unRAID Server release 4.4-beta1 available

Download.

Time for a new set of features!  As with past release cycles, we will be releasing a set of 'beta' releases, each with new functionality and/or bug fixes.  The 4.4 series will probably be our longest with a substantial set of changes by the time we're done.

Out of the gate, 4.4-beta1 now supports SMP (multi-core processors).  Since we have a limited variety of multi-core test platforms, we are very interested in reports from the community regarding multi-core.  Please post comments, positive and negative, in this thread.

unRAID Server 4.4-beta1 Release Notes
=====================================

Changes from 4.3.3 to 4.4-beta1
-------------------------------

New feature: support SMP (multi-core processors).

Improvement: read performance enhancements.

Improvement: update to linux kernel 2.6.26.5.

Bug fix: fixed race condition in network initialization which would sometimes result in DHCP failure to get IP address.



Upgrade Instructions (Please Read Carefully)
============================================

If you are currently running unRAID Server 4.2-beta1 or higher (including 4.2.x 'final'), please copy the following files from the new release to the root of your Flash device:
    bzimage
    bzroot

If you are currently running unRAID server 4.0 or 4.1, please copy the following files from the new release to the root of your Flash device:
    bzimage
    bzroot
    syslinux.cfg
    menu.c32
    memtest

This can be done either by plugging the Flash into your PC or, by copying the files to the 'flash' share on your running server.  The server must then be rebooted.

If you are currently running unRAID Server 3.0-beta1 or higher, please follow these steps to upgrade:

1. Referring to the System Management Utility 'Main' page, make a note of each disks's model/serial number; you will need this information later.

2. Shut down your server, remove the Flash and plug it into your PC.

3. Right-click your Flash device listed under My Computer and select Properties.  Make sure the volume label is set to "UNRAID" (without the quotes) and click OK.  You do NOT need to format the Flash.

4. Copy the files from the new release to the root of your Flash device.

5. Right-click your Flash device listed under My Computer and select Eject.  Remove the Flash, install in your server and power-up.

6. After your server has booted up, the System Management Utility 'Main' page will probably show no devices; this is OK, navigate to the 'Devices' page. Using the model/serial number information gathered in step 1, assign each of your hard drives to the correct disk slot.

7. Go back to the 'Main' page and your devices should appear correctly.  You may now Start the array.


If you are installing this release to a new Flash, please refer to instructions on our website at:

http://www.lime-technology.com/wordpress/?page_id=19

First Post! On a more serious note, I'll get testing and provide whatever feedback I can. Cheers!

Does this release revert to the previous means of spinning down hard disks or is it the same as 4.3.3.?

I just tried this beta out (coming from 4.3.3) and i was unable to boot.  I replaced the two files again from previous version and booted fine.

From the syslog of the 4.3.3 boot,  it looks like it hung at these lines on 4.4.-b1

Sep 28 16:56:39 Tower kernel: sd 8:0:0:0: [sdi] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA

Sep 28 16:56:39 Tower kernel:  sdi: sdi1

Sep 28 16:56:39 Tower kernel: sd 8:0:0:0: [sdi] Attached SCSI disk

Sep 28 16:56:39 Tower kernel: r8169 Gigabit Ethernet driver 2.2LK-NAPI loaded

Sep 28 16:56:39 Tower kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:05.0[A] -> GSI 22 (level, low) -> IRQ 21

Sep 28 16:56:39 Tower kernel: eth0: RTL8169sc/8110sc at 0xf883a000, 00:1b:b9:f4:8e:f5, XID 18000000 IRQ 21

Hardware:

Main board: ECS AMD690GM-M2 AM2 AMD 690G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

flash: SanDisk Cruzer Micro U3 1GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) Model SDCZ6-1024-A10

cpu: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Brisbane 2.7GHz Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor Model ADO5200DOBOX

memory: OCZ Platinum Revision 2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit

drives:

parity device:  pci-0000:00:12.0-scsi-1:0:0:0 (sdb) ata-SAMSUNG_HD103UJ_S13PJ1MQ313654

disk1 device: pci-0000:02:00.0-scsi-3:0:0:0 (sdi) ata-SAMSUNG_HD502IJ_S13TJDWQ421406

disk2 device: pci-0000:00:12.0-scsi-2:0:0:0 (sdc) ata-SAMSUNG_HD501LJ_S0MUJDWQ241470

disk3 device: pci-0000:00:14.1-ide-0:1 (hdb) ata-MAXTOR_STM3500630A_9QG3M94Q

disk4 device: pci-0000:02:00.0-scsi-2:0:0:0 (sdh) ata-SAMSUNG_HD502IJ_S13TJDWQ421405

disk5 device: pci-0000:02:00.0-scsi-0:0:0:0 (sdf) ata-Maxtor_7L300S0_L603Q5PG

disk6 device: pci-0000:02:00.0-scsi-1:0:0:0 (sdg) ata-Maxtor_7L300S0_L603RCAG

disk7 device: pci-0000:00:14.1-ide-0:0 (hda) ata-MAXTOR_STM3500630A_9QG05CP4

disk8 device: pci-0000:00:12.0-scsi-0:0:0:0 (sda) ata-ST3500630AS_6QG3BL5H

disk9 device: pci-0000:00:12.0-scsi-3:0:0:0 (sdd) ata-ST3250410AS_6RY0Y4C9

What happens when it hangs?  Does the video get trashed so that you can't read the messages on the screen?

