New DS Settings - 300% Faster Imaging...

JeremyDallas · 04-11-2005, 05:05 PM

Hey Guys,

I had been sitting on this information for about a week from Altiris and it was killing me not to be able to share it. Altiris just gave the go ahead, so here you go.

Nick · 04-11-2005, 05:26 PM

I can validate that these settings do garner an increase significant enough to warrant inclusion.

I have tested it a few times and am pleased with the results.

TCP Performance Tuning in DOS
1 Apr 2005

Summary
When deploying an image to a DOS-based client via a mapped drive, one of the underlying protocols used to get the image file to the client over that mapped drive is TCP. The TCP parameter that controls how much data the DOS-based client can receive at a time is called the TCP Window Size. This parameter controls how much data can be sent to the client before waiting for an acknowledgement from that client that itâ€™s ok to send more data. The default size for this window if nothing is specified in PROTOCOL.INI is 1450 bytes, which is the size of one network packet. This is the default for DS 6.1 and earlier releases. This means that for each and every packet sent to the client, the server must wait for an acknowledgement packet back from that client before it can send another packet. The higher the latency of the network, the more this will degrade speed. Increasing this parameter can dramatically improve performance especially on networks with high latency.

One problem we encountered as we tuned this parameter is that Microsoftâ€™s TCP stack can only take up 64k of RAM including both code and buffers. These buffers are duplicated for every server connection that we can possibly make. This means that in order to increase the size of the TCP window, we must decrease the number of servers we can simultaneously connect to, or the TCP stack will run out of memory and refuse to load. If you only need to connect to one server, you can increase your window size more than if you need to connect to 2 or more servers. Note that you can map multiple drives to shares on one server and all of those drives only count as one server connection.

Below is a chart of parameter values we have changed to improve performance without running out of memory. Also below is a Microsoft knowledge base article that discusses this in greater detail.

DO NOT INCLUDE COMMA'S IN VALUES WHEN ENTERING INFORMATION

jfd3 · 04-12-2005, 09:07 AM

Hi all.. I too concur that this definitely helps the download speeds in DOS... Boy we could have used this info 3 years ago... Now though the PE environments seem to be were most of the focus is happening...

Here are some observations:
Image size 1.4 Gb

PE disk
6.1 (5813) Time to complete 2:13

DOS
With TCPWINDOWSIZE= 10150 or 11600

4.5.211 Time to complete 4:31
5.6 Time to complete 4:58
6.1 (5813) Time to complete 5:06

"Normal Boot Floppy" ie TCPWINDOWSIZE=1450
4.5.211 Time to complete 11:35
5.6 Time to complete 12:12
6.1 (5813) Time to complete 12.23

I will do some additional testing using the enhanced DOS parameters in a multicast session later... Fortunately or unfortunately, DOS still rules the roost in the multicast environment...

Joe

Jim · 04-12-2005, 09:17 AM

Where are you putting these parameters? In the boot floppy?

Nick · 04-12-2005, 09:28 AM

Joe,

You times still simply amaze me. Mind if I ask what hardware you are using?

Server:
Switch:

and any other settings that you might be doing on them?

I have been back and forth and the best times I'm getting on a 1.7GB image is approximately:

PE disk
6.1 (5813) Time to complete 5:00

DOS
With TCPWINDOWSIZE= 10150 or 11600

4.5.211 Time to complete Untested
5.6 Time to complete Untested
6.1 (5813) Time to complete 9:00

While the times are much better I'm still standing still compared to your results.

jfd3 · 04-12-2005, 11:02 AM

Jim, the quick answer is yes.... to the files described in the word doc...

Nick, Our netwrok is very vanilla... as they should be.

We use Cisco 4006, 4500 and 6500 switches.

The servers are vanilla W2k NAS or W2k file server nothing too impressive
We will be moving very soon to a Netapp Fas 250 for our images... but that won't increase our speeds too much if at all...

By the way at our off site test, we slugged aroung a 5.3 Gb image both unicast and multicast... 13 minutes on the unicast download, and 26 minutes to multicast it around to 25 clients... We'll be doing 300 in a couple of weeks... not at one time... but if time allows we try 100-150...

Also some weird things using the BartPE in ram off the HD.. I'll email you alter on the weirdness.

Joe

JAustgen · 04-12-2005, 11:12 AM

Nick, those are the same image speeds I get with approximately the same size image. Very nice little fix!

Jim · 04-13-2005, 02:38 PM

And my question still stands. Where are you changing these settings?

