2 or more cpu ubuntu crash

[mihlub]

system spec:
cpu=i7 920 4-cores @ 2.66ghz.
mb=super micro
ram= 12gb
main os=win7 rc64bit
guest ubuntu 9.04 i386 32bit + all latest patches
virtualbox 3.0.4

prior to 3.0 came out i use ver 2.1.4 and 2.2.2 they are very stable.
when 3.0 showedup with lots of cool features. i installed it and ran into issues ever since. thanks to this forum i had many issues resolved.

here is my new issue with 3.0.4

i have a little linux mmo-rpg server that spawn lots of threads.. i was hoping the 3.0 feature to allow multiple virtual cpu would help. 3.0 and 3.0.2 is unusable so i can not test it there. 3.0.4 is much more stable i was able to use it. the problem is whenever i assign more than 1 cpu to the virtual machine, the mmorpg server would not start. one of the daemon (service) will fail to start. drop back to only 1 virtual-cpu and the server start fine.

initially i was thinking its the mmo-rpg server software issue only. not until i ran to more crashing issues in ubuntu that i finally realized it is not the mmo server software issue. to share personal data on both windows and ubuntu i use truecrypt to encrypt my files. i hope to maximize my quad-core cpu, i created a vm as:
-4 cpus with amd/intel vt enable
-4 gb ram
ubuntu 9.04 32bit

with this setup the vm will mostly likely crash when i use ruecrypt volume by just transfer large files between 1 or 2 truecrypt volume(s). it will also crash sometime too if i just play an flv music vdo. after several days of this crashing problem i was thinking it could be ubuntu 9.04 that is misbehaving. i then install 8.10. It seems to work a little longer but nonetheless it crash just as 9.04 by this time it reminded me of my mmo server problem. i drop the virtual cpu to just ONE AND AGAIN THE CRASH GOES AWAY...


lesson learnt: DO NOT USE MORE THAN ONE VIRTUAL CPU. THE BEST YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE CPU IN VB NOW IS TO ENABLE VT BOTH IN YOUR MB BIOS AND IN VM PROFILE.

[vbox4me2]

There seem to be a trent with more then 1 core, I'd be patient for the next release, smp stability varies between cpu/boards.

[SSCBrian]

Perhaps it's due to using Windows 7 RC as the host? I'm running Ubuntu 9.04 setup with 2 CPU under my Vista x64 host and haven't had a single crash yet. Do you have another box to test your application with that has a different host OS?

[vbox4me2]

I only test with xp64 as Host, this one does have some kernal/tcpip adjustements and w3k-64 components to get better then esx like server performance.

[mihlub]

here is my followup testing...

droping the number of virtual CPU to 1 help stabilized 3.0.4 much more but crash does still occurred in ubuntu 9.04 guess, it just take longer for the crash to occur. with 2 cpu it take not much time to crash it. i ran xp and win 7rc guesses on this same host and they seemed to be much more stable. but nonetheless it crash too.. only takes longer and more cpu intensive application to crash it. i have no other host to test so only win7 rc is the only host so far.


updates seem to come once every month since 3.0 release so i hope this sept release will help out.

--cheer for vb keep up the patches.

[mihlub]

just an update for anyone interested in this topic: this months release 3.0.6 show the bug/crash is still there. i have verified it on ubuntu 9.04, i have not try windows 7 on it yet.

thanks and hope for the best on next patch

[spyridos]

Hello,

I am facing a somewhat similar situation with 3.0.6 running Vista Ultimate as Host and an Ubuntu Server VM as guest. With more than 1 Vcpus at some point ( happens more often on heavy HOST load ( ! )) the virtual machine "eats" both cpu cores with 100% utilisation and becomes unusable ( while slowing down the host considerably ). If I switch back to one VCpu everything works fine.

Since it's a single threaded application I am running in the VM ( crunching numbers) my guess is that this is somehow related to cpu affinity.

Mihlub do you get 100% Cpu utilisation as well when the VM crushes ?

[SSCBrian]

just an update for anyone interested in this topic: this months release 3.0.6 show the bug/crash is still there. i have verified it on ubuntu 9.04, i have not try windows 7 on it yet.

Windows 7 w/SMP enabled is working fine on my Vista x64 host with VBox 3.0.6 so far.

[SSCBrian]

just an update for anyone interested in this topic: this months release 3.0.6 show the bug/crash is still there. i have verified it on ubuntu 9.04, i have not try windows 7 on it yet.

Windows 7 w/SMP enabled is working fine on my Vista x64 host with VBox 3.0.6 so far.

Argh, it had been working fine (ever since 3.0.6) came out, until right after I posted that! It now puts all my cores to 100% if more than one processor is enabled. Definitely still an issue with more than just Linux. I almost hate to post this, but Solaris continues to work fine with 2 cores assigned...

[mihlub]

for those who still follow it this far. i decided to install ubuntu 904-64bits as my host. it turn out virtualbox 3.0.6 is not any more stable then in win7rc64bit -- in the case of 2+ virtual cpu inside the vm guest. in some case it even run worst in cpu performance in regarding to virtualbox with 1 virtual cpu. i test this with an ubuntu 904 guest running my little mmorpg game server. in loading the mmorpg server inside ubuntu host the vm cpu would hit over 99% a few times while the highiest cpu under win7rc host is at the most 40% of course this cpu usage is indicated inside the vm and not the cpu usage on the host. while in ubuntu host the vm would be stuttered when the cpu hit over 99%. while this stuttered behavoir is not occuring in win7rc host. as much as i like ubuntu for peace of mind about media playback system, internet browsing without worying muc h about virus/trojan etc... it lack a few keys component i am looking for in a high-end desktop. no dx games. until virtualization in vb or vmware can fully function with dx games inside the vm, windows will probably remain my primary desktop-workstation.

thanks.

[The Pixel Developer]

Hi,

I had this problem so I reported the bug the other day.

http://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/5068

You should post your logs when the crash occurs so the staff have some information.

-Mathew

[mihlub]

just fyi and update : guest smp still crash in 3.0.8 just as it would in previouse version.

[mihlub]

i tried 3.0.10 today. the changelog says improve guest smp stability. it seem more stable but not entirely eliminate smp crashed.

[Stu Redman]

Host: Win7 64 Intel Quad Core
Guest: Ubuntu 64
Test case: make -j4 (so it uses 4 cores) of aMule

This hang or crashed reliably with 3.0.8. I got hangs, gcc crashes and Ubuntu crashes.
With 3.0.10 it just worked fine. Great job!

[mihlub]

crash still happen in 3.0.12 just an fyi.