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    Using a hard-disk in a Watchguard Firebox X750e for cache/log storage

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    • S
      Steve Evans
      last edited by

      Thanks to a post HERE by stephenw10 I've realised that my hard disk didn't have DMA enabled.

      [2.1-RELEASE][admin@pfsense]/root(18): atacontrol mode ad1
current mode = PIO4 
[2.1-RELEASE][admin@pfsense]/root(19): atacontrol mode ad1 UDMA6
current mode = UDMA33 
[2.1-RELEASE][admin@pfsense]/root(20): diskinfo -tv /dev/ad1
/dev/ad1
	512         	# sectorsize
	40007761920 	# mediasize in bytes (37G)
	78140160    	# mediasize in sectors
	0           	# stripesize
	0           	# stripeoffset
	77520       	# Cylinders according to firmware.
	16          	# Heads according to firmware.
	63          	# Sectors according to firmware.
	5PV09ZED    	# Disk ident.

Seek times:
	Full stroke:	  250 iter in   7.989798 sec =   31.959 msec
	Half stroke:	  250 iter in   6.254760 sec =   25.019 msec
	Quarter stroke:	  500 iter in   9.845523 sec =   19.691 msec
	Short forward:	  400 iter in   3.577064 sec =    8.943 msec
	Short backward:	  400 iter in   2.471400 sec =    6.179 msec
	Seq outer:	 2048 iter in   0.187117 sec =    0.091 msec
	Seq inner:	 2048 iter in   0.332214 sec =    0.162 msec
Transfer rates:
	outside:       102400 kbytes in   3.476458 sec =    29455 kbytes/sec
	middle:        102400 kbytes in   3.863341 sec =    26506 kbytes/sec
	inside:        102400 kbytes in   5.491517 sec =    18647 kbytes/sec

      Up to six times the speed. I'm happy with that!

      Now to figure out the neatest way to invoke that command on boot. Adding it to startup using shellcmd is the simplest way, but I daresay there's a more appropriate "freebsd" place for it.

      Steve

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      • D
        demco
        last edited by

        @Steve:

        Now to figure out the neatest way to invoke that command on boot. Adding it to startup using shellcmd is the simplest way, but I daresay there's a more appropriate "freebsd" place for it.

        Steve

        Setting these sysctl variables, in loader.conf.local, didn't enable DMA?

        hw.ata.wc="1"
        hw.ata.atapi_dma="1"
        hw.ata.ata_dma="1"

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        • stephenw10S
          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
          last edited by

          Doing that enables DMA globally which includes the CF card. Since the CF-IDE adapter in the firebox doesn't support DMA it will fail to boot with pages of DMA errors.

          Looks like the Shellcmd package is the way to go, no way of selectively enabling DMA per device.
          Have you tried any BIOS DMA settings?

          Steve

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          • S
            Steve Evans
            last edited by

            Hi Steve,

            Indeed, the issue here was that I wanted to selectively enable DMA on the hard disk only.

            No, I've not looked at the BIOS. With a current uptime of 50 days I'm loathed to reboot it to be honest. What BIOS settings are there?

            Steve

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            • stephenw10S
              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
              last edited by

              There are options for dma mode for primary master and slave separately. However those options were originally hidden and they are both set to UDMA disabled by default. Since udma still seems to be available maybe those options are not implemented. Easy test though.

              Steve

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              • S
                sg1
                last edited by

                Now I followed the post (which is exactly what I wanted to do as well) but for whatever reason, I have two /var still mounted.  I have rebooted it a couple of times to see if I can see where it occurs or why, but have not been able to figure it out.  Any suggestions I can check as to why?  Otherwise, it works perfectly.  df -h is below:
                Filesystem          Size    Used  Avail Capacity  Mounted on
                /dev/ufs/pfsense0    442M    379M    28M    93%    /
                devfs                1.0k    1.0k      0B  100%    /dev
                /dev/ufs/cf          49M    1.4M    44M    3%    /cf
                /dev/ad1s1a          36G    10k    33G    0%    /var
                /dev/md0              38M    90k    35M    0%    /tmp
                /dev/md1              57M    17M    35M    33%    /var
                devfs                1.0k    1.0k      0B  100%    /var/dhcpd/dev

                Thanks for any help!

