How to use SysBench on Debian, CentOS and Ubuntu
06 Aug 2014 
Matteo Mattei 
cloudatcost.com sysbench benchmark performance 
Sysbench tutorial
I need to test the performance of cloudatcost before deciding to purchase a big dog 3 server. Fortunately a guy gave me access to his Big Dog 3 server for 24 hours so that I can test it before buying. So I decided to compare stats between my laptop, the chepest cloudatcost plan that I previously purchased and the Big Dog 3 plan.
My Laptop:
Configuration:
Distribution: Ubuntu 14.04 @ 64 bit
RAM: 8GB
HD: 750 GB hybrid (8GB SSD)
CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2670QM CPU @ 2.20GHz (8 core)
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Install sysbench:
matteo@margot:~$ sudo apt-get install sysbench matteo@margot:~$ sysbench --version sysbench 0.4.12 -
CPU benchmark:
matteo@margot:~$ sudo sysbench --test=cpu --cpu-max-prime=20000 run sysbench 0.4.12: multi-threaded system evaluation benchmark Running the test with following options: Number of threads: 1 Doing CPU performance benchmark Threads started! Done. Maximum prime number checked in CPU test: 20000 Test execution summary: total time: 28.1221s total number of events: 10000 total time taken by event execution: 28.1210 per-request statistics: min: 2.76ms avg: 2.81ms max: 10.89ms approx. 95 percentile: 2.88ms Threads fairness: events (avg/stddev): 10000.0000/0.00 execution time (avg/stddev): 28.1210/0.00 -
I/O benchmark:
matteo@margot:~$ sysbench --test=fileio --file-total-size=15G prepare sysbench 0.4.12: multi-threaded system evaluation benchmark 128 files, 122880Kb each, 15360Mb total Creating files for the test... matteo@margot:~$ sysbench --test=fileio --file-total-size=15G --file-test-mode=rndrw --init-rng=on --max-time=300 --max-requests=0 run sysbench 0.4.12: multi-threaded system evaluation benchmark Running the test with following options: Number of threads: 1 Initializing random number generator from timer. Extra file open flags: 0 128 files, 120Mb each 15Gb total file size Block size 16Kb Number of random requests for random IO: 0 Read/Write ratio for combined random IO test: 1.50 Periodic FSYNC enabled, calling fsync() each 100 requests. Calling fsync() at the end of test, Enabled. Using synchronous I/O mode Doing random r/w test Threads started! Time limit exceeded, exiting... Done. Operations performed: 12720 Read, 8480 Write, 27014 Other = 48214 Total Read 198.75Mb Written 132.5Mb Total transferred 331.25Mb (1.1041Mb/sec) 70.66 Requests/sec executed Test execution summary: total time: 300.0118s total number of events: 21200 total time taken by event execution: 158.6743 per-request statistics: min: 0.00ms avg: 7.48ms max: 68.36ms approx. 95 percentile: 26.58ms Threads fairness: events (avg/stddev): 21200.0000/0.00 execution time (avg/stddev): 158.6743/0.00 matteo@margot:~$ sudo sysbench --test=fileio --file-total-size=15G cleanup [sudo] password for matteo: sysbench 0.4.12: multi-threaded system evaluation benchmark Removing test files...
