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Avid_Benchmark_Utility_Guide_Feb2022

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tshepo.oliphant
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Avid NEXIS® Benchmark Utility

User’s Guide
February 2022
Legal Notices
Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology, Inc.

This product is subject to the terms and conditions of a software license agreement provided with the software. The product may only be used in
accordance with the license agreement.

This product may be protected by one or more U.S. and non-U.S patents. Details are available at www.avid.com/patents.

This guide is protected by copyright. This guide is for your personal use and may not be reproduced or distributed, in whole or in part, without
permission of Avid. Reasonable care has been taken in preparing this guide; however, it may contain omissions, technical inaccuracies, or typographical
errors. Avid Technology, Inc. disclaims liability for all losses incurred through the use of this document. Product specifications are subject to change
without notice.

Part of the software embedded in this product is gSOAP software.

Portions created by gSOAP are Copyright (C) 2001-2004 Robert A. van Engelen, Genivia inc. All Rights Reserved.

THE SOFTWARE IN THIS PRODUCT WAS IN PART PROVIDED BY GENIVIA INC AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL,
EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR
SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY
WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

The following disclaimer is required by the Independent JPEG Group:


This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.

This Software may contain components licensed under the following conditions:
Copyright (c) 1989 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms are permitted provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are duplicated in all such
forms and that any documentation, advertising materials, and other materials related to such distribution and use acknowledge that the software was
developed by the University of California, Berkeley. The name of the University may not be used to endorse or promote products derived from this
software without specific prior written permission. THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'' AND WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 by Jef Poskanzer.

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the
above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. This
software is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

Copyright 1995, Trinity College Computing Center. Written by David Chappell.

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the
above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. This
software is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

Copyright 1996 Daniel Dardailler.

Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright
notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that the name of
Daniel Dardailler not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software without specific, written prior permission. Daniel
Dardailler makes no representations about the suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

Modifications Copyright 1999 Matt Koss, under the same license as above.

Copyright (c) 1991 by AT&T.

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any purpose without fee is hereby granted, provided that this entire notice is included in
all copies of any software which is or includes a copy or modification of this software and in all copies of the supporting documentation for such
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THIS SOFTWARE IS BEING PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY. IN PARTICULAR, NEITHER THE
AUTHOR NOR AT&T MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND CONCERNING THE MERCHANTABILITY OF
THIS SOFTWARE OR ITS FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

This product includes software developed by the University of California, Berkeley and its contributors.

The following disclaimer is required by Paradigm Matrix:


Portions of this software licensed from Paradigm Matrix.

The following disclaimer is required by Ray Sauers Associates, Inc.:


“Install-It” is licensed from Ray Sauers Associates, Inc. End-User is prohibited from taking any action to derive a source code equivalent of “Install-It,”
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including but not limited to, incidental, direct, indirect, special or consequential Damages including lost profits, or damages resulting from loss of use or
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has been advised, knew or should have known of the possibility of such damages.

2
The following disclaimer is required by Videomedia, Inc.:
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merchantability or its fitness for any particular purpose.”

“This software contains V-LAN ver. 3.0 Command Protocols which communicate with V-LAN ver. 3.0 products developed by Videomedia, Inc. and V-
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The following disclaimer is required by Altura Software, Inc. for the use of its Mac2Win software and Sample Source Code:
©1993–1998 Altura Software, Inc.

The following disclaimer is required by Interplay Entertainment Corp.:


The “Interplay” name is used with the permission of Interplay Entertainment Corp., which bears no responsibility for Avid products.

This product includes portions of the Alloy Look & Feel software from Incors GmbH.

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© DevelopMentor

This product may include the JCifs library, for which the following notice applies:
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directory on the installation CD.

Avid Interplay contains components licensed from LavanTech. These components may only be used as part of and in connection with Avid Interplay.

Trademarks
Avid, the Avid Logo, Avid Everywhere, Avid DNXHD, Avid DNXHR, Avid NEXIS, Avid NEXIS | Cloudspaces, AirSpeed, Eleven, EUCON, Interplay,
iNEWS, ISIS, Mbox, MediaCentral, Media Composer, NewsCutter, Pro Tools, ProSet and RealSet, Maestro, PlayMaker, Sibelius, Symphony, and all
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are the property of their respective owners. For a full list of Avid trademarks, see: http://www.avid.com/US/about-avid/legal-notices/trademarks.

