon and I'll post a link to the new binaries at this forum.
Thank you for your help!
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Bohdan (staff)
Staff
Posts: 435
Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 12:58 pm

Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:25 pm

blueninja wrote:Will this new version allow for a diskless boot via PXE Boot (non-iSCSI client/initiator)?
Hi.
The quick start guide is available from the following link:
http://starwindsoftware.com/tmplink/Sta ... SIBoot.pdf

If you want to use iSCSI boot for booting several clients from single image, it's better to use Snapshot&CDP device with ROW feature (create new image, install OS and software, then remove it and re-add it using mount existing image GUI option, select ROW operation mode). It can be discardable or can store all the changes for each client. This configuration will be described later in the next document.
tkboyle
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:08 am

Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:40 pm

Bohdan (staff) wrote:The issue is caused by StarWind and Backup services' startup type.
As a temporary solution just restart backup services after the StarWind service is in running state:
net stop distoresvc
net stop dispoolsvc
net stop ImgServSvc
net start distoresvc
net start dispoolsvc
net start ImgServSvc

It will be fixed soon and I'll post a link to the new binaries at this forum.
Thank you for your help!
This appears to work. Thankyou.

On a side note. Is there any way to change the backup schedules once they have been initially set?
I would like to be able to pause the schedule or re-schedule for a later time.
tkboyle
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:08 am

Tue Aug 14, 2012 2:19 pm

Hello again.
Performing a Daily Initial Incremental Backup of an offline VMware VM (Redhat 5.4 x86_64)
It appears to be failing with error 21012.

What does this code mean?
Below is the output from the hypervisor log file.

Code: Select all

14-08-2012 14:33:47 (1) Job: VM path: 

14-08-2012 14:33:48 (1) Job: ESXi_Plugin.dll is a Source plugin

14-08-2012 14:33:48 (1) Job: Vmdk_Plugin.dll is a Target plugin

14-08-2012 14:33:48 (1) Starting ESXi backup...

14-08-2012 14:33:48 (1) Connecting to server 192.168.175.124 ...

14-08-2012 14:33:48 (1) Checking CBT...

14-08-2012 14:33:48 (1) CBT is enabled

14-08-2012 14:33:48 (1) Removing excess snapshots...

14-08-2012 14:33:48 (1) Creating snapshot...

14-08-2012 14:33:48 (1) Snapshot creation started...

14-08-2012 14:33:50 (1) Snapshot creation finished. Refcount = 1

14-08-2012 14:33:50 (1) Opening VM disk [datastore2_hyp01] GBDEVODB02_WM82/GBDEVODB02_WM82-000007.vmdk

14-08-2012 14:34:12 (1) Job: Writing machine info...

14-08-2012 14:34:12 (1) Job: Image copy operation has started...

14-08-2012 14:34:12 (1) Retrieving VM config from server...

14-08-2012 14:34:59 (1) ---Base image creation start for disk #0---

14-08-2012 14:34:59 (1) Snapshot changeID = 52 7e 28 69 67 09 0e 14-3f d3 ac 12 ba fe 79 d7/8

14-08-2012 14:34:59 (1) Failed to retrieve blocks with '*' ChangeID

14-08-2012 14:34:59 (1) Number of CBT blocks 1

14-08-2012 14:34:59 (1) Total size of backup data 156766306304

14-08-2012 14:34:59 (1) Disk copy started...

14-08-2012 15:06:10 (1) VixDiskLib_Read failed with VixError 1

14-08-2012 15:06:10 (1) Reconnecting disk...

14-08-2012 15:06:18 (1) Cannot open disk. VixError code 3

14-08-2012 15:06:18 (1) Disk read error 12

14-08-2012 15:06:18 (1) Job: BaseImage creation failed with code 21012

14-08-2012 15:06:18 (1) Job: Clean up...

14-08-2012 15:06:18 (1) Job failed with error 21012

14-08-2012 15:06:18 (1) Closing disk image

14-08-2012 15:06:18 (1) Job: Job ended with status 21012





14-08-2012 12:30:14 (0) Service started. x64 service ver. Current version 2.2.1.1875  Stable API version 2.2.1.1775 (Aug  9 2012, 11:56:43). Running on x64 OS

14-08-2012 12:30:14 (0) Warning! There is no HyperV installed on this machine

14-08-2012 12:30:14 (0) Service is running

14-08-2012 12:46:30 (0) Shutdown Event Raised

14-08-2012 12:46:30 (0) Shutdown complete





14-08-2012 12:48:36 (0) Service started. x64 service ver. Current version 2.2.1.1875  Stable API version 2.2.1.1775 (Aug  9 2012, 11:56:43). Running on x64 OS

