Web-Server, File-Server, Workstation Patterns

This group of tests simulates disk loads typical of servers and workstations. Like the Database pattern, these loads are not relevant for mobile HDDs, so these results are of theoretical interest rather. 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 which are calculated by the following formulas:

Rating (File-Server) = Total I/O (queue=1)/1 + Total I/O (queue=4)/2 + Total I/O (queue=16)/4 + Total I/O (queue=64)/6 + Total I/O (queue=256)/8,

Rating (Web-Server) = Total I/O (queue=1)/1 + Total I/O (queue=4)/1 + Total I/O (queue=16)/2 + Total I/O (queue=64)/4 + Total I/O (queue=256)/6,

Rating (Workstation) = Total I/O (queue=1)/1 + Total I/O (queue=2)/1 + Total I/O (queue=4)/2 + Total I/O (queue=8)/3 + Total I/O (queue=16)/4.

The Samsung-based drive from Transcend wins this test, but the gap from the other 250GB models is very small. The difference between the installed hard disks doesn’t show up here. Interestingly, the Teac drives are slower than the leaders, their eSATA interface being of no help in this test. The high response time of the 4200rpm HDDs affects their results. The HDDs with a storage capacity of 300 gigabytes and USB interface, i.e. the Fujitsu HandyDrive 300GB and the USB-connected Teac HD-15-OTC 300GB, are the worst in this pattern.

This test contains write requests, and the Transcend gives way to the 250GB models based on Fujitsu’s disks. It is followed by the eSATA-connected Teac drives whereas the Fujitsu HandyDrive 300GB and the USB-connected Teac HD-15-OTC 300GB are losers again.

There are two groups with similar results: the USB-connected 250GB models are in the lead, the Transcend being somewhat faster than the others. And the 300GB models together with the eSATA-connected TEAC-HD-15C-OTC are in the slower group.

The standings do not change when we limit the test zone to 32 gigabytes.