Quick summary: - 7200rpm desktop hard drives are faster than 5400rpm laptop hard drives - Write caching appears to be on by default with modern hard drives on recent versions of Linux and NetBSD. - Switching it off really hurts, moreso in the BSD case (perhaps the I/O scheduler assumes I have a Vax or something) - Glibc really really sucks for character I/O - Ricerfs isn't any faster than filesystems designed in the 1970s ------------------------------------------------------------------------ kant: Pentium M 1.5GHz Fujitsu MHT2080AH 80gb 5400rpm Linux 2.6.12-rc3, reiserfs, anticipatory scheduler (?) Write caching at default (on?) Version 1.03 ------Sequential Output------ --Sequential Input- --Random- -Per Chr- --Block-- -Rewrite- -Per Chr- --Block-- --Seeks-- Machine Size K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP /sec %CP kant 2G 21659 80 28709 11 11198 4 21389 72 27501 4 108.0 0 ------Sequential Create------ --------Random Create-------- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- files /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP 16 24066 100 +++++ +++ 20972 99 19366 89 +++++ +++ 18981 99 kant,2G,21659,80,28709,11,11198,4,21389,72,27501,4,108.0,0,16,24066,100,+++++,+++,20972,99,19366,89,+++++,+++,18981,99 Write caching off Version 1.03 ------Sequential Output------ --Sequential Input- --Random- -Per Chr- --Block-- -Rewrite- -Per Chr- --Block-- --Seeks-- Machine Size K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP /sec %CP kant 2G 8996 33 7962 2 6349 2 18128 58 25448 4 100.3 0 ------Sequential Create------ --------Random Create-------- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- files /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP 16 20503 83 28921 6 13260 64 23202 99 +++++ +++ 18889 100 kant,2G,8996,33,7962,2,6349,2,18128,58,25448,4,100.3,0,16,20503,83,28921,6,13260,64,23202,99,+++++,+++,18889,100 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ erdos: Athlon XP 2.09GHz Seagate Barracuda IV 60GB 7200rpm NetBSD 3.0_BETA, ufs2+softdeps+dirhash Write caching on (default) Version 1.03 ------Sequential Output------ --Sequential Input- --Random- -Per Chr- --Block-- -Rewrite- -Per Chr- --Block-- --Seeks-- Machine Size K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP /sec %CP erdos.patrick.wa 2G 34754 29 35082 8 6633 1 36390 46 36433 7 125.4 0 ------Sequential Create------ --------Random Create-------- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- files /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP 16 31203 38 +++++ +++ +++++ +++ 7138 11 +++++ +++ +++++ +++ erdos.patrick.wattle.id.au,2G,34754,29,35082,8,6633,1,36390,46,36433,7,125.4,0,16,31203,38,+++++,+++,+++++,+++,7138,11,+++++,+++,+++++,+++ Write caching off Version 1.03 ------Sequential Output------ --Sequential Input- --Random- -Per Chr- --Block-- -Rewrite- -Per Chr- --Block-- --Seeks-- Machine Size K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP K/sec %CP /sec %CP erdos.patrick.wa 2G 6166 5 6313 1 4787 1 36543 46 36598 7 126.6 0 ------Sequential Create------ --------Random Create-------- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- -Create-- --Read--- -Delete-- files /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP /sec %CP 16 965 1 +++++ +++ +++++ +++ 800 1 +++++ +++ +++++ +++ erdos.patrick.wattle.id.au,2G,6166,5,6313,1,4787,1,36543,46,36598,7,126.6,0,16,965,1,+++++,+++,+++++,+++,800,1,+++++,+++,+++++,+++ ------------------------------------------------------------------------