PowerFlex Performance Guide

Summary: This article contains the initial steps to take on all PowerFlex performance-based issues when observing performance degradation, low Input Output Operations Per Second (IOPs), low MB per sec, or high latency. ...

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Instructions

Performance issues are typically more complex, difficult to resolve, and time-intensive than other issues. We request that you provide us with as much detail as possible to enable Dell Technologies to understand, escalate, and resolve any performance issues quickly.

To facilitate this, we request that you complete the Performance Questionnaire and provide us with the appropriate logs for your environment. Once completed, provide the Questionnaire and the logs to the Technical Support Engineer when creating a Service Request.

Resolution:

PowerFlex Performance Questionnaire
Part 1: Symptoms, Impact, Environment:
1. Detailed Problem Description:
  1. Where are you seeing the performance degradation, low IOPs, low MB per sec, or high latency?
  2. Are multiple sites impacted? If so, how many?
2. Business Impact: 
  1. What is the current business impact?
For example, Applications affected, number of users impacted, number of nodes offline, jobs running slow, application crashes, on single SDC, single volume, single datastore, single SDS, single storage pool, single PD, single Fault Set, remote replication target side only, and so forth?
  1. Is the issue still ongoing?
3. Commencement:
  1. When did you first observe this latency occurring?
For example, Date, Time, and Time Zone
  1. Is this the first time this has occurred or has this happened previously?
  2. Is Network Time Protocol (NTP) used on all the components of the PowerFlex cluster?
  3. Any previous service requests opened with PowerFlex, Dell, or third-party vendor?
4. Frequency:
  1. How often does the latency or performance degradation occur? (Constantly, Regularly, or Once Off)
  2. Is this performance issue reproducible?    
5. Recent Changes:
  1. Have there been any recent changes in your environment?
For example, Release Certification Matrix (RCM) upgrade, network or storage changes, adding new clients, migration work, implemented IA approvals, other relevant service requests?
Even small changes which may not seem relevant.
 
6. Comparison and Benchmarking:
  1. What benchmarks are you comparing the current performance levels to?
For example, Comparison to another cluster with the same configuration? Comparison with old benchmark data on the same cluster?
  1. What is considered good or acceptable performance?
7. PowerFlex Solution and Architecture:
  1. What is the type of PowerFlex solution? For example, PowerFlex Rack, PowerFlex Appliance (Full Network Automation or Partial Network Automation), PowerFlex custom Node, VxFlex Ready Node, PowerFlex Software Only?
  2. Solution architecture description? Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) with VMware or other operating system? Two Layer with which operating system on SDS and SDC sides? Hybrid of HCI and Two Layer? FG vs MG? CloudLink in use?
8. PowerFlex firmware:
  1. PowerFlex Version (including build number)?
  2. PowerFlex Manager version?
  3. PowerFlex RCM version?
  4. Operating system details (exact versions and build)?
9. Extra Information:
  1. Provide any additional information that you deem relevant that can aid with the resolution of this performance issue.
 
Part 2: Logs Requested for Performance Review
These are the typical logs that we require that enable us to troubleshoot your performance issue. Due to the complex nature of performance issues, we require logs from each layer of your PowerFlex system. When gathering logs from your operating system, select the appropriate logs based on your environment.
PowerFlex:
PowerFlex getinfo logs, PowerFlex Gateway logs, and PowerFlex Manager Logs:
See KB article 205078: Procedure To Collect Logs On Various Platforms In PowerFlex       
 
Compute Layer:
PowerEdge Server TSR logs:
See KB article 126308: Export a SupportAssist Collection Using an iDRAC9.
 
Networking Layer:
Dell OS10 PowerSwitch logs, Nexus switch logs:
Operating System:
VMware ESXi logs, VMware vCenter logs, Linux host grabs, Red Hat Linux SOSreport, Windows EMCgrab, Windows data collector set:

Affected Products

PowerFlex rack, PowerFlex Appliance, PowerFlex custom node
Article Properties
Article Number: 000220627
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 05 Jan 2024
Version:  2
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