JeremyDallas · 04-13-2005, 02:56 PM

Protocol.ini and TCPUtils.ini in your boot files. Make the changes and then recreate your PXE Boot files.

Jim · 04-13-2005, 07:15 PM

Thank you. That is great information.

holpak · 04-14-2005, 11:28 AM

I still need to try this fix.. i have a quick question and i'm sure it'll turn out to be a stupid question.. when you guys talk about a PE environment or using BART what are you talking about??

Thanks

Holly

JAustgen · 04-14-2005, 11:37 AM

Right now, PXE boot disks and bootworks boot disks use (in 99% of cases) Microsoft DOS to build the boot disk, thereby using old DOS drivers. WinPE is a new prebuild environment developed by Microsoft. It's designed to replace old DOS bootdisks for getting operating systems down onto client computers. BartPE utilizes WinPE but includessome modifications to make imaging easier, faster, more manageable.

I haven't had a chance to play with either of them, so I'm hoping either Nick or BoomBoom can chime in here and help explain things better.

JeremyDallas · 04-14-2005, 11:46 AM

From Billy Boy...

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/p...ort/winpe.mspx

Quote:

MicrosoftÂ® WindowsÂ® Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) is a tool based on Microsoft Windows XP Professional that allows IT staff to build custom solutions that speed up deployment through automation so they spend less time and effort keeping desktops updated. Windows PE can run Windows setup, scripts, and imaging applications. Enterprise Agreement (EA) and Software Assurance Membership (SAM) customers received Windows PE in their October 2002 updates, and it will continue to be offered as a benefit of Software Assurance.

holpak · 04-14-2005, 11:49 AM

wow sounds interesting btw thanks for the fast response so is this software microsoft offers with server 2003 or is it a seperate purchased software?

Edited cuz i meant does it come with XP not server 2003, and if so how do i get it to start playin around with it?

JAustgen · 04-14-2005, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holpak

wow sounds interesting btw thanks for the fast response so is this software microsoft offers with server 2003 or is it a seperate purchased software?

Edited cuz i meant does it come with XP not server 2003, and if so how do i get it to start playin around with it?

I think Microsoft considers WinPE a separate OS and is licensed such. I do know it comes on its own CD.

JeremyDallas · 04-14-2005, 11:56 AM

If you have a Microsoft rep you can bully them into giving it to you.

boomboommusic · 04-15-2005, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAustgen

Right now, PXE boot disks and bootworks boot disks use (in 99% of cases) Microsoft DOS to build the boot disk, thereby using old DOS drivers. WinPE is a new prebuild environment developed by Microsoft. It's designed to replace old DOS bootdisks for getting operating systems down onto client computers. BartPE utilizes WinPE but includessome modifications to make imaging easier, faster, more manageable.

I haven't had a chance to play with either of them, so I'm hoping either Nick or BoomBoom can chime in here and help explain things better.

I explain the gain of speed by using a Win32 environment...
What to add about that you said

you explain very well even if you said that you never test it.
I have test and put little video that show you the speed under a virtual PC.
you can find it here.
Microsoft say that they want longhorn use 15 minutes of our time...actually WinPE is using to setup longhorn so in my mind you are in win32 environment and the speed uncrease terribly...
With BartPE but i think you can do the same with WinPE, you can "install" a lot of Drivers, programs if you know "knoppix" or "Fedora" you can easily imagine what is BartPE or WinPE

A screenshot?

More screeenshot?
http://www.911cd.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=4573

Kamino · 04-26-2005, 03:41 AM

I cant see the link to the info, can anyone tell me where i should be looking pls!!

Thanks!

Nick · 04-26-2005, 07:33 AM

Which post are you looking in Kamino?

Kamino · 04-26-2005, 09:00 AM

this one?

JeremyDallas · 04-26-2005, 09:57 AM

Actually this is a thread and each response is a post. Nick (and I) were wondering which post within this thread you were referencing that you need a link from.

Basically, what are you looking for here:

Quote:

I cant see the link to the info, can anyone tell me where i should be looking pls!!

Thanks!

Kamino · 04-27-2005, 05:44 AM

i'm looking for how to make my imaging up to 300% faster, sorry for the confusion.

boomboommusic · 04-27-2005, 07:42 AM

Jeremy, Nick...
The information is delete...read the first post

Nick · 04-27-2005, 08:14 AM

I edited my post after Jeremy's to include the information along with a screenshot of the tables.

Sorry for the confusion, thanks for pointing the problem out Sebastian.

Give a yell if anything else is needed.

Kamino · 04-27-2005, 09:02 AM

yippee now i can go and hog all our network bandwidth for testing!

Thanks again guys.