Excessive CPU usage running multiple XP Guests
Posted: 15. Aug 2011, 19:26
I have been noticing some strange CPU utilization when running multiple virtual (Windows XP) machines on my Ubuntu Server.
The machine specs are:
Memory: 23.6GB
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 950 @ 3.07Ghz
Ubuntu 10.10, Kernel Linux 2.6.35-22-generic, GNOME 2.32.0
VirtualBox: version 4.0.12 r72916
This machine is only used for running VirtualBox guests and it typically runs 6 XP guests at a time (each configured with 2Gb RAM and dynamic disk). What I am noticing is that after loading all 6 guests the CPU utilization in the process monitor shows what you expect (?) which is 0 CPU usage for each guest.
At random intervals in time the usage will start to escalate on 1 virtual and then it seems to "spread" to the others, often using the same amount of CPU usage for each of the 6 virtual machines and other times different usages (even if there are no programs running on the virtuals). As the % rises, the systems become unresponsive and occasionally 1 virtual will Blue Screen and after closing it and reopening the system will stabilise for a while. Running programs on the virtuals can exacerbate the problem once it has started.
At other times it will run all 6 instances without any problems at all. I was originally using VirtualBox 3.2 OSE when the problem first started and upgraded hoping that perhaps it was an issue that had been addressed.
Has anyone else run into this issue? I've attached a couple of screen captures to indicate what System Monitor shows once the system starts "running away".
I am not running the Windows Indexing or Search Service on any of the machines and (currently) do not run antivirus on any of them.
Thanks
William
The machine specs are:
Memory: 23.6GB
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 950 @ 3.07Ghz
Ubuntu 10.10, Kernel Linux 2.6.35-22-generic, GNOME 2.32.0
VirtualBox: version 4.0.12 r72916
This machine is only used for running VirtualBox guests and it typically runs 6 XP guests at a time (each configured with 2Gb RAM and dynamic disk). What I am noticing is that after loading all 6 guests the CPU utilization in the process monitor shows what you expect (?) which is 0 CPU usage for each guest.
At random intervals in time the usage will start to escalate on 1 virtual and then it seems to "spread" to the others, often using the same amount of CPU usage for each of the 6 virtual machines and other times different usages (even if there are no programs running on the virtuals). As the % rises, the systems become unresponsive and occasionally 1 virtual will Blue Screen and after closing it and reopening the system will stabilise for a while. Running programs on the virtuals can exacerbate the problem once it has started.
At other times it will run all 6 instances without any problems at all. I was originally using VirtualBox 3.2 OSE when the problem first started and upgraded hoping that perhaps it was an issue that had been addressed.
Has anyone else run into this issue? I've attached a couple of screen captures to indicate what System Monitor shows once the system starts "running away".
I am not running the Windows Indexing or Search Service on any of the machines and (currently) do not run antivirus on any of them.
Thanks
William