[FFmpeg-user] Advice: Running FFMPEG under VMware, performance tuning, config

[Forrest Aldrich]

We have been running FFMPEG on real-iron hardware for a while; now, 
starting to run it in VMware VMs -- which is a game changer in terms of 
flexibility; however, I have noticed a performance degradation -- which 
I partially expected.

Understanding VMware's scheduler and how it handles CPU bandwidth is key 
- for example, if you have 2 cores and a max CPU speed of 3ghz, the 
speed is divided between the two cores.  So, does that make two cores 
more efficient than one, at full speed?

In any case, we need to expand our use of this tool under virtual 
environments and I'm wondering if some of you more-experienced folks 
might have some tips, advice about how to maximize performance of FFMPEG 
under VMs.   VMware is our primary system, but I am going to take a peek 
at Xen for some development/testing.

Thank you in advance...


Forrest