Avid NEXIS Benchmark Utility User’s Guide • Revised February 2022 • This document is distributed by Avid in online (electronic) form only, and is
not available for purchase in printed form.

3
Contents

Using This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2


Who Should Use This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
If You Need Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Accessing the Online Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Avid Training Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chapter 1 Configuring the Avid Benchmark Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Terminology Used in the Benchmark Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Qualified Operating Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Running the Benchmark Utility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Setting Benchmark Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Configuring Benchmark Agent Discovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Configuring Benchmark Agent Destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chapter 2 Configuring and Running Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Suggested Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Creating Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Configuring the Clients to Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Running Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Chapter 3 Viewing Test Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Approximate Bandwidths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Viewing Results in a Browser or Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Changing the Colors in the Results Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Displaying Test Logs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Using This Guide

The Avid NEXIS shared storage network provides a high-performance distributed file system that
contains high-capacity shared media storage for workgroups of connected devices. Unless noted
otherwise, the material in this document applies to the Windows® operating systems.

The documentation describes the features and hardware of all models. Therefore, your system might
n not contain certain features and hardware that are covered in the documentation.

Who Should Use This Guide


This guide is intended for system administrators responsible for the setup and day-to-day
management of an Avid NEXIS shared storage network, as well as for users who need to access
Workspaces on the network. You should have a basic understanding of how to use and manage the
Windows® operating system and you should be familiar with basic workgroup and network concepts.

Symbols and Conventions


Avid documentation uses the following symbols and conventions:

Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action

A note provides important related information, reminders, recommendations,


n and strong suggestions.

A caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to your
c computer or cause you to lose data.

A warning describes an action that could cause you physical harm. Follow
w the guidelines in this document or on the unit itself when handling electrical
equipment.

> This symbol indicates menu commands (and subcommands) in the order you
select them. For example, File > Import means to open the File menu and
then select the Import command.

This symbol indicates a single-step procedure. Multiple arrows in a list


indicate that you perform one of the actions listed.

(Windows), (Windows only), This text indicates that the information applies only to the specified operating
(Macintosh), or (Macintosh system, either Windows or Macintosh OS X.
only)

Bold font Bold font is primarily used in task instructions to identify user interface items
and keyboard sequences.

Italic font Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to indicate variables.

Courier Bold font Courier Bold font identifies text that you type.

Ctrl+key or mouse action Press and hold the first key while you press the last key or perform the mouse
action. For example, Command+Option+C or Ctrl+drag.
If You Need Help

Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action

| (pipe character) The pipe character is used in some Avid product names, such as Interplay |
Production. In this document, the pipe is used in product names when they
are in headings or at their first use in text.

If You Need Help


If you are having trouble using your Avid product:
1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that task in this guide. It is
especially important to check each step of your workflow.
2. Check the latest information that might have become available after the documentation was
published.
New information is in the ReadMe document, available online.
Always check online for the most up-to-date release notes or ReadMe because the online
version is updated whenever new information becomes available. To view the online
versions, visit the Knowledge Base at www.avid.com/US/support.
3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for
maintenance or hardware-related issues.
4. Visit the online Knowledge Base at www.avid.com/US/support. Online services are available 24
hours per day, 7 days per week. Search this online Knowledge Base to find answers, to view
error messages, to access troubleshooting tips, to download updates, and to read or join online
message-board discussions.

Accessing the Online Documentation


The Avid online documentation contains all the product documentation in PDF format. You can
access the documentation from the Avid support site: www.avid.com/US/support.

Avid Training Services


Avid makes lifelong learning, career advancement, and personal development easy and convenient.
Avid understands that the knowledge you need to differentiate yourself is always changing, and Avid
continually updates course content and offers new training delivery methods that accommodate your
pressured and competitive work environment.

For information on courses/schedules, training centers, certifications, courseware, and books, please
visit www.avid.com/support and follow the Training links, or call Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID
(800-949-2843).

3
1 Configuring the Avid Benchmark Utility

The Avid Benchmark Utility checks the connection between Avid NEXIS clients and the Avid shared
storage network.

The Benchmark utility has two components:


• The Benchmark Utility is installed automatically only on Windows clients when you install the
Avid NEXIS client software. The Utility (described in this guide) controls the Agents running on
other Avid NEXIS client systems, and is the interface through which you configure actions
(tests) and view the results reported by the clients.
• The Benchmark Agent is installed automatically on all clients (Windows, macOS, and Linux)
when you install the Avid NEXIS client software. The Agent runs in the background and
communicates with the Utility to receive test instructions and report its results.

