Issues getting LACP working with HP Procurve 2824

[alexpatcas]

So i have this HP Procurve 2824 (J4903A) and for the most part it's awesome.

Now on every computer in the house i have dual gigabit nics. These are intel server pro mt nics. Dual ports.

I can never copy anything over the network from one computer to another and use more the 50% of the bandwidth. I have jumbo frames enabled. But anything i try to copy only uses 50% of the bandwidth, effectively limiting me to 1 gb/s.

time timezone -300
web-management ssl
no telnet-server
interface 1
   lacp Active
exit
interface 2
   lacp Active
exit
interface 3
   lacp Active
exit
interface 4
   lacp Active
exit
interface 5
   lacp Active
exit
interface 6
   lacp Active
exit
interface 7
   disable
   lacp Active
exit
interface 8
   disable
   lacp Active
exit
interface 9
   disable
   lacp Active
exit
interface 10
   disable
   lacp Active
exit
interface 11
   disable
   lacp Active
exit
interface 12
   disable
   lacp Active
exit
interface 13
   disable
   lacp Active
exit
interface 14
   disable
   lacp Active
exit
interface 15
   disable
   lacp Active
exit
interface 16
   disable
   lacp Active
exit
interface 17
   lacp Active
exit
interface 18
   lacp Active
exit
interface 19
   lacp Active
exit
interface 20
   lacp Active
exit
interface 22
   disable
exit
interface 23
   disable
exit
interface 24
   disable
exit

ip default-gateway 10.10.0.1
sntp server 10.10.0.1
timesync sntp
sntp unicast
snmp-server community "Home" Unrestricted
vlan 1
   name "Home"
   untagged 1-24
   ip address 10.10.0.200 255.255.255.0
   jumbo
   exit
vlan 100
   name "Management"
   exit
fault-finder bad-driver sensitivity high
fault-finder bad-transceiver sensitivity high
fault-finder bad-cable sensitivity high
fault-finder too-long-cable sensitivity high
fault-finder over-bandwidth sensitivity high
fault-finder broadcast-storm sensitivity high
fault-finder loss-of-link sensitivity high
fault-finder duplex-mismatch-HDx sensitivity high
fault-finder duplex-mismatch-FDx sensitivity high
spanning-tree
ip ssh
password manager

Any help would be great. Thank you in advance

 

[Dreamslacker]

LACP balances the load across the links. You must have traffic that opens more than one connection stream to go past a single link's throughput.

You can try running multiple copy and paste operations from your machine instead to see if the total link speed exceeds that of a single link. It is likely that depending the average file size etc. that your storage media would be the limiting factor though.

 

[clintb]

Get the following tool. Install on two computers, one as server, the other as client. Play with the number of streams and see how hard you can pound on the network.

http://nutsaboutnets.com/netstress/

 

[onnoossendrijver]

So i have this HP Procurve 2824 (J4903A) and for the most part it's awesome.

Now on every computer in the house i have dual gigabit nics. These are intel server pro mt nics. Dual ports.

I can never copy anything over the network from one computer to another and use more the 50% of the bandwidth. I have jumbo frames enabled. But anything i try to copy only uses 50% of the bandwidth, effectively limiting me to 1 gb/s.

Maybe you should have informed yourself better...
This is expected behaviour in nearly every situation.
Load is balanced based on source or destination IP or MAC address. File copy between 2 hosts has 1 source and 1 destination address, so this will allways choose 1 link => 1 gigabit.

There is a way to overcome this when copying files: Upgrade to Windows 8 and/or Windows 2012 on all your machines. These OSs support the SMB 3 networkfilesystem which can distribute load of a single filecopy over multiple links.

 

[alexpatcas]

I know it works with sa/da so only one link would be active, i was just seeing if some figured anything out to trick that. I did not know that windows 8 supports smb 3. Have you had any success with using it and really seeing bandwidth increase?

 

[Dreamslacker]

You can try using Robocopy with the multi-thread option. Basically splits the load up into multiple concurrent streams.

 

[onnoossendrijver]

I know it works with sa/da so only one link would be active, i was just seeing if some figured anything out to trick that. I did not know that windows 8 supports smb 3. Have you had any success with using it and really seeing bandwidth increase?

