Fun with filesystems and virtualization.

gistfile1.txt

=== VirtualBox VM with root device on a ZFS zvol exported through FreeNAS's iSCSI
=== (4 disk RAIDZ2 volume populated with 4 x 2TB Seagate Barracuda 7200 RPM drives)
=== The Mac mini and the FreeNAS have a gigabit connection to one another

smerrill@stash-cache:~$ mysqlslap --auto-generate-sql --concurrency=100 --number-of-queries=10000 --engine=innodb
Benchmark
        Running for engine innodb
        Average number of seconds to run all queries: 13.877 seconds
        Minimum number of seconds to run all queries: 13.877 seconds
        Maximum number of seconds to run all queries: 13.877 seconds
        Number of clients running queries: 100
        Average number of queries per client: 100

=== Exact clone of the same VirtualBox VM with root device as a .vdi file on a local HFS+ drive
=== (upgraded 750 GB, 7200 RPM option)

smerrill@stash-cache:~$ mysqlslap --auto-generate-sql --concurrency=100 --number-of-queries=10000 --engine=innodb
Benchmark
        Running for engine innodb
        Average number of seconds to run all queries: 23.066 seconds
        Minimum number of seconds to run all queries: 23.066 seconds
        Maximum number of seconds to run all queries: 23.066 seconds
        Number of clients running queries: 100
        Average number of queries per client: 100

=== Exact clone of the same VirtualBox VM with root device as a .vdi file on a local ZFS disk
=== (upgraded 750 GB, 7200 RPM option)
=== Sadly, iSCSI still wins, likely because ZEVO for Mac doesn't support zvols, so there's still the overhead of writing to a .vdi

smerrill@stash-cache:~$ mysqlslap --auto-generate-sql --concurrency=100 --number-of-queries=10000 --engine=innodb
Benchmark
        Running for engine innodb
        Average number of seconds to run all queries: 15.143 seconds
        Minimum number of seconds to run all queries: 15.143 seconds
        Maximum number of seconds to run all queries: 15.143 seconds
        Number of clients running queries: 100
        Average number of queries per client: 100

The overall results of this very synthetic benchmark:

• First place: zvol over iSCSI from a simple AMD E-350 FreeNAS
• Close second: .vdi file on a ZEVO ZFS partition
• Distant third: .vdi file on an HFS+ partition