Cisco HX Bench Guide for Kubernetes Environments

Configure and Run Tests

To test the storage performance in HX Bench complete the steps:

Select the Bench Tests tab and click the Create Test button. The Create page appears, this is the first of three pages that guide you through creating a bench test.

Complete the following fields on the Test Profile page:


Field Name	Description
Test Name field	Type a unique name into the field. The test name is used to associate test parameters and test results into user-defined reports.

Select the desired Profile Type for the named test from the following options:

Table 1. Profile Types
Profile Type	Description
Select Existing	Use an existing profile from the list of available Test Profiles.
Create New	Create a new test. Complete the Vdbench test parameter values to define a new custom test: Test Parameters Read Mix (%): Valid range is 1-100%. The default is 60%. IO Type list: Valid values are Random and Sequential. The default is Random. IO Block Size (KB): Valid range is 0-99. The default is 8. Threads per VM: Value must be greater than 1. The default is 32. Data Set Deduplication (%): Valid range is 0-99%. The default is 50%. Compression (%): Valid range is 0-99%. The default is 50%. Dataset per VM (GB): Value must be greater than 1. The default is 100. Working Set (% of Dataset): Valid range is 0-100%. The default is 100%. Load point and Run Time Select the Load point: Fixed Load (only 100% load point) or Stepwise Load (Initial calibration, 10%, 50%, 75% 90%, 100% load point) Run Time (min): Length of time of the test: Value must be greater than 1
Upload File	Click the Browsebutton to navigate to upload Vdbench test parameters from a file.

Click Next to continue to the Container Group page.

Provide the infrastructure details of the container you want to test, in the Container Group page:

Infrastructure Type

Description

Use Existing Containers

To use the existing infrastructure to run the tests, select the container group name from Container Group list

Create New Containers

To create a new infrastructure, select Create New and complete the following fields:

Container Name: Name of the Container Group.
Total Container Across All Nodes: Total Number of containers. Value must be greater than 1.
Distribute Container Equally: To deploy containers equally across all the nodes then check the box. Otherwise, leave it as unchecked.
Cluster Type:
- HX: If you want to use HX complete the following fields:
  - HX Connect IP: HX Connect IP address.
  - HX Connect Username: HX Connect Username.
  - HX Connect Password: HX Connect Password
- vSphere:If you want to use vSphere complete the following fields:
  - vCenter Connect DNS/IP: vSphere IP address
  - vCenter Connect Username: vSphere Username
  - vCenter Connect Password: vSphere Password

Storage Class:

Existing: To use the existing Storage class, select the desired Storage Class from Storage Class list .

New: Click new to create a new storage class.

Note

To create a new storage class, you must select a data store.

Data Store:

Existing: If you want to create storage class with existing datastore click on fetch datastore button, select the desired datastore from datastore dropdown.

New:(HX support only) If you want to create a new data store then click new and enter the data store name and size.

Note

vSphere does not support creating a new datastore.

Click Start Test to start the test. As the test progresses, it will automatically transition through the following workflow progress pages.


Workflow Page	Description
Preparing Containers	Container group is validated for its availability and reachability.
Priming Containers	Data disk priming is carried out to run the test. The Container group is ready upon the completion of data disk priming. Now, the Vdbench tool is triggered to run the storage performance test using the provided test inputs on the Container group.
Running	Performance metrics are captured and updated as the test progresses.
Completed	When the test is successfully Completed, the status turns green. The fields under Aggregate Test Results are updated.

When the test is successfully Completed, the status turns green and the fields under Load point Averages and Container Average Comparison are updated.
- You can view the Test containers created with the given specifications. You can view the progress in the Status column. View the progress in the Status column. View the Test container created with the given specifications.
- Data disk priming is carried out to run the test.
- The Container is ready upon the completion of data disk priming. The vdbench tool is now triggered to run the storage performance test using the provided test inputs on the container group.
- Performance metrics are updated as the test progresses on the Run Tests page.
- When the test is in progress the Create Container Group button is disabled. The button is enabled after test completes, fails or terminates.

Comparing Test Results

You can perform various comparisons on completed tests by selecting the required test from the list. You can select a minimum of two and a maximum of five tests at a time. To compare completed test proceed as follows:

Procedure

Step 1	Click on the Comparisons tab.
Step 2	Select the tests to be compared from the completed Test Name list. You can select a minimum of two and a maximum of five tests.
Step 3	Use the check boxes to select the test parameters that you want to compare.
Step 4	Turn on the Compare similar tests switch to compare tests with the same test profile. The first test selected is considered the base test, all of the other tests to be compared will have the same run definition and loadpoint as the first test.