Terminology Used in the Benchmark Utility


The Benchmark Utility and this guide use the following terms:
• Action—The test being run on a client
• Destination—The Avid shared storage system, or local storage, to which a client is connected
• Host—A client running the Benchmark Agent in the background

Qualified Operating Systems


See the current Avid NEXIS ReadMe on the Knowledge Base for a list of the supported operating
systems for Avid NEXIS clients.
Running the Benchmark Utility

Running the Benchmark Utility


By default, the Benchmark Agent is automatically installed on any system where the Avid Client
software is installed. The agent is used for reporting the results of the test selected in the utility. If
you customized your Client installation and did not automatically install the Benchmark Agent, you
must install it. See the Avid NEXIS Client Guide for more information.

To run the Benchmark Utility:


1. On a Windows client system, click Start, Avid, Benchmark Utility.
2. If the Windows Security Alert dialog window appears, accept the default settings in the
Windows Firewall window to allow the Benchmark Utility to run.

You can access the Windows Firewall settings through the Windows Control Panel and delete or
n change the setting.

Setting Benchmark Preferences


You can set the following preferences for how the Benchmark Utility behaves.
• Auto Hosts discovery — If checked, the utility automatically discovers the available Benchmark
Agents every time the utility starts.

Auto Hosts Discovery locates agents on the same subnet that this utility is running on and on
n different subnets, if multiple network interfaces with different subnets are configured on the
computer. To locate agents on a different subnet, use the Add Hosts feature; see “Configuring
Benchmark Agent Discovery” on page 7.

• Check hosts on load — Scans the host status when you open a saved benchmark.
• Pre-create I/O sizes (MB) — Sets the I/O size used for pre-creating the file for read tests to 8, 16,
32, 64, or 128 MB.
• Hosts discovery using — Choose between Hostname or IP range. Sets the default discovery type
that is presented when you click the Add Hosts button.
• Results Output — Saves the results of the test run in the utility to the location specified in the
Path text box.
- Path: Specify the location on the local system where you want to save the results. The
default location for Windows systems is
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Avid\BenchmarkUtility\Report
- Auto Zip: If checked, the utility automatically saves and compresses the results in a zipped
file to the specified path.

6
Configuring Benchmark Agent Discovery

• Network — Allows you to specify the system ports used for the network connections and how
long to wait for a connection before timing out.
- Server port: Specify the port to be used on the server; the default is 5017
- Time out (seconds): Specify the amount of time allowed to make a connection with the
server before the utility times out and fails the connection
• Host — Specify the port for communicating over the network:
- TCP port: Specify the TCP port to be used on the client; the default is 5013
- UPD port: Specify the UDP port to be used on the client; the default is 5014

To set the Benchmark Preferences:


1. Open the Benchmark Utility.
2. Click the Display Benchmark Preferences button in the Benchmark Utility window.
The Benchmark Preferences dialog box opens.

3. Select your preferences.


4. Click the green check mark to apply the settings or the red X to close the dialog box without any
changes.

Configuring Benchmark Agent Discovery


The Benchmark Hosts Discovery dialog box searches the network for clients running a Benchmark
Agent.

If you want to run the Benchmark Utility against an Avid NEXIS system in a different subnet, add the
n Avid NEXIS IP address or name to the list of Remote Hosts in the Client Manager. See the Avid Client
Guide for more information.

7
Configuring Benchmark Agent Discovery

To discover Benchmark Agents on the network:


1. Open the Benchmark Utility.
2. Click the Add Hosts button in the Toolbar.
The Benchmark Hosts Discovery dialog box opens.

3. Select the discovery method for finding the Agents from the “Discovered by” pull-down menu.

The Benchmark Utility reports only on clients that have the Benchmark Agent software installed
n (included with the Avid NEXIS client software).

- Hostname — Enter the name of a host computer running the Avid NEXIS Client.
Type “Localhost” to discover the system you are using or enter a single IP address into the
host name field.
- IP Range — Enter the starting and ending IP address range for the Benchmark Agents on the
network.
4. Click “Start Discover.”
The Benchmark Utility searches the network for Benchmark Agents based on the Discovered by
selection. The Host names and IP addresses are displayed in the Discovered Hosts list.

