Performance in WinBench 99

Finally, here are data-transfer graphs recorded in WinBench 99:

• Data-transfer graph for a single Fujitsu MBA3073RC disk on the LSI controller

And these are the data-transfer graphs of the RAID arrays built on the Adaptec ASR-5850 controller:

• RAID10, 4 disks
• RAID10, 8 disks
• RAID10, 8 disks minus 1
• RAID5, 4 disks
• RAID5, 8 disks
• RAID5, 8 disks minus 1
• RAID6, 4 disks
• RAID6, 8 disks
• RAID6, 8 disks minus 1
• RAID6, 8 disks minus 2

There are no graphs for the RAID0 arrays because WinBench 99 refused to perform the test on them, issuing an error message. We could not make those arrays pass the test even by reducing the test zone. We do not doubt the controller’s reliability with RAID0 (the many hours of IOMeter tests proved to us that there were no problems), so this must be the benchmark’s fault (it is 10 years old already, by the way).

The following diagram compares the read speeds of the arrays at the beginning and end of the partitions created on them:

The standings are very neat: every array takes its proper place. The data-transfer graphs have few fluctuations of speed, and even the degraded arrays perform steadily. The only disturbing factor is that the 8-disk RAID5 has a long flat stretch in the graph: it looks like 700MBps is an artificial limitation for it. It is a shame we could not record the graphs for the RAID0 arrays.