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Re: [OM] OT--Favorite Defrag Program?

Subject: Re: [OM] OT--Favorite Defrag Program?
From: "Jim Nichols" <jhnichols@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:33:47 -0500
Hi Chuck,

With modern, large drives, I have seen no improvements in the rare occasions 
I have run a defrag program.  And, with the increase in drive capacities, it 
would take forever to complete a defrag effort.  I agree, snake oil!

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chuck Norcutt" <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Olympus Camera Discussion" <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 2:25 PM
Subject: Re: [OM] OT--Favorite Defrag Program?


> Linear velocity is only relevant to CDs, DVDs, etc.  AFAIK, hard drives
> still use constant angular velocity and data content is the same on all
> tracks/cylinders.  While it would be smart to put frequently accessed
> data on adjacent cylinders, apart from some OS files (which may already
> be optimally positioned), a static defragger app has no way of knowing
> disc access patterns and thus no way of knowing what is optimal.
>
> In the older world of FAT16 and FAT32 the directory is stored on the
> outer tracks.  Since the directory is frequently accessed it probably
> makes some sense to locate frequently accessed (small) files toward the
> outside (assuming you know what they are).  However, more modern file
> systems locate the directory structure toward the center in order to
> minimize total head movement during directory searches.
>
> I would still maintain that defragger vendors perhaps used to have a
> valid PC marketplace that ended with OS/2 (HPFS) and Win NT (NTFS).  But
> today I suspect most are selling snake oil.
>
> Chuck Norcutt
>
>
> On 8/14/2012 1:14 PM, usher99@xxxxxxx wrote:
>> Dr. Disk writes:
>>> If defragmentation made a
>>> significant performance difference I would say that your file system
>> is
>>> probably FAT32 (vs NTFS) and your disk must have been near full at
>> some
>>> point.  If that's not correct I'd like to know.
>>
>>
>>
>> Hmm, I am not a computer engineer but isn't the data transfer rate
>> higher on the outside part of the platter?
>> The angular velocity is the same of course but the linear velocity is
>> much higher towards the outside.
>> Having the head find the most used files and applications there w/o
>> moving around would suggest
>> better performance in at least two ways.  I think in the past people
>> would create a partition on the outside and not used the inner one much
>> at all---"short-stroking" I think it was/is called.  So this is less
>> relevant now?
>>
>>
>> Fragmented understanding of this now, Mike
>>
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