While discovering the clients by IP Range, you can press ESC to stop discovering. Wait a few
n seconds until a clean-up is done before you continue.

5. Click the green check mark to add the hosts to the Configure Hosts panel, or click the red X to
close the dialog box without adding any host.

To clear the Discovered Hosts list:


t Click Clear.

To remove a Host from the Discovered Hosts list:


t Select a Hostname and click Delete.

8
Configuring Benchmark Agent Destinations

Configuring Benchmark Agent Destinations


Benchmark Agent Destinations are the Avid NEXIS shared storage systems to which clients are
connected, or the local or external attached storage a client uses to store media files. You can create
new agent destinations, delete existing agent destinations, and duplicate existing agent destinations.

To create agent destinations:


1. Open the Benchmark Utility.
2. Click the Display Destinations button in the Toolbar.
The Benchmark Destinations dialog box opens.

3. Click Add.
4. Select the Type of destination in the Details panel of the Benchmark Destinations dialog box.
- Local — Selects the local directory on the Benchmark Agent system. You can change this
path by deselecting the predefined path option and specifying a new directory for the
Benchmark Agent to run on the local system. Type a description for this destination in the
Name text box.
- Avid NEXIS — Sets a destination to an Avid NEXIS system and requires you to enter client
user information and a workspace to which the provided user account has read and write
access.
5. Depending on the destination type selected, various user fields are displayed. Select your test
preferences in the Details pane.
- Name — Type a name for the destination that describes the connection
- Path (Local type if “predefined” is unchecked) — Type a directory path where to run the
specified action on the local system

9
Configuring Benchmark Agent Destinations

- Server (Avid NEXIS type) — Type the hostname of the Avid NEXIS System Director to
which you are connecting
- User (Avid NEXIS type) — Enter your Avid NEXIS client user name
- Password (Avid NEXIS type) — Enter your Avid NEXIS client user password
- Workspace (Avid NEXIS type) — Click the Retrieve Workspaces button and select a
Workspace or enter the name of the workspace to which you want to connect. Your user
account must have access privileges to that workspace.

Make sure that your local Avid NEXIS Client can access the Workspaces with the user account.
n
- Use UNC mapping (Avid NEXIS type – Windows only) —Select this option to use UNC
paths to map workspaces instead of drive letters (for example, \\myMachine\
myShareFolder\subfolder).
6. Click the green check mark to apply the settings or the red X to close the dialog box without any
changes.

To duplicate an existing destination:


t Select the destination and click Duplicate.

To remove a destination:
t Select the destination and click Delete.

10
2 Configuring and Running Tests

To test clients, you configure and run Benchmark Actions. The Benchmark Actions dialog box
allows you to create new actions, delete existing actions, and duplicate existing actions.

Suggested Tests
Avid suggests the following tests for different client connection speeds.

Parameter Value for Client Speed:

1 Gb, 2x1 Gb, 1 Gb, 2x1 Gb,


Parameter 10 Gb, 2x10 Gb 40GbE 10 Gb, 2x10 Gb 40GbE

I/O type Read Read Write Write

Outstanding I/Os 4 4 1 1

I/O method Sequential Sequential Sequential Sequential

File size (MB 1024 1024 5120 5120

Transfer size (KB) 32768 65536 32768 65536

Transfer rate (KB/s) Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited

Keep file after test Yes Yes No No

Creating Tests
You can create custom tests, and modify the predefined tests.

To create or edit or tests (actions):


1. Open the Benchmark Utility.
2. Click the Display Actions button in the Toolbar.
The Benchmark Actions dialog box opens. The Unlimited Read and Unlimited Write actions are
predefined for you.
Creating Tests

3. Click Add.
4. Select your test preferences in the Details pane.

The Transfer size should never be higher than the Transfer rate.
n
- Name — Type a name that describes the action.
- I/O type — Read, Write, Read/Write, or Combine
- Outstanding I/Os — Enter the number simultaneous I/Os that are sent from a host at one
time (1 to 20)
- Combine actions (displayed only if I/O Type is Combine) — Select a predefined
combination test (Unlimited Read or Unlimited Write) or create your own.
- I/O method — Random or Sequential
- File size — 1 MB, 0.5 GB, 1 GB, 2 GB, 5 GB, or 10 GB
- Transfer size (KB) — 64 KB, 128 KB, 512 KB, 1 MB, 2 MB, 4 MB, 8 MB, 16 MB, or 32
MB
- Transfer rate (KB/s) — 1 Mb/s, 1 MB/s, 3MB/s, 4 MB/s, 8 MB/s, or Unlimited
- I/O Read percentage (displayed only if I/O Type is Read/Write) — Enter a value from 0 to
100 (default is 50)
5. Click the green check mark to apply the settings or the red X to close the dialog box without any
changes.

