SBC (Single Board Computer) Archives

Well, did it. I finally got Ubuntu 10.04 LTS installed and running on my Net4801 (via PXE netboot install and serial console), and got Lio-Target running on it:

root@net4801:~# cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor       : 0
vendor_id       : Geode by NSC
cpu family      : 5
model           : 9
model name      : Unknown
stepping        : 1
cpu MHz         : 266.670
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 2
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu tsc msr cx8 cmov mmx cxmmx up
bogomips        : 533.34
clflush size    : 32
cache_alignment : 32
address sizes   : 32 bits physical, 32 bits virtual
power management:

root@net4801:~# /etc/init.d/target status
[—————————] TCM/ConfigFS Status [—————————-]
\——> iblock_0
HBA Index: 1 plugin: iblock version: v3.5.3
\——-> lun0
Status: ACTIVATED Execute/Left/Max Queue Depth: 0/32/32 SectorSize: 512 MaxSectors: 240
iBlock device: sdc
Major: 8 Minor: 32 CLAIMED: IBLOCK
udev_path: /dev/sdc

[—————————] LIO-Target Status [—————————-]
\——> iqn.2010.com.digitallyaccurate.net4801:lun0
\——-> tpgt_1 TargetAlias: LIO Target
TPG Status: ENABLED
TPG Network Portals:
\——-> xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3260
TPG Logical Units:
\——-> lun_0/iscsi00 -> target/core/iblock_0/lun0

Target Engine Core ConfigFS Infrastructure v3.5.3 on Linux/i586 on 2.6.32-38-386
Linux-iSCSI.org Target v3.5.3 on Linux/i586 on 2.6.32-38-386
root@net4801:~#

(IP removed from TPG)

Ubuntu is running off the Compact Flash card. There is a hard drive inside the Net4801 which was used as a block device for the iSCSI target, note the net4801 IDE channel only runs UDMA/33. After testing this, I popped in a USB 2.0 PCI card, and attached a 500GB USB drive. Please see a pic below:

Tests:

Writing around 1.6MB/sec (CPU utilization ~40%)

Reading around 2.5MB/sec (CPU utilization ~80%)

Please Note:

The test numbers are not exactly correct due to caching Windows performs.

Well, my Ubuntu Server box running Lio-Target is still running great, and performing perfectly under the continous stress testing I’ve done.

While I’m waiting for a few more days of the stress test to finish, I’m setting up my old Soekris Net4801.

I’m install Ubuntu Server 10.04 TLS on to the Soekris Net4801 via remote PXE netboot. Afterwards I’m going to compile Lio-target 3.4 (kernel 2.6.34) on the device and test out performance of the iSCSI target. It won’t be anything special since the net4801 is so slow, but it’ll be interesting to see for sure.

I’ll also be sticking in a PCI – USB2.0 card inside of the net4801 to get USB2.0 speeds on a removal drive.

After this little experiment I might rip out the cross compiler and build Lio-Target on a Linksys WRT610N if I can to check out the performance on that. I know these little devices have quite a bit of power, gigabit networking, and a single USB 2.0 port built right in!

As promised I’ll be posting more detailed posts in the future once all the fun is done!

The Tech Journal

Lio-Target running on Soekris Net4801

Plans to install Lio-target on a Soekris Net4801