Performance in FC-Test

For this test two 32GB partitions are created on the RAID array and formatted in NTFS and then in FAT32. After that a file-set is created of the hard disk. It is then read from the disk, copied within the same partition and then copied into another partition. The time taken to perform these operations is measured and the speed of the array is calculated. The Windows and Programs file-sets consist of a large number of small files whereas the other three patterns (ISO, MP3, and Install) include a few large files each.

This test produces too much data, so we will only discuss the results of the Install, ISO and Programs patterns in NTFS which illustrate the most characteristic use of the arrays. You can click the following links for the full results:

• FC-Test results, NTFS, RAID0
• FC-Test results, NTFS, RAID10
• FC-Test results, NTFS, RAID5
• FC-Test results, FAT32, RAID0
• FC-Test results, FAT32, RAID10
• FC-Test results, FAT32, RAID5

Let’s discuss the NTFS results first.

Western Digital’s drives are both ahead of the others when creating files on a RAID0 array. They are especially good with small files. The Samsung and Hitachi are also good but are too sensitive to the average file size. The two new products from Seagate are a disappointment. Their higher recording density does not show up, so their firmware obviously needs improvement.

Writing in RAID10 does not differ from writing in RAID0: the standings are the same except that the RE3 has an even bigger advantage over the others.

There are some changes in RAID5. The Hitachi falls out of the leading group and the Samsung is only good with large files. The Seagate 7200.11 performs much better here (but its enterprise counterpart is slower).

It is only with very large files that the HDDs differ much in RAID0 arrays. The three HDDs with higher recording density are all in the lead, the Barracuda 7200.11 being ahead of the RE3.

The Samsung and the Hitachi are alternately in the lead with small and medium-sized files but the higher-density products are ahead with large files, the RE3 obviously reading from both disks in a mirror again.

There is nothing interesting when we switch to RAID5: the HDDs with high-density platters only go ahead with large files.