To duplicate an existing text:


t Select the test (action) and click Duplicate.

12
Configuring the Clients to Test

To remove a test:
t Select the test (action) and click Delete.

Configuring the Clients to Test


You must specify the client or clients you want to test, and which tests to run on those clients.

To configure a client:
1. Open the Benchmark Utility.
2. Add hosts manually (if not already discovered or if auto discovery is disabled in the preferences,
see “Setting Benchmark Preferences” on page 6).
3. Select the agents to be configured from the Configure Hosts panel.
4. Click Configure Selected Hosts in the Configure Hosts panel.
The Benchmark Configuration dialog box opens.

5. In the Destination pane, select a destination you want to test. To add destinations, see
“Configuring Benchmark Agent Destinations” on page 9.
To edit the a Destination name, click the Display Destinations button next to the Name drop-
down menu to open and edit the Destinations.
6. In the Action pane, select the type of test you want to run. To add Actions, see “Creating Tests”
on page 11.
To edit an Action name, click the Display Actions button next to the Name drop-down menu to
open and edit the Action.
7. Click the green check mark to apply the settings or the red X to close the dialog box without any
changes.

13
Running Tests

Running Tests
The following procedure describes how to run tests.

To start a test:
1. Open the Benchmark Utility.
2. Selected one or more hosts from the Configure Hosts panel.
Click the “Select all hosts” button to select all the Hostnames.
3. Enable selected hosts from the Configure Hosts panel.
4. Select how long the tests will run (1, 2, 5, 10, 30, or 60 minutes).
5. (Option) Click the Loop check box to repeat the test indefinitely. When you select this option,
the test proceeds until you press the Stop button.

6. Click Run.
If no hosts are enabled, this button is disabled.
The test runs for the specified duration and then stops automatically. The elapsed time a test has
been running and the remaining time are displayed in the Control area. If you selected the Loop
option, the test runs indefinitely.

To stop a test:
t Click Stop.
If no actions are running, this button is disabled.

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3 Viewing Test Results

You can display the results for a specific host (client) or select All to see the aggregate of the hosts.
The Hosts drop-down menu controls which set of data to display on the graph. The graph of results
over time can help obtain information about system performance. This section provides information
to help you interpret test results displayed in the Results panel.

The following display is a normal unlimited read/write profile for an Avid NEXIS client.

Look for the following:


• Trends: Does the system perform at a consistent rate over time? Is there an upward or downward
trend in performance measured over time? If you notice a trend, it might be helpful to perform
testing over a longer period of time to determine if the trend continues over longer durations or if
a recurring pattern emerges.
It is normal for the maximum read bandwidth to be greater than maximum write bandwidth.
• Patterns: Is there a momentary drop in performance that occurs at consistent or varied intervals?
Patterns can emerge as a result of implementation details and the configuration of a particular
system (for example, caching strategies or physical memory), or they might indicate a load on a
system that is occurring periodically.
• Changes in performance as load varies: What occurs when a subsystem is placed under a load by
other users (or Benchmark Utility is running on another client)? It might be easier to observe
these interactions by inspecting the plot of performance results over time.

Average Rate Calculation

The average data rate is calculated over the duration of the test. This calculation includes the time the
utility requires to open and to close the test files, so the test file size (which you can configure for
custom tests) can affect the overall measured throughput.
Approximate Bandwidths

Also, if the throughput is slow as the test is starting, this might be reflected in the average rate. For
example, if the target bandwidth is 4.0 MB/s, the actual average rate calculated at the conclusion of
the test might be 3.98 or 3.99 MB/s.

Measurement Strategy

Throughput measurements are plotted periodically (every n seconds) and represent a snapshot of
performance at the time of the plot. This is done to limit the amount of data that is plotted, which
otherwise could include a very large number of data points. As a result, the performance graph could
miss a momentary drop or increase or a peak in performance that occurs between plot points. The
average rate calculation reflects the impact of such a dip or spike, even if the actual size of a
momentary variation does not appear in the graph.

