OpenVPN - CPU Pegged out

[ericl42]

Hello,

I am configuring OpenVPN to act as a SSL tunnel for a remote location. I have OpenVPN1 at our current location acting as a server then OpenVPN2 at the other location that is acting as a client but is also acting as a DHCP server to machines behind it so they are basically connected to the local LAN. Everything is set up fine and I can talk from location A to location B with no problems like everyone is local. I am however having some performance issues. OpenVPN1 CPU is pegged to 100% the entire time I am copying or doing any type of activity through the tunnel. I expect some CPU usage going up but nothing like this. It's really killing my performance. OpenVPN1 is running in ESX right now with 2 gig RAM and 2 procs with unlimited bursting capacity. I am using AES-192 encryption with a 1024 key and udp as the protocol without compression. I have also tried with compression and it didn't make any different. Any idea how I can get my CPU down on OpenVPN1 and my download/upload speeds higher between the tunnel? Thanks.

[ericl42]

Turning down the logging helped boost the throughput a little bit, but I am still fairly shy of where I believe I should be. Also I am still maxed out on the CPU. Does anyone have any ideas? I am really stuck on this. Thanks.