Multi-Threaded Read & Write Patterns

The multi-threaded tests simulate a situation when there are several (from one to four) clients accessing the drive at the same time. The depth of the outgoing request queue is varied from 1 to 8. We’ll discuss diagrams for a request queue of 1, as most representative of real-life operation modes.

The sleeping volcano has woken up, sensing an operation mode common for external HDDs. The WD Passport lets the FireWire-interfaced model win only one subtest (with a single thread). In the other cases the Password is on top. The HD-227U2 is the worst drive here.

The Western Digital is not so good at writing. Taking first place in the single-thread subtest, it retires to last position, leaving the lead to the HD-227FW which confirms again that its interface is better, although less widespread, than USB 2.0.