Home // International Journal On Advances in Networks and Services, volume 5, numbers 1 and 2, 2012 // View article

Performance Isolation Issues in Network Virtualization in Xen

Authors:
Blazej Adamczyk
Andrzej Chydzinski

Keywords: performance isolation; Xen; virtualization; net- work scheduler

Abstract:
Resource virtualization has been known and used for a while as a mean of better hardware utilization and cost reduction. Recently, the idea of virtualization of net- working resources has become of vital importance to net- working community. Among other things, this is connected with the fact that the virtulization principle is built in many discussed Future Internet architectures. In this study we deal with the virtualization of networking resources offered by Xen virtual machine monitor. We are especially interested in the performance isolation across virtual network adapters. Firstly, we demonstrate several problems with the performance isolation. In particular, the results of a number of experiments in which the activity of one virtual machine influences the network performance of any other are presented. We also examine the fairness, predictability and configurability of the network I/O scheduler in Xen. Secondly, we propose solutions to the problems revealed by our experiments. In particular, we introduce prioritization into Xen Netback driver, add a verification mechanism to the output buffer and discuss possibilities of some other improvements.

Pages: 139 to 148

Copyright: Copyright (c) to authors, 2012. Used with permission.

Publication date: June 30, 2012

Published in: journal

ISSN: 1942-2644