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                • stephenw10S
                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                  last edited by

                  What does your modified rc.embedded look like?
                  You should see the various messages from the modified script in the boot log, are you seeing those? Are they correct?

                  Steve

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                  • S
                    Steve Evans
                    last edited by

                    The memory device /dev/md1 is still being created/mounted so as Stephen says you've got an issue with the startup script.

                    Steve

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                    • S
                      sg1
                      last edited by

                      No.  I see now, that it is incorrect.  I still have the original being mounted due to it.  My question is, where specifically in the original rc.embedded do I change with the Steve's changes as there are other calls in the script that I am not sure are needed or not.  Apologies, just new to the pfsense and Watchguard platforms so I am sure my questions are on the the dumber side….  The original rc.embedded is below:

                      rc.embedded - embedded system specific startup information

                      For pfSense

                      Size of /tmp

                      USE_MFS_TMP_SIZE=/usr/bin/grep use_mfs_tmp_size /cf/conf/config.xml | /usr/bin/cut -f2 -d'>' | /usr/bin/cut -f1 -d'<'

                      if [ ! -z ${USE_MFS_TMP_SIZE} ] && [ ${USE_MFS_TMP_SIZE} -gt 0 ]; then
                              tmpsize="${USE_MFS_TMP_SIZE}m"
                      else
                              tmpsize="40m"
                      fi

                      Size of /var

                      USE_MFS_VAR_SIZE=/usr/bin/grep use_mfs_var_size /cf/conf/config.xml | /usr/bin/                                                                                 cut -f2 -d'>' | /usr/bin/cut -f1 -d'<'
                      if [ ! -z ${USE_MFS_VAR_SIZE} ] && [ ${USE_MFS_VAR_SIZE} -gt 0 ]; then
                              varsize="${USE_MFS_VAR_SIZE}m"
                      else
                              varsize="60m"
                      fi

                      Run some initialization routines

                      [ -f /etc/rc.d/uzip ] && /etc/rc.d/uzip start

                      echo -n "Setting up memory disks…"
                      mdmfs -S -M -s ${tmpsize} md /tmp
                      mdmfs -S -M -s ${varsize} md /var

                      Create some needed directories

                      /bin/mkdir -p /var/db

                      Ensure vi's recover directory is present

                      /bin/mkdir -p /var/tmp/vi.recover/
                      echo " done."

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                      • S
                        Steve Evans
                        last edited by

                        Here is the complete patched /etc/rc.embedded.

                        #!/bin/sh
#
# rc.embedded - embedded system specific startup information
# For pfSense

# Size of /tmp
USE_MFS_TMP_SIZE=`/usr/bin/grep use_mfs_tmp_size /cf/conf/config.xml | /usr/bin/cut -f2 -d'>' | /usr/bin/cut -f1 -d'<'`
if [ ! -z ${USE_MFS_TMP_SIZE} ] && [ ${USE_MFS_TMP_SIZE} -gt 0 ]; then
	tmpsize="${USE_MFS_TMP_SIZE}m"
else
	tmpsize="40m"
fi

# Size of /var
USE_MFS_VAR_SIZE=`/usr/bin/grep use_mfs_var_size /cf/conf/config.xml | /usr/bin/cut -f2 -d'>' | /usr/bin/cut -f1 -d'<'`
if [ ! -z ${USE_MFS_VAR_SIZE} ] && [ ${USE_MFS_VAR_SIZE} -gt 0 ]; then
	varsize="${USE_MFS_VAR_SIZE}m"
else
	varsize="60m"
fi