cloudatcost.com - Developer 1 plan:
Configuration:
Distribution: Debian 7.6 @ 64 bit
RAM: 512MB ECC
CPU: 1 Xeon vCPU
HD: 10GB SSD
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Install sysbench:
root@debian:~# apt-get install sysbench root@debian:~# sysbench --version sysbench 0.4.12 -
CPU benchmark:
root@debian:~# sysbench --test=cpu --cpu-max-prime=20000 run sysbench 0.4.12: multi-threaded system evaluation benchmark Running the test with following options: Number of threads: 1 Doing CPU performance benchmark Threads started! Done. Maximum prime number checked in CPU test: 20000 Test execution summary: total time: 29.8126s total number of events: 10000 total time taken by event execution: 29.8099 per-request statistics: min: 2.93ms avg: 2.98ms max: 5.08ms approx. 95 percentile: 3.04ms Threads fairness: events (avg/stddev): 10000.0000/0.00 execution time (avg/stddev): 29.8099/0.00 -
I/O benchmark:
root@debian:~# sysbench --test=fileio --file-total-size=5G prepare sysbench 0.4.12: multi-threaded system evaluation benchmark 128 files, 40960Kb each, 5120Mb total Creating files for the test... root@debian:~# sysbench --test=fileio --file-total-size=5G --file-test-mode=rndrw --init-rng=on --max-time=300 --max-requests=0 run sysbench 0.4.12: multi-threaded system evaluation benchmark Running the test with following options: Number of threads: 1 Initializing random number generator from timer. Extra file open flags: 0 128 files, 40Mb each 5Gb total file size Block size 16Kb Number of random requests for random IO: 0 Read/Write ratio for combined random IO test: 1.50 Periodic FSYNC enabled, calling fsync() each 100 requests. Calling fsync() at the end of test, Enabled. Using synchronous I/O mode Doing random r/w test Threads started! Time limit exceeded, exiting... Done. Operations performed: 38731 Read, 25820 Write, 82560 Other = 147111 Total Read 605.17Mb Written 403.44Mb Total transferred 1008.6Mb (3.3386Mb/sec) 213.67 Requests/sec executed Test execution summary: total time: 302.1012s total number of events: 64551 total time taken by event execution: 180.8488 per-request statistics: min: 0.00ms avg: 2.80ms max: 3856.24ms approx. 95 percentile: 1.28ms Threads fairness: events (avg/stddev): 64551.0000/0.00 execution time (avg/stddev): 180.8488/0.00 root@debian:~# sysbench --test=fileio --file-total-size=5G cleanup sysbench 0.4.12: multi-threaded system evaluation benchmark Removing test files...
cloudatcost.com - Big Dog 3 plan:
Configuration:
Distribution: CentOS 6.5 @ 64 bit
RAM: 8GB ECC
CPU: 8 Xeon vCPU
HD: 80GB SSD
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Install sysbench:
root@localhost [~]# wget http://www.lefred.be/files/sysbench-0.5-3.el6_.x86_64.rpm root@localhost [~]# rpm -ivh sysbench-0.5-3.el6_.x86_64.rpm root@localhost [~]# sysbench --version sysbench 0.5 -
CPU benchmark:
root@localhost [~]# sysbench --test=cpu --cpu-max-prime=20000 run sysbench 0.5: multi-threaded system evaluation benchmark Running the test with following options: Number of threads: 1 Random number generator seed is 0 and will be ignored Primer numbers limit: 20000 Threads started! General statistics: total time: 31.0954s total number of events: 10000 total time taken by event execution: 31.0830s response time: min: 3.07ms avg: 3.11ms max: 5.86ms approx. 95 percentile: 3.17ms Threads fairness: events (avg/stddev): 10000.0000/0.00 execution time (avg/stddev): 31.0830/0.00 -
I/O benchmark:
root@localhost [~]# sysbench --test=fileio --file-total-size=15G prepare sysbench 0.5: multi-threaded system evaluation benchmark 128 files, 122880Kb each, 15360Mb total Creating files for the test... Extra file open flags: 0 Creating file test_file.0 Creating file test_file.1 Creating file test_file.2 Creating file test_file.3 Creating file test_file.4 Creating file test_file.5 Creating file test_file.6 Creating file test_file.7 Creating file test_file.8 Creating file test_file.9 Creating file test_file.10 Creating file test_file.11 Creating file test_file.12 Creating file test_file.13 Creating file test_file.14 Creating file test_file.15 Creating file test_file.16 Creating file test_file.17 Creating file test_file.18 Creating file test_file.19 Creating file test_file.20 Creating file test_file.21 Creating file test_file.22 Creating file test_file.23 Creating file test_file.24 Creating file test_file.25 Creating file test_file.26 Creating file test_file.27 Creating file test_file.28 Creating file test_file.29 Creating file test_file.30 Creating file test_file.31 Creating file test_file.32 Creating file test_file.33 Creating file test_file.34 Creating file test_file.35 Creating file test_file.36 Creating file test_file.37 Creating file test_file.38 Creating file test_file.39 