14-08-2012 12:48:41 (0) Warning! There is no HyperV installed on this machine

14-08-2012 12:48:41 (0) Service is running

14-08-2012 14:26:32 (0) StopEvent Raised

14-08-2012 14:26:37 (0) Shutdown complete





14-08-2012 14:26:45 (0) Service started. x64 service ver. Current version 2.2.1.1875  Stable API version 2.2.1.1775 (Aug  9 2012, 11:56:43). Running on x64 OS

14-08-2012 14:26:45 (0) Warning! There is no HyperV installed on this machine

14-08-2012 14:26:45 (0) Service is running

14-08-2012 14:27:32 (0) StopEvent Raised

14-08-2012 14:27:37 (0) Shutdown complete





14-08-2012 14:28:25 (0) Service started. x64 service ver. Current version 2.2.1.1875  Stable API version 2.2.1.1775 (Aug  9 2012, 11:56:43). Running on x64 OS

14-08-2012 14:28:25 (0) Warning! There is no HyperV installed on this machine

14-08-2012 14:28:25 (0) Service is running

14-08-2012 14:33:47 (0) Distor Service: Job file received

14-08-2012 14:33:47 (0) Distor Service: Job start initiated
sammybendover
Posts: 25
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2012 10:05 pm

Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:18 pm

Bohdan (staff) wrote:OK, we'll check the MPIO behavior in our test lab. Thank you.
As for the TCP settings there is no definite answer. In most cases yes you should apply them, but sometimes JumboFrames can hurt performance. Run several performance tests without and with the applied settings to make a decision.

I appreciate that. Also, is there anything at this time you would like me or us to test specifically?

Product question: Are there any plans to be able to use SSD for some additional caching like a ZIL or ARC in ZFS?

When 2012 come out, it would be nice to have a script or something, or even build a small "best practices analyzer" into the product for the various netsh settings. That would awesome as well!

Overall I am very pleased with the product, the performance is awesome, and seems to be very stable. Keep up the good work!
User avatar
Bohdan (staff)
Staff
Posts: 435
Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 12:58 pm

Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:45 pm

I appreciate that. Also, is there anything at this time you would like me or us to test specifically?
HA in 2 and 3 node modes under as high load as possible and as many scenarios as you can invent to break it. :)
Are there any plans to be able to use SSD for some additional caching like a ZIL or ARC in ZFS?
Yes. We are already working on it.
User avatar
Bohdan (staff)
Staff
Posts: 435
Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 12:58 pm

Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:52 pm

tkboyle wrote:
This appears to work. Thankyou.

On a side note. Is there any way to change the backup schedules once they have been initially set?
I would like to be able to pause the schedule or re-schedule for a later time.
It is necessary to stop and recreate them.
User avatar
Bohdan (staff)
Staff
Posts: 435
Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 12:58 pm

Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:02 pm

tkboyle wrote:Hello again.
Performing a Daily Initial Incremental Backup of an offline VMware VM (Redhat 5.4 x86_64)
It appears to be failing with error 21012.

What does this code mean?
Below is the output from the hypervisor log file.
It is possible the BackupSnapshot-1911 snapshot was deleted.
Is there any other (backup?) software that could delete it?
sammybendover
Posts: 25
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2012 10:05 pm

Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:37 pm

Bohdan (staff) wrote:
I appreciate that. Also, is there anything at this time you would like me or us to test specifically?
HA in 2 and 3 node modes under as high load as possible and as many scenarios as you can invent to break it. :)
Are there any plans to be able to use SSD for some additional caching like a ZIL or ARC in ZFS?
Yes. We are already working on it.
I only have the one file server, if I had two, I would love to be able to test HA iSCSI :)
I'll see what I have for funds, maybe I can bet up another server like this and have two of them.
Anything else I can test on standalone iSCSI server?
tkboyle
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:08 am

Tue Aug 14, 2012 7:33 pm

Bohdan (staff) wrote:
tkboyle wrote:Hello again.
Performing a Daily Initial Incremental Backup of an offline VMware VM (Redhat 5.4 x86_64)
It appears to be failing with error 21012.

What does this code mean?
Below is the output from the hypervisor log file.
It is possible the BackupSnapshot-1911 snapshot was deleted.
Is there any other (backup?) software that could delete it?
There appears to lots of these "BackupSnapshot-1911" instances when viewed from vcenter.
The quantity of snapshots are the same amount of failed backups.

I have removed these snapshots to start from fresh although the result is the same.
The VM that I'm attempting to backup already has 12 snapshots associated with it.

I have also experienced this behavior on a snapshot free Windows 2008 R2 VM.
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