# Run some initialization routines
[ -f /etc/rc.d/uzip ] && /etc/rc.d/uzip start

echo -n "Setting up memory disks..."
mdmfs -S -M -s ${tmpsize} md /tmp

# If a hard disk is installed then mount that on /var
# otherwise use a ramdisk
harddisk="/dev/ad1s1a"
if [ -c $harddisk ]
then
	echo -n "Using /var physical disk..."
	mount -o noatime $harddisk /var

	# Ensure /var/run is removed on boot before daemons are started
	# It should arguably be a tmpfs, but this works fine
	rm -r /var/run

	# sshd won't start if /var/empty exists on boot
	rm -r /var/empty
else
	echo -n "Using /var memory disk..."
	mdmfs -S -M -s ${varsize} md /var

	# Create some needed directories
	/bin/mkdir -p /var/db

	# Ensure vi's recover directory is present
	/bin/mkdir -p /var/tmp/vi.recover/
fi

echo " done."
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                        • S
                          sg1
                          last edited by

                          Thank you so much Steve!  Works perfectly.  Thanks for your patience….

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                          • A
                            atrocity
                            last edited by

                            only my result of a x5500e with a ide SSD from CWC :

                            /dev/ad1s1a
                                    512            # sectorsize
                                    57872344064    # mediasize in bytes (53G)
                                    113031922      # mediasize in sectors
                                    0              # stripesize
                                    40448          # stripeoffset
                                    112134          # Cylinders according to firmware.
                                    16              # Heads according to firmware.
                                    63              # Sectors according to firmware.
                                    OW140822AS1514144      # Disk ident.

                            Seek times:
                                    Full stroke:      250 iter in  0.040570 sec =    0.162 msec
                                    Half stroke:      250 iter in  0.037379 sec =    0.150 msec
                                    Quarter stroke:  500 iter in  0.125276 sec =    0.251 msec
                                    Short forward:    400 iter in  0.093555 sec =    0.234 msec
                                    Short backward:  400 iter in  0.096201 sec =    0.241 msec
                                    Seq outer:      2048 iter in  0.169674 sec =    0.083 msec
                                    Seq inner:      2048 iter in  0.123082 sec =    0.060 msec
                            Transfer rates:
                                    outside:      102400 kbytes in  1.124830 sec =    91036 kbytes/sec
                                    middle:        102400 kbytes in  1.128009 sec =    90779 kbytes/sec
                                    inside:        102400 kbytes in  1.125042 sec =    91019 kbytes/sec

                            seems that i don't have to tune anything.
                            I will make the same test with a x750e soon, will let you know if somebody is interrested :)
                            Regards

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                            • stephenw10S
                              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                              last edited by

                              What tool are you testing that with? Did you enable TRIM? Be interesting to see how those figures vary over time once you've moved a few gigs across the drive.

                              Steve

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                              • A
                                atrocity
                                last edited by

                                hi,

                                i simply use this :

                                diskinfo -tv /dev/ad1

                                Trim … i did a try to enable it, but our server don't want it.
                                Don't remember the problem or the error, sorry.

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                                • S
                                  Steve Evans
                                  last edited by

                                  Good to see how quick this can run. If my ISP increases speed x5 I may have to get an SSD!

                                  Steve

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                                  • S
                                    Steve Evans
                                    last edited by

                                    Having updated to 2.2 the support for my hard-drive now appears rather worse.

                                    The atacontrol utility which did exactly what I needed has been superseded by camcontrol. This reports that the disk is in polled mode.

                                    $ camcontrol negotiate /dev/ada1 -v 
Current parameters:
(pass1:ata0:0:1:0): ATA mode: PIO4
(pass1:ata0:0:1:0): ATAPI packet length: 0
(pass1:ata0:0:1:0): PIO transaction length: 8192
(pass1:ata0:0:1:0): tagged queueing: disabled
ata0: SIM/HBA version: 1
ata0: supports SDTR message
ata0: scan bus sequentially
ata0: HBA engine count: 0
ata0: maximum target: 1
ata0: maximum LUN: 0
ata0: highest path ID in subsystem: 0
ata0: initiator ID: 0
ata0: SIM vendor: FreeBSD
ata0: HBA vendor: ATA
ata0: HBA vendor ID: 0x8086
ata0: HBA device ID: 0x266f
ata0: HBA subvendor ID: 0x8086
ata0: HBA subdevice ID: 0x266f
ata0: bus ID: 0
ata0: base transfer speed: 3.300MB/sec
ata0: maximum transfer size: 131072 bytes

                                    I should be able to set the disk to UDMA33 mode however, this is what I get.

