TAPE_PERF_TEST(8)TAPE_PERF_TEST(8)NAMEtape_perf_test - test performance versus block size on a tape drive
SYNOPSIStape_perf_test-f device name [ -t total test size ]
[ -x max blocksize ] [ -n min blocksize ]
DESCRIPTION
The tape_perf_test program tests the performance of the specified tape
drive using various block sizes and types of data. Results are pre‐
sented on-screen, saved in a text log file and in a .CSV file for easy
import into a spreadsheet for analysis. These files are given .log and
.csv extensions and are named according to the rule:
vendor-product-rev-hostname-OS-date-time
where vendor is the SCSI inquiry data for the device's vendor, prod‐
uct is the SCSI inquiry data for product, rev is the SCSI inquiry
data for firmware revision, hostname is the name of the computer the
test is being run on, OS is the operating system running on that
host, and date and time are the date and time when the test was
started.
The default test size if 500MB, and block sizes from 1MB down to 16kB
are used for data that is:
random
bigasm-like (pseudo-random)
copies of an executable program
2:1 compressible
3:1 compressible
4:1 compressible
all zeros
On Windows, tape_perf_test uses OS calls to determine the maximum block
size allowed by the HBA driver, which may be less than the default or
specified max size.
The user can adjust this limitation using the registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\
{SCSI card driver name}\Parameters\Device\MaximumSGList
The value is the number of 4k blocks allowed, with a range of 0 to 255
(0 to ff Hex). 255 (ff) corresponds to 1MB
OPERANDS-f device
Specifies the device to test. There should be a tape in the drive
- all data will be erased.
-t total test size
Specifies the total number of MB to write and read for each
test. 500 MB is sufficient for most tape drives although
very high performance devices, such at LTO Ultrium 3 or SDLT
600 will need a larger amount of data to return useful
results. This test times the writes and reads to a precision
of 1 second, so for reasonable precision each test should
take at least 30 seconds.
-x max blocksize
Specifies the largest blocksize that tape_perf_test will
use in this test. This is useful for refining results or
for limiting testing when large block sizes are causing
errors for some reason. Acceptable values are: 1024,
768, 512, 384, 256, 192, 128, 96, 64, 32, 16
-n min blocksize
Specifies the smallest blocksize that
tape_perf_test will use in this test. This is use‐
ful for refining results or for limiting testing
when small block sizes are known to be too low in
performance. Acceptable values are: 1024, 768,
512, 384, 256, 192, 128, 96, 64, 32, 16
Obviously, setting the max size to less than the
min size will result is unexpected things happen‐
ing.
EXAMPLES
Sample output including drive status information:
% tape_perf_test-f /dev/rmt/5cbn -t 4000
Block size performance test for device: HP Ultrium 3-SCSI G1CD (/dev/rmt/5cbn)
from 1024 kB to 16 kB with a data size of 4000 MB
>>> results being logged to file HP-Ultrium_3-SCSI-G1CD-aurora-09-26-2004-2109.log <<<
run on system aurora on 09-26-2004-2109
drive identifiers:
serial: HU104380AR
atpn: ATPN:HP Ultrium 3-SCSI HU104380AR
wwnn: WWNN:50060B000029A15E
open_it returns 4
testing 1024kB blocks:
*** test using random data:
write returns 54 sec --> 75851 kB/s
read returns 54 sec --> 75851 kB/s
*** test using bigasm-like data:
write returns 41 sec --> 99902 kB/s
read returns 39 sec --> 105025 kB/s
*** test using copies of /usr/bin/vi in buffer:
write returns 39 sec --> 105025 kB/s
read returns 37 sec --> 110702 kB/s
*** test using 2:1 compressible data:
write returns 26 sec --> 157538 kB/s
<<snip>>
read returns 94 sec --> 43574 kB/s
*** test using 4:1 compressible data:
write returns 88 sec --> 46545 kB/s
read returns 94 sec --> 43574 kB/s
*** test using buffer full of zeros:
write returns 88 sec --> 46545 kB/s
read returns 92 sec --> 44521 kB/s
Results:
xfer random bigasm-like executable 2:1 3:1 4:1 zeros
size W R W R W R W R W R W R W R
---- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
1024 075851/075851 099902/105025 105025/110702 157538/186181 163840/178086 163840/128000 105025/080313
0768 075851/075851 097523/077283 105025/113777 163840/178086 157538/186181 163840/186181 163840/195047
0512 075851/074472 099902/107789 107789/120470 102400/077283 102400/077283 102400/078769 105025/078769
0384 075851/075851 095255/075851 095255/077283 017504/015814 151703/178086 151703/178086 151703/170666
0256 071859/074472 099902/107789 120470/132129 146285/170666 146285/163840 146285/075851 097523/077283
0192 075851/074472 091022/074472 091022/073142 095255/074472 095255/074472 095255/074472 093090/075851
0128 075851/071859 087148/071859 087148/071859 091022/070620 089043/071859 093090/070620 091022/073142
0096 075851/069423 085333/069423 085333/069423 085333/069423 089043/069423 089043/069423 087148/071859
0064 075851/066064 078769/065015 078769/065015 078769/065015 080313/066064 081920/066064 080313/068266
0032 066064/056109 064000/056109 064000/056888 064000/056888 064000/056888 065015/056888 064000/056888
0016 047627/043574 046022/043574 046545/043574 046545/043574 047080/043574 046545/043574 046545/044521
Contents of the resulting .CSV file:
HP Ultrium 3-SCSI G1CD tested on host aurora at 09-26-2004 @ 21:09
size,Wr-random,Rd-random,Wr-bigasm,Rd-bigasm,Wr-exe,Rd-exe,Wr-2:1,Rd-2:1,Wr-3:1,Rd-3:1,Wr-4:1,Rd-4:1,Wr-zeros,Rd-zeros
1024,075851,075851,099902,105025,105025,110702,157538,186181,163840,178086,163840,128000,105025,080313
0768,075851,075851,097523,077283,105025,113777,163840,178086,157538,186181,163840,186181,163840,195047
0512,075851,074472,099902,107789,107789,120470,102400,077283,102400,077283,102400,078769,105025,078769
0384,075851,075851,095255,075851,095255,077283,017504,015814,151703,178086,151703,178086,151703,170666
0256,071859,074472,099902,107789,120470,132129,146285,170666,146285,163840,146285,075851,097523,077283
0192,075851,074472,091022,074472,091022,073142,095255,074472,095255,074472,095255,074472,093090,075851
0128,075851,071859,087148,071859,087148,071859,091022,070620,089043,071859,093090,070620,091022,073142
0096,075851,069423,085333,069423,085333,069423,085333,069423,089043,069423,089043,069423,087148,071859
0064,075851,066064,078769,065015,078769,065015,078769,065015,080313,066064,081920,066064,080313,068266
0032,066064,056109,064000,056109,064000,056888,064000,056888,064000,056888,065015,056888,064000,056888
0016,047627,043574,046022,043574,046545,043574,046545,043574,047080,043574,046545,043574,046545,044521
NetWorker 7.3.2 Aug 23, 06 TAPE_PERF_TEST(8)