Test Result Interpretation

If your results fall below optimal performance, check whether your bandwidth is limited. You can
use the Management Console to check your user bandwidth and device bandwidth (see the
Avid NEXIS Administration Guide). If your bandwidth requirements are greater than the reservations
set in the Management Console, your Avid administrator can adjust the limits.

These results represent guidelines for Avid-qualified systems; performance on your system might
vary.

Approximate Bandwidths
The following table lists the approximate bandwidths for client connections to a single Avid NEXIS
Engine.

Bandwidth (MBytes/sec)

Workload Network Windows 10 macOS Linux

Read 1x1GbE 110 110 111

2x1GbE 220 220 Not supported

1x10GbE 930 1040 909

2x10GbE 2012 2024 Not supported

1x40GbE 4475 4486a 3127

Write 1x1GbE 108 109 112

2x1GbE 212 215 Not supported

1x10GbE 964 846 912

2x10GbE 2000 2230 Not supported

1x40GbE 4470 2755 3322

a. macOS client with Thunderbolt 3 adapter

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Viewing Results in a Browser or Graph

Viewing Results in a Browser or Graph


The Results panel provides the following buttons for displaying the results, explaining the graph
lines, and linking you to the saved results files.

To view the test results in a browser window:


t Click the Display results summary button.
A browser opens to display the summary report, as shown below.

To open the Benchmark Results folder:


t Click the Display results folder button.

To view a legend for the graphs:


t Click the Show/Hide the graph legend button.
The graph legend is displayed.

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Changing the Colors in the Results Panel

Changing the Colors in the Results Panel


You can customize the color, style, and thickness (width) of the lines in the results graphs, and what
test results are displayed.

Not all results are visible by default and different tests have different result categories. For example,
the read tests do not have results in the write category. When the Hide check box is checked, the
results are not displayed in the graph. The default line style is a solid line and the width is set to 3.
The following table lists all the possible results and whether they are displayed by default.

Test Name Visible by Default Test Name Visible by Default

Current Read Rate Yes Minimum Read Time No

Current Write Rate Yes Maximum Read Time Yes

Average Read Rate Yes Average Read Time No

Average Write Rate Yes Minimum Write Time No

Errors Count No Maximum Write Time Yes

Current IO Count Per Sec No Average Write Time No

To change the Graphic Properties:


1. Do one of the following:
t To change the properties for the whole graph, right-click in the Results panel and select
Properties (Ctrl-Alt-P) to open the Graph Properties dialog box.
t To change the properties for a specific line in the graph, double-click it to open a dialog box
for the selected line.

The Graph Properties dialog box opens.

18
Displaying Test Logs

2. Select your preferences in the Graph Properties dialog box:


- Double-click the color block to open the color panel.
- Select a line style.
- Select the line width from 1 to 10.
- Click the Hide check box to hide the line in the graph.

When the Hide check box is checked, you cannot change the line color, line style and line width.
n
- Click the revert arrow to revert the setting back to the defaults.
3. Click the green check mark to apply the settings or the red X to close the dialog box without any
changes.

Displaying Test Logs


The Benchmark Utility displays the test logs in the bottom panel. The Logs are recorded any time a
test is run and includes information, errors, and other mechanical messaging.

You can view the current log in the Log View section of the Benchmark Utility window. The log file
is automatically deleted and a new one is started every time you open the Benchmark Utility. You can
save a copy of the log or the log for the current work session.

All logs are cleared when you exit the Benchmark Utility, but Results are saved to the path specified
in preferences.

By default, the logs are saved in


C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Avid\BenchmarkUtility\logs.

To view data in the logs:


1. Open the Benchmark Utility.
If the Log View area is not displayed, click the Show/Hide Log View button to display the panel.
The Log View area is the bottom section of the Benchmark Utility window. You can sort the list
in the window by clicking the headings at the top of the Log View panel. Click the blue arrow to
sort the fields in ascending or descending order.

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Displaying Test Logs

To save a copy of the Benchmark Utility log:


1. Click the Save all log messages to a file button.
2. Navigate to the folder where you want to save the log.
3. Type a name for file and save it.

To clear the log data in the Log View panel:


t Click the Clear all log messages button.

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