Subject: [netatalk-admins] netatalk performance

From: "Ron Creamer" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1999 13:09:13 -0500

I have a company here in Boston/Cambridge in the graphic arts field. We
move around a lot of multi-megabyte files every few minutes. Years ago,
when I was sysadmin, I had a lot of our network running Linux, but as we
grew and hired sysadmns, we inevitably went mostly to NT. I'm not
retaking control of our infrastructure and am exploring Linux as a
serious alternative again.

I've set up a test server running the latest RedHat 6.1 release. It is
connected to a nice 100mbit switch in 100mbit/full duplex mode. FTP
tests show an incredible 80 mbit/sec thruput, so I know my hardware is
ok.

My test Mac is a brand new G4 running 8.6, also connected to the switch. On
large file
Finder copies, I'm getting a very respectable 25-30 mbit/second
throughput to an existing NT server running Macintosh File services.

Sure I'd hoped that the new netatalk setup would match or even beat
these speeds, but I'm only getting 2-3 mbit/second throughput from my G4
to the Linux netatalk server. I think I'm doing something wrong, but I
can't tell what it is. If I can come close to my existing NT speeds, I'd
love to tell Bill Gates to take a hike.

If 2-3 mbit/second is all I should expect with Appleshare IP, then just
let me know and don't read any more. Otherwise, I'll try to explain my
configuration.

Red Hat 6.1 (cartman) release
Dual PPro 200, Ultra Wide SCSI 7200 RPM SCSI
100 mbit Intel Pro Adapter
I found and installed the "netatalk-1.4b2+asun2.1.3-6.i386.rpm" rpm I
found, which I assume is the latest.

Config files are in "/etc/atalk"

atalkd.conf:
Only has the following, automatically put there, which is a correct
representation of our zones:
eth0 -phase 2 -net 10-17 -addr 15.137 -zone "HQMacP2" -zone "COLOR"
-zone "DTMac
P2" -zone "HQNT" -zone "HQUnixP2" -zone "HSMacP2" -zone "IMA"

afpd.conf
halloween -tcp -noddp -noguest -loginmesg "Welcome To Linux AFP TCPIP!"
*Note, my thinking here was that perhaps I was using older appletalk,
instead of IP, so I tried to disable the older ddp

config:
# Appletalk configuration
# Change this to increase the maximum number of clients that can
connect:
AFPD_MAX_CLIENTS=30
# Change this to set the machine's atalk name:
ATALK_NAME=`echo ${HOSTNAME}|cut -d. -f1`
# Set which daemons to run:
PAPD_RUN=yes
AFPD_RUN=yes
# Control whether the daemons are started in the background
ATALK_BGROUND=yes

AppleVolumes.defualt:
~ "Home Directory"
/usr/local "Halloween's /usr/local tree"
/tmp "Halloween's tmp dir"

AppleVolumes.system:
*no changes

/etc/services:
It seems to have put the appropriate service ports automatically:
at-rtmp         201/tcp                         # AppleTalk routing
at-rtmp         201/udp
at-nbp          202/tcp                         # AppleTalk name binding

at-nbp          202/udp
at-echo         204/tcp                         # AppleTalk echo
at-echo         204/udp
at-zis          206/tcp                         # AppleTalk zone
information
at-zis          206/udp

afpovertcp      548/tcp                         # AFP over TCP
afpovertcp      548/udp                         # AFP over TCP

Finally, here's an odd behavior:
In the G4 Mac's chooser, I see the server "localhost" shows up in the
HQMacP2 zone (the default zone). I'm not sure if this is because my
Linux box is DHCPd or what. But I've been mounting the
directories/shares by clicking the "Enter tcp/ip address" which is
(edited)  in the chooser and mounting volumes this way.

Thanks

-Ron
617/374-6042
[email-masked]

---

From: Marcus Radich <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999 08:08:50 +1300

Hi.
I set up this type is system every day. I work as a 
prepress/publishing/design consultant.
My best speed to and from a 100baseT netatalk Linux box is 9.4MB/sec 
(measured with Helios Lantest, and Finder copies). This was a IBM 
Netfinity 5000. I use Red Hat 6.0 with k2.2.12.

The closest system to your I have in the field is a Digital Prioris 
PPro 200, Digital/Mylex RAID, Digital 21041-based ethernet card. This 
machine is running k2.2.12 with netatalk 1.4b2+asun2.1.3.
The speed to a Blue G3 is up to 9MB/sec.

I never touch the netatalk config files, I always do the following:
* Install Red Hat 6.0
* Rebuild the k to the latest (currently 2.2.13)
* Get the netatalk source from asun's ftp site (don't use rpm)
* Unpack the tar file and edit the make file to comment out DESDIR=
* Type make install
* Edit the /etc/rc.d/init.d/atalk.init to increase the number of 
users (afpd -c 50)

That's all!!

If atalk doesn't start on reboot, I remove the S79atalk from 
/etc/rc.d/rc5.d/ and add /etc/rc.d/init.d/atalk.init start to the 
bottom of my rc.local.

This is part of a service I call a "NT Upgrade", which boosts the Mac 
studio 2 to 3 times over the same hardware running WinNT. I have over 
20 sites running this way.

Have fun!

>found, which I assume is the latest.

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"Always ask the question, never assume the answer."
		Marcus Radich 1999

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