[wplug] samba & large file transfer = slow computer?

[Brian A. Seklecki]

On Mon, 13 Feb 2006, Bill Moran wrote:

> "Michael P. O'Connor" <mpop at mikeoconnor.net> wrote:
>
>> I have a problem that when I start to transfer any larger sized file
>> (over 1GB) over my network via the smb protocol to the linux box, my
>> computer gets an odd behaviored, it will work fine for about 20 seconds
>> then for the next minute it will go slow, then reset to the 20 second
>> and 1 minutes.  does any one know  what is causing this and how to fix
>> this problem,  and when I say slow I mean that the computer is pretty
>> much frozen at that time, so I don't get much work done on it when it is
>> like that.  When I transfer from it is not a problem.
>
> Can you get a packet capture using "tcpdump -s0 -w somefile.pcap"
>
> The capture is liable to be very large, so try to run it only during
> the problem.  Also note that the capture will have your data in it,
> so create a test transfer if the data is sensitive.  Zip it up and post

I would look very close at either the IDE controller or the Network 
Interface Card interrupt usage.

It could be some obscure combination; it's been known to happen (IRQ 
sharing, VIA-based hardware, i386 in general)

Just use process of elimination.

-) Create a RAM drive using MFS/TMPFS and copy the file from there to the 
SMB share to eliminate the disk read.

-) Use smbclient(1) instead of mount_smbfs(8) to eliminate kernel v.s. 
userland code.

-)  Use FTP to the same host to eliminate the protocol

-) It's kind of hard to eliminate the NIC, but you could smbfs/smbclient 
to a localhost-only smbd(8)/nmbd(8).

Cheers,
~lava

P.S., mpop: what was that obscure size tube you needed for your Ride?


> it on a site somewhere and point me/others to it.  I'll have a look and
> see if anything stands out network-wise.
>
> Also, if you run top(1) or something to monitor your disk activity, does
> odd occur?  Sounds like it could be a case of the disk cache stalling.
>
> -- 
> Bill Moran
> Potential Technologies
> http://www.potentialtech.com
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l8*
 	-lava

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