optimizing kvm linux io/net performance

Start reading optimization tips from ibm and from main linux-kvm site
http://wiki.libvirt.org/page/Virtio

User kernel > 3.0.0 (for me dist upgrade from debian stable -> testing)

Start the vm with virtio for disk and cache=writeback
http://www.linux-kvm.org/page/Tuning_KVM
http://learnitwithme.com/?p=198
Mount ext3 with noatime and datawriteback

sudo tune2fs -l /dev/disk/by-label/ROOT | grep "mount options"
Default mount options:    journal_data_writeback
sudo tune2fs -o journal_data_writeback /dev/vda
and add it to the boot time

http://blog.smartlogicsolutions.com/2009/06/04/mount-options-to-improve-ext4-file-system-performance/


improve throughoutput using the deadline scheduler (you will have more bandwidth but latency will be worse for users and other apps)

echo deadline > /sys/block/vda/queue/scheduler