                                    $ camcontrol negotiate /dev/ada1 -v -U -M UDMA33 -a
User parameters:
(pass1:ata0:0:1:0): ATA mode: UDMA2
(pass1:ata0:0:1:0): ATAPI packet length: 0
(pass1:ata0:0:1:0): PIO transaction length: 131072
(pass1:ata0:0:1:0): tagged queueing: enabled
ata0: SIM/HBA version: 1
ata0: supports SDTR message
ata0: scan bus sequentially
ata0: HBA engine count: 0
ata0: maximum target: 1
ata0: maximum LUN: 0
ata0: highest path ID in subsystem: 0
ata0: initiator ID: 0
ata0: SIM vendor: FreeBSD
ata0: HBA vendor: ATA
ata0: HBA vendor ID: 0x8086
ata0: HBA device ID: 0x266f
ata0: HBA subvendor ID: 0x8086
ata0: HBA subdevice ID: 0x266f
ata0: bus ID: 0
ata0: base transfer speed: 3.300MB/sec
ata0: maximum transfer size: 131072 bytes
Unit is not ready
(pass1:ata0:0:1:0): TEST UNIT READY. CDB: 00 00 00 00 00 00 
(pass1:ata0:0:1:0): CAM status: CCB request was invalid
Test Unit Ready failed

                                    I've tried all manner of variations. Any ideas to get camcontrol to do what a simple

                                    atacontrol mode ad1 UDMA6

                                    would do before?

                                    Thanks,

                                    Steve

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                                    • stephenw10S
                                      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                      last edited by

                                      Haven't you alread set ata0 to PIO4 only though?
                                      The HD and CF are on the same IDE channel right?

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                                      • S
                                        Steve Evans
                                        last edited by

                                        Hi Stephen,

                                        This is what I'm trying to get my head round at the moment, reading the FreeBSD documentation to better understand the nomenclature.

                                        If I boot without specifying

                                        hint.ata.0.mode=PIO4

                                        I see the following on the console

                                        ada0 at ata0 bus 0 scbus0 target 0 lun 0
ada0: <sandisk sdcfh-004g="" hdx="" 6.02=""> CFA-0 device
ada0: Serial Number ABZ042211193008
ada0: 66.700MB/s transfers (UDMA4, PIO 512bytes)
ada0: 3815MB (7813120 512 byte sectors: 16H 63S/T 7751C)
ada0: Previously was known as ad0
ada1 at ata0 bus 0 scbus0 target 1 lun 0
ada1: <st9402115a 3.01=""> ATA-6 device
ada1: Serial Number 5PV09ZED
ada1: 100.000MB/s transfers (UDMA5, PIO 8192bytes)
ada1: 38154MB (78140160 512 byte sectors: 16H 63S/T 16383C)
ada1: Previously was known as ad1</st9402115a></sandisk>

                                        Rather than

                                        ada0 at ata0 bus 0 scbus0 target 0 lun 0
ada0: <sandisk sdcfh-004g="" hdx="" 6.02=""> CFA-0 device
ada0: Serial Number ABZ042211193008
ada0: 16.700MB/s transfers (PIO4, PIO 512bytes)
ada0: 3815MB (7813120 512 byte sectors: 16H 63S/T 7751C)
ada0: Previously was known as ad0
ada1 at ata0 bus 0 scbus0 target 1 lun 0
ada1: <st9402115a 3.01=""> ATA-6 device
ada1: Serial Number 5PV09ZED
ada1: 16.700MB/s transfers (PIO4, PIO 8192bytes)
ada1: 38154MB (78140160 512 byte sectors: 16H 63S/T 16383C)
ada1: Previously was known as ad1</st9402115a></sandisk>

                                        As you point out, this setting affects them both. I've been trying to understand what granularity of control the driver gives me. From the ata man page there's the following which suggests per device control, but I don't currently understand what "specified device" means exactly.

