Windows Server 2016 VM very slow, crashes with VirtIO

[Robertr]

I have searched all over but not found an answer.
I want to run Windows Server 2016 and I can install if the disk is set to AHCI but it's very slow.
I can install the VirtIO drivers after I've got it running but then it crashes while booting.
If I try to load the drivers while booted from the install DVD so that I can install on the VirtIO Drive it just complains that there are no drivers to be found.
Can this be because they're not signed or something? I can install them from inside Windows after it's installed..

I have given the VM 8 cores (3.33 GHz) but only 8GB of RAM as I haven't gotten the rest yet.
The storage is on a 6 drive RaidZ2. so it really shouldn't be this slow.

 

[dlavigne]

Were you able to resolve this? If not, it is probably worth reporting at bugs.freenas.org.

 

[KrisBee]

@Robertr I don't know what version of FreeNAS your are using, but I seem to remember someting about a recent upgrade to the bhyve firmware in FreeNAs 11.2 which might mean you picked the wrong virtio storage driver from the appropriate separate virtio-win.iso, i.e viostor or vioserial.

 

[Robertr]

I used the viostor, should I use something else?
I just put another CPU in the machine and more memory so will be able to test it more properly now.

 

[KrisBee]

AFAIU the recommendation is to add the necessary virtio drivers from a separate iso when you install windows 2016 server from a DVD image, and not try to convert an AHCI to Virtio disk post install. Just follow the method others have adopted as shown by their posts on the forum. Some people where suggesting that the early virtio-win-0.1.118 drivers should still be used ( https://fedorapeople.org/groups/vir...o/virtio-win-0.1.118-2/virtio-win-0.1.118.iso ).

My previous comment was about the possible choice between these two drivers:

viostor - Virtio block driver
vioscsi - Virtio Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) driver

bhyve may now support the use of the vioscsi driver for virtio disks, but I cannot personally confirm this.

 

[Robertr]

I did try to load the drivers at installation time.
I tried both drivers and different versions of them. Including 0.1.118.
No go.
It seems to be running kinda ok now so I will let it be but I will try some more later when I have even more RAM in the server and time to mess around.

 

[Robertr]

I have played around some more but without success.
No matter if I load viostor at time of installation or after booting into the Windows Installation it crashes windows when loading driver or trying to access the drive for reading or formatting.
Vioscsi does not make the drive visible.
I will try to file a bug report.. have never done that before.