I don't use port-channels at home, but a few months ago a colleague showed me his Windows 8 desktop connected to a Windows 2012 server using 3x 1 gigabit links. He copied a single file using regular windows filesharing: 280 MByte/s.

 

[alexpatcas]

I don't use port-channels at home, but a few months ago a colleague showed me his Windows 8 desktop connected to a Windows 2012 server using 3x 1 gigabit links. He copied a single file using regular windows filesharing: 280 MByte/s.

The only problem that i have with that is that windows 8 does not support nic teaming, just bridging. So lacp is useless with windows 8.

Only way i can get bonding working is if i install server 2012.

 

[alexpatcas]

by the way the netstressing did only stress the network to 50%.

 

[onnoossendrijver]

The only problem that i have with that is that windows 8 does not support nic teaming, just bridging. So lacp is useless with windows 8.

Only way i can get bonding working is if i install server 2012.

I believe the teaming was done using Intel Server NICs.

 

[Dreamslacker]

The only problem that i have with that is that windows 8 does not support nic teaming, just bridging. So lacp is useless with windows 8.

Only way i can get bonding working is if i install server 2012.

NIC bonding is driver supported for Windows. For Intel NICs, you need to install the ProSet utility (download the drivers from Intel's website and make sure you choose to install the ProSet utilities during install and not just the drivers only).

To get teaming activated, go to Device Manager -> Network Adapters -> Intel NIC (any of them will do) -> Properties -> Teaming.



Click on "New Team" and run through the Wizard. What is interesting is that Intel actually allows you to team it's NIC with other manufacturer's adapters. I've had it allow me to team with Realtek 8111C NICs before.

 

[alexpatcas]

But the drivers from intel for Intel® PRO/1000 PT Dual Port Server Adapter, the ones for Windows 8 do not support teaming.
I mean this is coming from Intel and Microsoft. They took teaming out of client OSes in Windows 8. And Intel does not provide the proset for windows 8. Trust me i checked.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/SearchResult.aspx?lang=eng&ProductFamily=Network+Connectivity&ProductLine=Intel%C2%AE+Server+Adapters&ProductProduct=Intel%C2%AE+PRO%2f1000+PT+Dual+Port+Server+Adapter&ProdId=2248&LineId=405&FamilyId=38

 

[alexpatcas]

I believe the teaming was done using Intel Server NICs.

Thats what i have. Intel® PRO/1000 PT Dual Port Server Adapters. Teaming works with windows 7.

 

[Dreamslacker]

But the drivers from intel for Intel® PRO/1000 PT Dual Port Server Adapter, the ones for Windows 8 do not support teaming.
I mean this is coming from Intel and Microsoft. They took teaming out of client OSes in Windows 8. And Intel does not provide the proset for windows 8. Trust me i checked.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/SearchResult.aspx?lang=eng&ProductFamily=Network+Connectivity&ProductLine=Intel%C2%AE+Server+Adapters&ProductProduct=Intel%C2%AE+PRO%2f1000+PT+Dual+Port+Server+Adapter&ProdId=2248&LineId=405&FamilyId=38

Apparently, they have replaced ProSet in the later drivers. You need to manually use the IOUtil and edit the configuration by hand.
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/De...t*&DownloadType=Utilities, Tools and Examples

Or you can cross your fingers and give the older drivers a try:
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/De...0&lang=eng&OSVersion=Windows 8*&DownloadType=

 

[alexpatcas]

Apparently, they have replaced ProSet in the later drivers. You need to manually use the IOUtil and edit the configuration by hand.
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/De...t*&DownloadType=Utilities, Tools and Examples

Or you can cross your fingers and give the older drivers a try:
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/De...0&lang=eng&OSVersion=Windows 8*&DownloadType=

Got the nics in the LACP mode. Could not get them to pass 50% still.

 

[Dreamslacker]

Got the nics in the LACP mode. Could not get them to pass 50% still.

Can you try Robocopy with the MT switch? Try for a higher multithread like 40 threads. Works best with a large amount of files of course..

I've never encountered this issue in the past but it may have something to do with the implementation on the s/w side. I had success with the Broadcom BACS NICs.