Latest SPC-2 (Storage Performance Council-2) benchmark results chart displaying the top ten in aggregate MBPS(TM) broken down into Large File Processing (LFP), Large Database Query (LDQ) and Video On Demand (VOD) throughput results. One problem with this chart is that it really only shows 4 subsystems: HDS and their OEM partner HP; IBM DS5300 and [...]

The above chart shows the top 12 LRT(tm) (least response time) results for Storage Performance Council’s SPC-1 benchmark. The vertical axis is the LRT in milliseconds (msec.) for the top benchmark runs. As can be seen the two subsystems from TMS (RamSan400 and RamSan320) dominate this category with LRTs significantly less than 2.5msec. IBM DS8300 [...]

SSD and/or SSS (solid state storage) performance is a mystery to most end-users. The technology is inherently asymmetrical, i.e., it reads much faster than it writes. I have written on some of these topics before (STEC’s new MLC drive, Toshiba’s MLC flash, Tape V Disk V SSD V RAM) but the issue is much more [...]

As described more fully in last months SCI’s newsletter, to the left is a chart depicting Exchange Solution Reporting Program (ESRP) results for up to 1000 mailboxes in the database read and write per second category. This top 10 chart is dominated by HP’s new MSA 2000fc G2 product. Microsoft will tell you that ESRP [...]

What is it about storage benchmarks that speaks to me? Is it the fact that they always present new data on current products, that there are always some surprises, or that they always reveal another facet of storage performance. There are some that say benchmarks have lost their way, become too politicized, and as a [...]