Poor docker performances inside Ubuntu VM (NVME/NVIDIA PassThrough)

[dekadmin]

Hello there

 

Description of usage:

I just have created a new VM to run Ubuntu to develop on it.

This VM will be used to run services like Apache2, PHP and MariaDB inside docker containers (with docker-compose).

 

Description of problem is:

My Ubuntu VM look to run great on the OS.

But performance linked to my web app are so poor.

• Navigate to local web application (pages make long time to load)
• Inject database seeding (fake data)

 

My host configuration:

OS Version: UnRaid 6.9.2

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (8 Cores 16 Threads)

RAM: 32 GO running at 3200 MHz

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER

 

UnRaid PassThrough configuration:

Group 14	 01:00.0			1987:5012	Non-Volatile memory controller: Phison Electronics Corporation E12 NVMe Controller (rev 01)
Group 22	 07:00.0			10de:1e84	VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation TU104 [GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER] (rev a1)
Group 23	 07:00.1			10de:10f8	Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation TU104 HD Audio Controller (rev a1)
Group 24	 07:00.2			10de:1ad8	USB controller: NVIDIA Corporation TU104 USB 3.1 Host Controller (rev a1)
                                                    *USB devices attached to controllers bound to vfio are not visible to unRAID*
Group 25	 07:00.3			10de:1ad9	Serial bus controller [0c80]: NVIDIA Corporation TU104 USB Type-C UCSI Controller (rev a1)

 

UnRaid CPU Isolated CPUs:

UNRAID:
0-8
1-9

ISOLATED:
2-10
3-11
4-12
5-13
6-14
7-15

 

VM Settings:

CPU Mode: Host Passthrough
Logical CPUs: Isolated CPUs selected
Machine: Q35-5.1 (for NVIDIA GPU)
BIOS: SeaBIOS
OS Install ISO: Path to Ubuntu ISO file
OS Install CRRom BUS: SATA (remove after install)
Graphics card: NVIDIA Card
Other PCI Devices: NVME Disk
Primary vDisk: None (because NVME PassThrough)

<emulatorpin cpuset='0-8,1-9'/> added to cputune XML section

 

More details here (if you need) Ubuntu VM configuration

 

I don't understand why performances are so bad.

 

Have you got any idea ?

03-running.xml

Edited April 24, 2022 by dekadmin
mistakes

[whipdancer]

Why are you using a VM to run containers?

[dekadmin]

1 hour ago, whipdancer said:

Why are you using a VM to run containers?

 

Hi whipdancer,

Because I want to use this VM as personal working station.

[itimpi]

Where do you have the vdisk(s)  for the VM placed?   For best performance you do not want this to be 0n the array.

[dekadmin]

1 hour ago, itimpi said:

Where do you have the vdisk(s)  for the VM placed?   For best performance you do not want this to be 0n the array.

Hi

I directly passthrough my NVME drive to the VM.
It's not really to improve performances. It was to test if it was my problem.

[dekadmin]

Little update

I have released some tests to check if Unraid is the "problem".

 

I temporally install Proxmox on the same host machine.

Under Proxmox, I have created a VM with following settings:

And all is great ! 
Proxmox expose a more recent version of pc-Q35.
Maybe it can come from there ?

 

(Please, I don't wanna run Unraid inside Proxmox  )

Edited April 24, 2022 by dekadmin

[whipdancer]

Since you want to use the VM as a workstation, have you tested the web app outside of containers, on the VM, to see if the performance is the same?

Edited April 28, 2022 by whipdancer

[tjb_altf4]

On 4/25/2022 at 2:00 AM, dekadmin said:

Little update

I have released some tests to check if Unraid is the "problem".

 

I temporally install Proxmox on the same host machine.

Under Proxmox, I have created a VM with following settings:

And all is great ! 
Proxmox expose a more recent version of pc-Q35.
Maybe it can come from there ?

 

(Please, I don't wanna run Unraid inside Proxmox  )

You are using Seabios on your Unraid VM, but OVMF on Proxmox.

Try reinstalling the VM under Unraid using OVMF for an apples to apples comparison.

Also note that while Unraid 6.9.2 is on Q35-5.1, Unraid 6.10.0-rc5 is on the much newer Q35-6.2, so you might see better performance there also.

[ghost82]

5 hours ago, tjb_altf4 said:

Try reinstalling the VM under Unraid using OVMF for an apples to apples comparison

That was something similar my prof. of maths told us often when I was at the primary school! He said you can't compare potatoes with carrots..until I replied: I can compare potatoes with carrots if I consider "vegetables"

Obviously the "can't compare potatoes with carrots" applies in this case.