100%+ VBoxClient CPU

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StephenSykes
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Joined: 18. Jun 2017, 19:49

100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by StephenSykes »

Core issue is that the VBoxClient on a CentOS 6.7 (with graphical UI) GuestOS randomly pegs 100%+ CPU (shown via Linux top) which only stops if I shut down the VM. This of course toasts the host OS as well ...

LInux top shows the VBoxClient process is consuming ~ 35% user and 75% system CPU.

Lots of random posts hither and yon indicating this is/isn't/has/hasn't been fixed - but it's very real and current.

OVB Version 5.1.22 r115126 (Qt5.6.2)
Host OS WIndows 7 current
Guest OS CentOS 6.7 w/GUI
Physical system Dell M6800
Pravirtualization: KVM
HW Virtualization: Both VT-x/AMD-v and Nested Paging ticked (Intel HW VT-x BIOS enablement verified)

Unticking nested paging (as suggested by various posts) does nothing.

This has a bug feel ....
socratis
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Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by socratis »

StephenSykes wrote:This has a bug feel ....
It most certainly does. Just not the one you're thinking of...
• Did you check your guest?
• Is your guest using the CPU at its max?
Then it's not a VirtualBox problem, it's your guest's problem; that's who's eating your CPU.

Wild guess: svchost -k <= That's your Windows update doing its thing. Leave it overnight. And then some more. Or search for "WSUS Offline"... Does not apply to Windows hosts, only Windows guests.
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StephenSykes
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Joined: 18. Jun 2017, 19:49

Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by StephenSykes »

Hi Socrates -

Sure, of course, the guest is indeed the issue, and as indicated in the post I did indeed check the guest for the offending process and it is OVB: the VboxClient in the guest, which is consuming 100 + % cpu (it's a 2 cpu guest).

SO this, quite clearly, has no relation whatsoever to Windows updates, but is, equally clearly, related to some inappropriate VboxClient work.
socratis
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Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by socratis »

StephenSykes wrote:I did indeed check the guest for the offending process and it is OVB: the VboxClient in the guest
I'm not sure I understand that part: the VBoxClient.exe is the one using your CPU in the guest? And what's "OVB"? Anything non-standard in your setup? As in FullScreen mode or Seamless? Drag and drop (DnD)? Guest Additions (GAs) up to date?

Follow a "start the VM from cold-boot" / "observe error" / "shutdown the VM" cycle. With the VM shut down completely (not paused or saved), right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager and select "Show Log". Save only the first "VBox.log", ZIP it and attach it to your response (see the "Upload attachment" tab below the reply form).
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StephenSykes
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Joined: 18. Jun 2017, 19:49

Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by StephenSykes »

The Guest OS is Linux - CentOS 6.7. There are no exes in it. But yes, the Linux VBoxClient *is* the process which is consuming the CPU - for no reason, interminably.

It starts at random times and stops only if I quiesce the VM (no need to stop, just save state and restart and the client is quiet for some time).

OVB is "Oracle VIrtual Box"

Hmm. Non standard - define "standard! :-)

I have 3 screens for one VM, and typically run them seamless - but it seems unrelated to that.

Google search indicated possible issues with VT-x or nested paging, but these seem fine here and playing with them has had no effect.

Again, there is nothing happening which correlates to the VBoxClient suddenly going crazy - it just does.

Bugggggggg .........
Attachments
CentOS 6 DEV-2017-06-18-13-03-33.zip
(28.9 KiB) Downloaded 217 times
Martin
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Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by Martin »

Why are you giving your guest only 1GB RAM?
Are you sure that it doesn't need more and starts swapping?
StephenSykes
Posts: 7
Joined: 18. Jun 2017, 19:49

Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by StephenSykes »

Why only 1 GiB? This VM is mostly used for editing and system builds - no big memory consuming use. 1GiB on Linux for this use seems fine (chalk one up for Linux).

If I were doing something that may seem reasonable - but this just happens - while no activity is on the guest os. I have never seen the guestos even consume swap space.

I'll chalk this up as a possible cause, but low probability; to be checked the next time this happens.
socratis
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Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by socratis »

Oh, boy! I messed up, I confused your host and your guest! :shock:
Sorry about that. And of course the Windows update does not count as an advice. I'll edit my previous message.