There are a couple of things to check for in your bios:

- is ACPI enabled and what version (1.0, 2.0 or 3.0)?

--- you can try to disable ACPI & see if it boots

- is there an option in your bios to disable one of the cores?

--- if so give it a try and see if it boots

Upgraded (swapped out bzroot and bzimage), rebooted, got two missing disks (one WD and one Seagate).  Did a full power-cycle and same problem.  Tried one other reboot.  No love.

Went back to 4.3 final and all is well.

I will try again later after a parity check.  I did one a few weeks ago so I didn't feel the need to do it today.

Sorry, didn't grab my syslog before my 4.3 recovery.  I will update this post regardless, but if I have the same issue I will include the syslog and any other relevant details.

Cheers,

Bill

Upgraded (swapped out bzroot and bzimage), rebooted, got two missing disks (one WD and one Seagate).  Did a full power-cycle and same problem.  Tried one other reboot.  No love.

 

Went back to 4.3 final and all is well.

 

I will try again later after a parity check.  I did one a few weeks ago so I didn't feel the need to do it today.

 

Sorry, didn't grab my syslog before my 4.3 recovery.  I will update this post regardless, but if I have the same issue I will include the syslog and any other relevant details.

 

 

Cheers,

Bill

Did you look on the "devices" page to see if they just needed to be assigned back to their original slots in the array?

Joe L.

I did not check that - my first response was to go back to a working state to make sure I didn't have an existing problem that coincidentally came up during the upgrade.

After the parity check I'll give it another go.  That should be about four hours from now.

Cheers,

Bill

Installed fine with a parity check in progress.

Also looks like its time to add a 4.4 to the forum and maybe consolidate some of the older 4.x folders together.

Installed fine with a parity check in progress.

Are you running a dual-core CPU?

Also looks like its time to add a 4.4 to the forum and maybe consolidate some of the older 4.x folders together.

Yes, we'll do that soon.

Just testing with my system. I have a core duo 2Ghz E2000, 2Gb ram. No problems, but its showing that ifplugd doesnt want to start as there is another instance running. No problems apart from that, all running smoothly.

Another core2 duo upgrade, appears to have gone with no known issues...

Just testing with my system. I have a core duo 2Ghz E2000, 2Gb ram. No problems, but its showing that ifplugd doesnt want to start as there is another instance running. No problems apart from that, all running smoothly.

 

Please post your syslog.

Only the second time I have looked at my log. A lot of greek to me!  I have not noticed anything wrong to this point, but thought I would post my log for you to look at.

 

 

Please post your syslog.

Here you go.

Working fine for me with dual core Pentium E2140.

upgraded from 4.3 Works fine!

AMD X2 4400

MB Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe

Only problem is my Samsung Hd103UJ Drive (parity) will not spin down.

This problem existed with 4.3 so nothing new!

I would post system log if someone could tell me how to do that.

Larry G

Now UnRaid server support SMP. OK. This is very good.

How much increse performance (e.g. parity check, write with parity drive) with multi-core CPU?

I have CPU M740 but I downgraded motherboard&CPU from T2400.

Once I learn that UnRaid server not support multi-core and use only one core.

With my M740 I have check of parity ~57MB/s.

Throughput of write to UnRaid from Win clients through GLAN is ~16 MB/s

Throughput of read from UnRaid to Win clients through GLAN is ~35 MB/s.

Thanks for any results of this test with SMP...

SMP will not likely increase parity check speed or writing performance by any significant amount..... the bottleneck is disk performance.

On your current system, run "vmstat 2 5" while writing or doing a parity check and see.... the CPU will be spending a lot of time waiting for disk I/O to complete.  Upgrading CPU speed (i.e. enabling SMP) will not affect disk I/O, or improve speed in such a case.

I think that parity check in SW RAID array is demanding on calculate throughput.

Or parity check in SW RAID of UnRaid server is dependency ONLY on I/O performance of HDD?

This is not possible. "Who" calculate parity in SW RAID array?  Maybe CPU.

Yes, the CPU calculates the parity... but the CPU, even single core Pentium, calculates the parity MUCH faster than the disk can then write it.

"vmstat" is in UnRaid server 4.3.3? I can try it.

I have CPU M740 but I downgraded motherboard&CPU from T2400.

 

With my M740 I have check of parity ~57MB/s.

Throughput of write to UnRaid from Win clients through GLAN is ~16 MB/s

Throughput of read from UnRaid to Win clients through GLAN is ~35 MB/s.

 

These are good numbers.

Your Pentium M 740 is going to calculate parity faster then many onboard hardware raid processors.

A Second core is not going to increase parity calculation time, it would provide for a smoother experience if you end up running more applications on the machine.

For example, I run rtorrent and saw an increase in smoothness and user response when running with multiple cores.

When I was downloading 7 files this morning with a combined throughput of 2500Mb/s I felt no slowdown like I used to.

I would post system log if someone could tell me how to do that.

http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=Troubleshooting

"vmstat" is in UnRaid server 4.3.3? I can try it.

Yes, I believe it is.

You can also do this command:

dmesg | grep "md: xor"

And it will tell you how fast your CPU calculates the XOR function (used for parity calcs).

On my single core AMD Athlon, it says:  "md: xor using function: p5_mmx (8824.400 MB/sec)."  That is over 8 gigabytes per second.  Even giving an order of magnitude allowance for overhead, that is still 800 megabytes per second.  That would let you copy a 5 GB DVD is under 10 seconds.  So the CPU could keep up with that rate, but obviously a disk can not.