pveperf

Show CPU and hard disk performance data for the hard disk mounted at /

$ pveperf

pveperf [TEST ...]

full
    Runs all available benchmarks, including disk I/O, CPU, memory/context, and open file limit tests.

io
    Performs sequential disk I/O benchmarks, measuring read and write speeds using a temporary file.

cpu
    Executes CPU-intensive benchmarks, such as SHA-1 hashing and prime number calculations, to assess CPU computational speed.

mconf
    Benchmarks memory access and context switching performance.

openfile
    Checks the system's maximum number of open files limit.

pveperf is a command-line utility designed for Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) hosts. Its primary purpose is to quickly assess the performance of the underlying hardware, specifically focusing on disk I/O and CPU computational speed. It runs a series of simple, built-in benchmarks to provide a baseline performance measurement. These benchmarks include sequential disk write and read tests (using a temporary file) and CPU-intensive operations (like SHA-1 hashing and prime number calculations). The output provides various metrics, such as disk throughput (MB/s) and CPU operations per second. While not a comprehensive benchmarking suite, pveperf is invaluable for a rapid health check, identifying potential hardware bottlenecks, or comparing the performance of different Proxmox hosts or storage configurations within a virtualized environment. It helps ensure the host can adequately support virtual machines and containers.

Results from pveperf are indicative and provide a quick overview, not a comprehensive or highly detailed performance analysis. For in-depth benchmarking, more specialized tools like fio or sysbench are recommended. The disk I/O tests temporarily use a file, which might slightly impact other disk operations during the test run. It's crucial to interpret results in context; a lower score might indicate hardware limitations, but could also be influenced by background processes or specific storage configurations. It is best used for comparative analysis between systems or configurations.

The output of pveperf presents various metrics related to CPU and disk performance. Key indicators include:
CPU BOGOMIPS: A basic CPU speed measurement.
SHA1: Performance of SHA-1 hashing operations, reflecting general CPU integer performance.
PRIME: Speed of prime number calculations, another CPU-intensive metric.
FSYNCS/SEC: The number of file synchronizations per second, crucial for understanding metadata write performance.
HD Write/Read: Sequential disk throughput in Megabytes per second (MB/s) for both write and read operations. These values are derived from tests performed on a temporary file.

Use pveperf for rapid assessment of your Proxmox VE host performance. It is particularly useful for:
- Verifying hardware performance during initial setup or after hardware changes.
- Identifying potential bottlenecks when virtual machines or containers experience performance issues.
- Comparing the performance of different Proxmox hosts or storage configurations.
- As a quick health check after system updates or reboots.

pveperf is an integral utility within the Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) distribution. It was developed specifically to provide Proxmox administrators with a quick and straightforward method to assess the fundamental performance characteristics of their host systems. Its evolution has been intertwined with the development and growth of Proxmox VE, serving as a key diagnostic and health-check tool within the PVE ecosystem.

dd(1), iostat(1), fio(1), sysbench(1), top(1)