But, you're not far behind either ;)
socratis wrote:Follow a "start the VM from cold-boot" ...
00:00:01.306562 Console: Machine state changed to 'Restoring'
Not what I wanted to see. For example I have no clue right now if your Guest Additions are up to date or not, if they're the official ones or not...
00:00:01.336526 File system of 'Q:\Boxes\CentOS 6 DEV\CentOS 6 DEV v1.4-disk1.vmdk' is ntfs
Why a VMDK. Did you get the VM pre-made from somewhere else?
00:00:02.069786 [/Devices/e1000/1/LUN#0/Config/] (level 5)
...
00:00:02.069890 [/Devices/pcnet/0/LUN#0/Config/] (level 5)
Any reason why you have two different NIC types?
00:00:02.069950   MonitorCount     <integer> = 0x0000000000000003 (3)
...
02:11:55.782242 Display::handleDisplayResize: uScreenId=2 pvVRAM=0000000011b93c00 w=1920 h=1080 bpp=32 cbLine=0x5A00 flags=0x1
02:11:55.782264 Display::handleDisplayResize: uScreenId=1 pvVRAM=0000000011b91e00 w=1920 h=1122 bpp=32 cbLine=0x5A00 flags=0x1
02:11:55.782275 Display::handleDisplayResize: uScreenId=0 pvVRAM=0000000011b90000 w=1920 h=1080 bpp=32 cbLine=0x5A00 flags=0x1
That's part of the "non-standard" that I was talking about. Where standard means you create the VM, you don't change anything.

Other than a lot of messages about your screen size, type and depth, I don't see anything out of the ordinary. A couple of suggestions:
  • Disable drag and drop.
  • Drop the monitors to 1.
Post a new log if you see the issue after the suggestions. From a cold start this time ;)
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StephenSykes
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Joined: 18. Jun 2017, 19:49

Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by StephenSykes »

Removing drag and drop and going to one monitor neuters the VM. If the issue is related, I would re-assert .... buuugggggg ..... If OVB proposes multiple monitor and drag and drop, it should do so without randomly consuming 100%+ cpu (again, once it starts, it goes until I close the system).

I got your cold start - but you'd have several days (or a week or more) until you got the reply. You wanted a log with it happening - it happens randomly, out of the blue, every week or so. That's why no cold start. However, I had to fully shut down to get the log, so when it happens again I'll post a new log.

Guest additions are official and up to date.

VMDK is because we use a variety of virtualization products and that's "normal" for us. It's supported, we use it.

I would have to re-look at the nic types - I have a variety of nics, and each is the type OVB recomends for the specific underlying HW ... I sure could have gotten that wrong, but do recall reviewing the HW and NICs and selecting the most appropriate one (there are nics for the OVB network, for a HW ethernet and a HW wireless nic).
socratis
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Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by socratis »

StephenSykes wrote:This has a bug feel ....
StephenSykes wrote:Bugggggggg .........
StephenSykes wrote:I would re-assert .... buuugggggg .....
Fine, it seems that you've made up your mind, so I will be running along now...
For your convenience: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Bugtracker
They *will* ask you for the same information. With a slight time delay...
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StephenSykes
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Joined: 18. Jun 2017, 19:49

Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by StephenSykes »

Stating an opinion is certainly not the same as making up my mind. Note I clearly said I would look at swap when it happened, and post a log when it happened, and responded to each of your comments.

I am saying that neutering the VM so it's no longer useful for development work (removing drag and drop, going to one monitor) is not a good resolution: this is part of the functionality which day to day makes the VM useful. I am also saying if OVB provides the functionality, it should work without consuming a CPU core (+) on the guest OS, and more on the host OS.

Something's not right ...
socratis
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Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by socratis »

Crying "BUG" all the time, without trying to isolate where said "bug" may be coming from, is not going to help you in your endeavor. Even if it's an opinion...
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StephenSykes
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Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by StephenSykes »

Surely I agree. Hence my efforts to clearly define the issue and take any appropriate action to isolate the problem.
PavloM
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Joined: 18. Dec 2014, 10:56

Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by PavloM »

I have very similar issue on my Debian guest

It have 2 cores with 10 GB RAM, and VBoxClient takes about 50% CPU and 5 GB RAM.

What this process do and why for it takes so much? :oops:

PS I will not start new thread and play with logs and versions, as I see this not helps at all. :D
socratis
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Re: 100%+ VBoxClient CPU

Post by socratis »

PavloM wrote:What this process do and why for it takes so much?
Notepad. And Calculator. You are sitting in front of your computer, not me. I can only guess, so I picked two random ones.
PavloM wrote:PS I will not start new thread and play with logs and versions, as I see this not helps at all.
Not willing to "play with logs and versions" is 100% guaranteed not to help you at all. I'll try to remember your username, next time you might have a problem I will not have a look at any of your logs. Guaranteed. Let's see if that will help you then...
Do NOT send me Personal Messages (PMs) for troubleshooting, they are simply deleted.
Do NOT reply with the "QUOTE" button, please use the "POST REPLY", at the bottom of the form.
If you obfuscate any information requested, I will obfuscate my response. These are virtual UUIDs, not real ones.
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