Creating file test_file.40 Creating file test_file.41 Creating file test_file.42 Creating file test_file.43 Creating file test_file.44 Creating file test_file.45 Creating file test_file.46 Creating file test_file.47 Creating file test_file.48 Creating file test_file.49 Creating file test_file.50 Creating file test_file.51 Creating file test_file.52 Creating file test_file.53 Creating file test_file.54 Creating file test_file.55 Creating file test_file.56 Creating file test_file.57 Creating file test_file.58 Creating file test_file.59 Creating file test_file.60 Creating file test_file.61 Creating file test_file.62 Creating file test_file.63 Creating file test_file.64 Creating file test_file.65 Creating file test_file.66 Creating file test_file.67 Creating file test_file.68 Creating file test_file.69 Creating file test_file.70 Creating file test_file.71 Creating file test_file.72 Creating file test_file.73 Creating file test_file.74 Creating file test_file.75 Creating file test_file.76 Creating file test_file.77 Creating file test_file.78 Creating file test_file.79 Creating file test_file.80 Creating file test_file.81 Creating file test_file.82 Creating file test_file.83 Creating file test_file.84 Creating file test_file.85 Creating file test_file.86 Creating file test_file.87 Creating file test_file.88 Creating file test_file.89 Creating file test_file.90 Creating file test_file.91 Creating file test_file.92 Creating file test_file.93 Creating file test_file.94 Creating file test_file.95 Creating file test_file.96 Creating file test_file.97 Creating file test_file.98 Creating file test_file.99 Creating file test_file.100 Creating file test_file.101 Creating file test_file.102 Creating file test_file.103 Creating file test_file.104 Creating file test_file.105 Creating file test_file.106 Creating file test_file.107 Creating file test_file.108 Creating file test_file.109 Creating file test_file.110 Creating file test_file.111 Creating file test_file.112 Creating file test_file.113 Creating file test_file.114 Creating file test_file.115 Creating file test_file.116 Creating file test_file.117 Creating file test_file.118 Creating file test_file.119 Creating file test_file.120 Creating file test_file.121 Creating file test_file.122 Creating file test_file.123 Creating file test_file.124 Creating file test_file.125 Creating file test_file.126 Creating file test_file.127 16106127360 bytes written in 1661.93 seconds (9.24 MB/sec). root@localhost [~]# sysbench --test=fileio --file-total-size=15G --file-test-mode=rndrw --init-rng=on --max-time=300 --max-requests=0 run sysbench 0.5: multi-threaded system evaluation benchmark Running the test with following options: Number of threads: 1 Random number generator seed is 0 and will be ignored Extra file open flags: 0 128 files, 120Mb each 15Gb total file size Block size 16Kb Number of IO requests: 0 Read/Write ratio for combined random IO test: 1.50 Periodic FSYNC enabled, calling fsync() each 100 requests. Calling fsync() at the end of test, Enabled. Using synchronous I/O mode Doing random r/w test Threads started! Operations performed: 45662 reads, 30441 writes, 97408 Other = 173511 Total Read 713.47Mb Written 475.64Mb Total transferred 1.1612Gb (3.9637Mb/sec) 253.68 Requests/sec executed General statistics: total time: 300.0017s total number of events: 76103 total time taken by event execution: 31.1080s response time: min: 0.00ms avg: 0.41ms max: 65.85ms approx. 95 percentile: 2.54ms Threads fairness: events (avg/stddev): 76103.0000/0.00 execution time (avg/stddev): 31.1080/0.00 root@localhost [~]# sysbench --test=fileio --file-total-size=15G cleanup sysbench 0.5: multi-threaded system evaluation benchmark Removing test files...
Network benchmark:
In order to test also the Network performance I use the speedtest-cli tool. But I do this test only in the Big Dog 3 server.
root@localhost [~]# wget -q -O - https://raw.github.com/sivel/speedtest-cli/master/speedtest_cli.py | python
Retrieving speedtest.net configuration...
Retrieving speedtest.net server list...
Testing from KW Datacenter (167.88.44.169)...
Selecting best server based on latency...
Hosted by Source Cable Ltd (Hamilton, ON) [52.90 km]: 22.833 ms
Testing download speed........................................
Download: 236.30 Mbits/s
Testing upload speed..................................................
Upload: 148.09 Mbits/s
Conclusions:
I finally decided to purchase a Big Dog 2 plan from CloudAtCost and as far as I experimented the performance is not so bad (for the moment)… The only problem I see is that sometimes the network seems missing some packets as long as some sporatic stucks of 2/3 seconds when accessing the filesystem from a SSH connection.