[Samba] Optimizations for Speed on Gigabit Network

AndyLiebman at aol.com AndyLiebman at aol.com
Tue Nov 4 13:56:33 GMT 2003


Can anyone tell me if the default installation of samba 2.2.8a (on Mandrake 
9.2) will give me the optimum throughput over my Gigabit Network? 

I realize that there are many things that affect throughput on a network 
(like the TCP/IP Receive Window, for instance -- or using a standard MTU of 1500 
versus jumbo frames). But I also want to know if there is anything I can set in 
the smb.conf file that will help me get the best throughput possible. 

My scenario is as follows. I have 6 users on Windows XP machines all running 
a video editing program. All users need to access the same video files on my 
Linux Machine (the files are stored on a fast raid array). 

All users are connected to the Linux machine via Gigabit over copper network 
adapters. I have a gigabit switch that DOES NOT support jumbo frames, so I 
have the use the standard MTU of 1500. 

Most of the time, users are accessing very large files (200 MB to 2 GB in 
size) and opening hundreds of these files at a time to play bits and pieces of 
the video and audio from each file. 

Are there any buffer settings or other settings for SAMBA that will help me 
get the best throughput from the Linux box to the client side, as well as the 
reverse? 

Thanks in advance for the advice. 

Andy Liebman



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