As a result, the server and underlying storage experience less I/O overhead to process files, which increases throughput so more data can be processed in less time. Instead of Windows seeing a file existing as multiple pieces with each piece requiring its own dedicated I/O operation, it now sees nice, clean sequential files that only need minimal I/O to process. Essentially, it prevents fragmentation from occurring at the file system level so data is being written sequentially and then read sequentially. Instead, Diskeeper simply makes NTFS smarter about how it writes data, which also speeds subsequent reads. It does not replace the NTFS, nor does it delay writes to perform a coalescing of data. Diskeeper is software that is installed as a filter-level driver within the Windows operating system. Real-Time Fragmentation PreventionĬondusiv believes it has the answer with its new Diskeeper 15 Server solution. To get optimal performance from a physical system connected to a shared storage system, or even a flash array, fragmentation within the file system needs to be addressed so blocks can be written and subsequently read more sequentially. For example, if a segment of data is fragmented into 20 pieces at the logical layer, it now takes 20 input/output operations to access it from the physical layer instead of a single I/O if that data were contiguous. The result of a fragmented logical disk is that the number of IOPS required to support a data request is increased. And the Windows operating system is prone to high levels of fragmentation. Once the volume or LUN is presented to the physical server, its operating system now controls how data is written within that volume.ĭata fragmentation within the file system can reduce performance by as much as 25% or more. While it is true that most shared storage systems do keep the data organized at the physical disk layer between the volumes they manage, they don’t organize the data at the logical disk layer. Do SANs Need Defragmentation?Ī common perception in IT is that fragmentation is not an issue for a shared storage system, because the storage controller combats that automatically. This second group is the target of new Condusiv’s Diskeeper 15 Server, a real-time fragmentation solution for SAN storage connected to physical servers. The second group is servers that are running mission critical applications deemed too risky to virtualize. The first group is servers with software that’s so old no one wants to touch it, and they are just being maintained as long as needed. Those remaining physical servers tend to fall into two groups. That means that most data centers are still 40% physical. While the move to a virtualized data center continues, physical servers still matter! Its true that many organizations are now approaching 60%+ virtualization, few have reached 100%.
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