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Modifying BIOS Settings

Modify the advanced settings on the BIOS to improve the performance of the virtualization platform. Table 1 lists the recommended performance-related BIOS configuration options on Kunpeng servers.

Table 1 BIOS performance configuration options

BIOS Configuration Option

Recommended Value

Description

Custom Refresh Rate

Auto

Memory refresh rate. The default value is 32 ms.

Choose Advanced > Memory Config > Custom Refresh Rate.

NUMA

Enable

Whether to enable the NUMA function (the default value is Enable).

Choose Advanced > Memory Config > NUMA.

Stream Write Mode

Allocate share LLC

Stream write mode (the default value is Allocate share LLC).

Choose Advanced > Performance Config > Stream Write Mode.

CPU Prefetching Configuration

Enabled

CPU prefetching configuration (the default value is Enabled).

Choose Advanced > MISC Config > CPU Prefetching Configuration.

SRIOV

Enable

SR-IOV option (the default value is Enable).

Choose Advanced > PCIe Config > SRIOV.

Support Smmu

Enabled

SMMU option (the default value is Enabled).

Choose Advanced > MISC Config > Support Smmu.

Accessing the BIOS

To optimize the BIOS configuration, restart the server and go to the BIOS screen. Otherwise, OS services are interrupted. For details, see "Accessing the BIOS" in TaiShan Server BIOS Parameter Reference (Kunpeng 920 Processor).

Setting the Memory Refresh Rate to Auto

  1. On the BIOS screen, choose Advanced > Memory Config > Custom Refresh Rate.

  2. Set Custom Refresh Rate to Auto and press F10 to save the BIOS settings.

Enabling NUMA

  1. On the BIOS screen, choose Advanced > Memory Config > NUMA.

  2. Set NUMA to Enable and press F10 to save the BIOS settings.

Setting Stream Write Mode

  1. On the BIOS screen, choose Advanced > Performance Config > Stream Write Mode.

  2. Set Stream Write Mode to Allocate share LLC and press F10 to save the BIOS settings.

Enabling CPU Prefetching

After CPU prefetching is enabled, the CPU prefetches the next instruction from the memory into the cache to improve system efficiency.

  • When using lmbench to test the memory bandwidth, you are advised to enable CPU prefetching.
  • When using lmbench to test memory latency, you are advised to disable CPU prefetching.
  1. On the BIOS screen, choose Advanced > MISC Config > CPU Prefetching Configuration.

  2. Set CPU Prefetching Configuration to Enabled and press F10 to save the BIOS settings.

Enabling SR-IOV

  1. On the BIOS screen, choose Advanced > PCIe Config > SRIOV.

  2. Set SRIOV to Enable and press F10 to save the BIOS settings.

Enabling SMMU

The system memory management unit (SMMU) is an important component provided by Kunpeng 920 series processors for implementing virtualization extensions.

  1. On the BIOS screen, choose Advanced > MISC Config > Support Smmu.

  2. Set Support Smmu to Enabled, and press F10 to save the BIOS settings.

If the server has an Avago SAS3408iMR RAID controller card, set Support Smmu in the BIOS to Disabled.

Parent topic: Tuning the Hardware