                                        @https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=ata(4)&sektion=:

                                        hint.ata.X.devX.mode
                                            limits the initial ATA mode for the specified device on the specified channel.

                                        hint.ata.X.mode
                                            limits the initial ATA mode for every device on the specified channel.

                                        I'm not sure how the master/slave IDE arrangement maps onto the above. Any pointers much appreciated!

                                        Thanks,

                                        Steve

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                                        • stephenw10S
                                          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                          last edited by

                                          Pretty sure the CF slot is always master if a CF card is in it so I would think it's dev0.

                                          On my test box here which I haven't set loader.conf.local on it will boot if I use:

                                          Hit [Enter] to boot immediately, or any other key for command prompt.
Booting [/boot/kernel/kernel] in 4 seconds...

Type '?' for a list of commands, 'help' for more detailed help.
OK set hint.ata.0.dev0.mode=PIO4
OK boot
Booting...

                                          So I'd say you're good with that.

                                          Steve

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                                          • S
                                            Steve Evans
                                            last edited by

                                            Thank you sir, you're a scholar and a gentleman!  :)

                                            Your suggestion works a treat. I clearly had a bit of a mental block on what "devX" could be. I'd tried "0", but it hadn't occurred to me to used "dev0".  :-[ I'm clearly not familiar enough with FreeBSD naming conventions.

                                            [code]ada0 at ata0 bus 0 scbus0 target 0 lun 0
                                            ada0: <sandisk sdcfh-004g="" hdx="" 6.02="">CFA-0 device
                                            ada0: Serial Number ABZ042211193008
                                            ada0: 16.700MB/s transfers (PIO4, PIO 512bytes)
                                            ada0: 3815MB (7813120 512 byte sectors: 16H 63S/T 7751C)
                                            ada0: Previously was known as ad0
                                            ada1 at ata0 bus 0 scbus0 target 1 lun 0
                                            ada1: <st9402115a 3.01="">ATA-6 device
                                            ada1: Serial Number 5PV09ZED
                                            ada1: 100.000MB/s transfers (UDMA5, PIO 8192bytes)
                                            ada1: 38154MB (78140160 512 byte sectors: 16H 63S/T 16383C)
                                            ada1: Previously was known as ad1

                                            I'm now getting the performance I need for my disk used for logs and caching.

                                            diskinfo -tv /dev/ad1
/dev/ad1
        512             # sectorsize
        40007761920     # mediasize in bytes (37G)
        78140160        # mediasize in sectors
        0               # stripesize
        0               # stripeoffset
        77520           # Cylinders according to firmware.
        16              # Heads according to firmware.
        63              # Sectors according to firmware.
        5PV09ZED        # Disk ident.

Seek times:
        Full stroke:      250 iter in   7.926598 sec =   31.706 msec
        Half stroke:      250 iter in   6.203416 sec =   24.814 msec
        Quarter stroke:   500 iter in   9.877891 sec =   19.756 msec
        Short forward:    400 iter in   3.476113 sec =    8.690 msec
        Short backward:   400 iter in   2.381591 sec =    5.954 msec
        Seq outer:       2048 iter in   0.197696 sec =    0.097 msec
        Seq inner:       2048 iter in   0.179296 sec =    0.088 msec
Transfer rates:
        outside:       102400 kbytes in   3.135350 sec =    32660 kbytes/sec
        middle:        102400 kbytes in   3.745807 sec =    27337 kbytes/sec
        inside:        102400 kbytes in   5.382397 sec =    19025 kbytes/sec

                                            Steve</st9402115a></sandisk>

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