High CPU usage

Discussions about using Linux guests in VirtualBox.
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Fulike
Posts: 2
Joined: 4. Nov 2017, 03:46

High CPU usage

Post by Fulike »

Intel E5450/5110 processors are overwhelmed by linux virtual machines in multi-processor mode.
If I turn off io apic then it's okay.
I could repeat on two separate machines, one has HP DL380 G5 ( CPU Xeon E5450), in the other Dell PowerEdge 2950 ( CPU Xeon E5110).

HP DL 380G5 runs Debian 8.9 64 bit, Virtualbox 5.2.0
Guest1: Debian 7.11 64 bit
Guest2: Debian 8.9 runs correctly with enabled I/O APIC and 2 vCPU

I tested Guest1 in other host machine (Supermicro X10SLD-F/HF, Xeon E1240 v3) works perfectly.

PowerEdge 2950 runs Debian 7.9, Virtualbox 4.3.36
Guest1: Debian 7.11 64 bit
Guest2: Debian 6.0.10 64 bit
michaln
Oracle Corporation
Posts: 2973
Joined: 19. Dec 2007, 15:45
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Any and all
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Re: High CPU usage

Post by michaln »

Xeon E5450 is Harpertown, 10 years old. Xeon 5110 (not E5110) is Woodcrest, even older. Neither of these is suitable for virtualization nowadays, because neither has nested paging. Xeon E3-1240 v3 is a Haswell, a completely different kettle of fish, with far better hardware virtualization support. The E5450 is still a nice CPU, but not for virtualization; its slightly newer successors (Nehalem, Westmere) are far better in that regard.

If you provided a VBox.log from the Harpertown and/or Woodcrest system it might be possible to say more, as it is all I can say is "don't do it".
Fulike
Posts: 2
Joined: 4. Nov 2017, 03:46

Re: High CPU usage

Post by Fulike »

Thanks for the exhaustive reply, this will be the solution.
I tested on several CPUs, these worked:
Xeon E5520
Xeon E5530
michaln
Oracle Corporation
Posts: 2973
Joined: 19. Dec 2007, 15:45
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Any and all
Contact:

Re: High CPU usage

Post by michaln »

Yes, those are Nehalem EP processors, also pretty old by now but it's the "modern" generation of Intel CPUs.
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