Web-Server, Fileserver and Workstation Patterns

The HDDs will be tested under loads typical of servers and workstations.

The names of the patterns are self-explanatory. The Workstation pattern is used with the full capacity of the drive as well as with a 32GB partition. The request queue is limited to 32 requests in the Workstation pattern.

The results are presented as performance ratings. For the File-Server and Web-Server patterns the performance rating is the average speed of the drive under every load. For the Workstation pattern we use the following formula:

Rating (Workstation) = Total I/O (queue=1)/1 + Total I/O (queue=2)/2 + Total I/O (queue=4)/4 + Total I/O (queue=8)/8 + Total I/O (queue=16)/16.

• IOMeter: File-Server
• IOMeter: Web-Server
• IOMeter: Workstation
• IOMeter: Workstation, 32GB

Western Digital’s products are beyond competition at short queue depths but then the Hitachi gets close to them thanks to its excellent NCQ algorithms. Interestingly, the firmware of the 500GB Western Digital has got worse in some aspects: the 320GB model goes ahead at long queue depths.

The Samsung is obviously no good for servers with random-read load.

The two HDDs from Western Digital are contesting for top place again. The newer model wins at short queue depths while the 320GB model, at long ones. The Samsung is rather good at short queue depths because this pattern contains write requests, but does not speed up as the queue is getting longer. As a result, it is eventually outperformed by the Hitachi, which was very poor at short queue depths.

Our formula gives higher weights to short queue depths, therefore the 500GB Western Digital has the highest score while the Samsung and Hitachi are almost equals.

The 500GB Western Digital is the best drive for workstations, and the 320GB model actually has no chance here. The Samsung feels good thanks to the large portion of writes in this pattern and nearly catches up with the 320GB Western Digital. The Hitachi fails the test.

We’ve got the same leader when the test zone is limited to a 32GB partition. The 3-platter Hitachi is surprisingly second here.

The performance ratings show the same standings as in the diagrams.