Login VSI - Storage workload

Description

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Start the LoginVSI_StorageWorkload.exe installer.

Click the “Next” button.

Enter the path to your Login VSI share and click the “Next” button.

Click the “Install” button to start the installation.

Press the “Finish” button to close the installer application.

Description

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In order to run a successful storage workload. Make sure that in the "Login VSI Management Console" - "Infrastructure" - "Web Servers", 'HTTP' is disabled. Simply click on "add" to setup a 'UNC' Web Server. If you click on "add" it will always create and use the 'parent' VSIshare as 'UNC' Web Server.

Make sure to 'uncheck' (disable) any entries that use 'HTTP'.

Description

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In order to run a successful storage workload. Make sure that in the "Login VSI Management Console" - "Workload" - "Settings", 'ZIPLocation' is modified from (default): "%TMP%\VSI\Zip" - to: "H:\VSI\Zip"

Description

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In order to analyze a successful long storage workload run. Make sure that in the "Login VSI Management Console" - "Workload" - "Settings", 'Segments per logfile' is modified from (default): "20" - to: "300"

Description

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Configure the Login VSI infrastructure, phase and connection as shown in the “Getting started with Login VSI” video.

Open Test setup > scenario in the Login VSI management console

Select the “Storage” workload

Start a test as described in the Login VSI Start your first test documentation.

Monitor the session’s progress.

Wait for all sessions to log off. This can be monitored in the Login VSI Management Console dashboard.

Description

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The VSImax v4.1 tab is the main tab of the Login VSI analyzer in combination with the storage workload. This tab shows the most important information.

This section shows the following.

VSImax v4.1:

VSImax v4.1 shows the amount of sessions that can be active on a system before the system is saturated. The red X shows the point where VSImax was reached. This number gives you an indication of the scalability of the environment (higher is better).

VSIbase:

VSIbase is the best performance of the system during a test (the lowest response times). This number is used to determine what the performance threshold will be. VSIbase gives an indication of the base performance of the environment (lower is better). VSIbase is also indicated within the graph.

VSImax v4 average:

VSImax v4 average indicates the average response time for all the measurements taken when the indicated number of sessions on the X axis were active.

VSImax v4 threshold:

VSImax v4 threshold indicates at which point the environments saturation point is reached. It is based on VSIbase. VSImax v4 threshold is also indicated within the graph.

Stuck sessions:

How many sessions got stuck during the test. This number should be 0. Stuck sessions indicate a problem during the test. As stuck session do not generate load the VSImax score will be reduced by the number of stuck sessions.

Minimum Response:

Minimum response indicates the minimum response time for all the measurements taken when the indicated number of sessions on the X axis were active.

Average Response:

Average response indicates the average response time for all the measurements taken taken when the indicated number of sessions on the X axis were active.

Maximum Response:

Maximum response indicates the maximum response time for all the measurements taken when the indicated number of sessions on the X axis were active.

VSI Index Average:

VSI Index Average indicates the average value as calculated by VSI. The VSI Index Average differs from Average Response on the fact that Average Response is the pure average. VSI Index Average applies certain statistical rules to the average to avoid spikes from influencing the average too much.

Description

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The VSImax v4 detailed tab shows the individual measurements taken during a test in a combined graph. This graph shows the minimum, average and maximum response times for each individual measurement. There is also a Total metric that combines all of the metric into a single number. The minimum, average and maximum for this combined value is shown as well.

The metrics are as follows.

Total:

The sum of all the metrics.

100k20:

Write 20 100k files.

2MB10:

Write 10 2MB files.

4k100:

Write 100 4k files.

7ZCR:

Create a zip file of the above data: 100k20, 2MB10 and 4k100.

7ZEX:

Extract the zip file of the above data: 100k20, 2MB10 and 4k100.

CPU:

Calculates a large array of random data.

DD:

Delete the directory that contains all of the IO data: 100k20, 2MB10 and 4k100, written above.

FCTL:

File Copy Text Local. Copy a txt (plain text) file locally.

FCTS:

File Copy Text Share. Copy a txt (plain text) file locally.

NFO:

Notepad File Open. The open dialog in notepad.

NSLD:

Notepad Start/LoaD file. Start notepad by file type association, loading a text file.

UMEM:

Percentage of memory used by the sessions.

ZLC:

Zip Low Compression. Zip a PST (Outlook Personal Folder) file, which is approximately 5 megabytes in size, using no compression.

Description

The VSImax v4 detailed weighted tab shows the exact same individual measurements and metrics as in "Storage VSImax detailed" they are also taken during a test in a combined graph where as in now a multiplier is applied. This graph shows the minimum, average and maximum response times for each individual measurement. In this graph you can clearly see which measurement has an impact on your environment.

Description

The VSImax Scatter tab allows you to see the measurements based on time. Every tab before this tab shows the measurements consolidated by active session count. This tab allows you to see the data based on the time it was collected.

This is particularly useful to get an insight in trends after the sessions have finished logging on. The other tabs will consolidate all of the data collected after the last session has become active into a single data point. Namely the last active session count. Example Chart

Description

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These tabs show information for the individual measurements taken during the test. These specific measurements are zoomed in to because they are used to calculate VSIbase and VSImax v4 threshold.

The tab is similar to the VSImax v4 detailed tab except that it, by default, will only show the measurement for the tab. The graphs scale has also been scaled for the individual measurement.

The tab will also display the baseline value for this measurement. This is the time it takes to complete this measurement during baseline measurements. These measurements are taken while the system is under no or very little load. It is used to see how the measurement trends from a system that isn’t under load.

Description

The AppStart (Application Start times) tab gives you an (indication) overview of the Application Start times during the test. Example Chart

Description

The LogonTimer tab gives you an indication of the time it takes for a session to logon. The graph shows the trend of logon times during the test. The logon time is specified in milliseconds.

Please note that this is an indication of the logon time. VSI measures the time from the logon scripts running, shortly after group policy has been processed but before the shell has loaded (Windows Explorer), and the windows shell being loaded. Example Chart

Description

These tabs contain the raw and processed data used to create the graphs in the analyzer. You can use this data to run your own analysis on. Example Chart