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Hard Drives Essay Research Paper Hard Drives

Hard Drives Essay, Research Paper


Hard Drives In this day and age of faster computers and high-speed processors,


it should only stand to reason that hard drives meet the same requirements as


the rest of the computer technology world. A technological look and some tips on


maintaining or troubleshooting hard drives is included below. By keeping up with


the standard of needs of the industry we can be assured that our personal


computers will have all the necessary space and the ability to access and save


the data as required and in an efficient manner. The new DiamondMax? Plus 40


series from Maxtor can unleash your computer power with advanced technology and


performance. Available in capacities up to 40 GB, these 7,200 RPM drives include


Maxtor’s unique DualWave? twin processor technology for a 10x boost in host


command processing speed. Coupled with 2 MB of high speed 100 MHz SDRAM for the


cache buffer and an UltraDMA 66 interface, give our DualWave-equipped hard


drives superior benchmark performance and maximum throughput. As a result,


they’re an ideal choice for consumers working with large files, including audio


and video applications. No matter how demanding your application, the new


DiamondMax Plus 40 series delivers the ultimate in performance and capacity.


With the popularity of multimedia, Internet and audio/video applications, more


performance is demanded from desktop PC systems than ever before. System vendors


are looking at all sub-components, including hard drives, as critical elements


in increasing system speed and performance. As we go forward every part of the


system will be called upon to improve throughput. The hard drive is a critical


element in system performance, influencing how fast windows or Mac OS boots, how


quickly applications launch, and the speed of loading large data or graphics


files. Any operation that involves moving large amounts of information on or off


the disk will reveal the importance of a high-performance hard drive. Many top


PC manufacturers are expanding the use of 7200 RPM drives across all platforms


and market segments. The performance achieved by 7200 RPM IDE drives also have


made these drives a viable alternative to SCSI in traditional SCSI applications


such as server and entry-level RAID. According to analysts at IDC, total


worldwide shipments of 7200 RPM IDE drives is expected to be 16% of all IDE


drives by the end of this year. This number is expected to be approximately 75%


by the year 2002. The newly introduced DiamondMax? Plus 40 hard drives feature


a 7200 RPM rotational speed along with other performance-enhancing features that


generate faster overall system response times and performance. A Viable


Alternative to SCSI,IDE 7200 RPM drives have made their way into the


storage-intensive environment of graphic and video applications. The ability to


achieve fast-sustained throughput is essential in high-end graphics and digital


video content creation. 7200 RPM drives establish a new price/performance ratio


in the professional graphic and digital video marketplace when compared to the


SCSI alternative. Maxtor’s 7200 RPM IDE drives incorporate a larger buffer to


provide high-sustained data transfer rates that are important when working with


large files such as multimedia and video. Maxtor is a leader in caching


technology, employing sophisticated algorithms similar to those found in


high-end SCSI drives. Maxtor’s drives feature a 2 MB cache buffer incorporating


a high-speed 100 MHz SDRAM memory, the same sort of memory found on today’s high


performance systems. Maxtor’s 7200 RPM drives were the first IDE drives to be


featured in a RAID level 5 configuration in an uncompressed nonlinear video


editing system. The drive’s high storage capacity, reliability and performance


are well suited for this application. RAID level 5 provides protection against


drive failures because in the event of a failure, the drive can be replaced


without loss of data. This is especially critical in the video editing process,


where 1 GB of storage typically holds approximately 1 minute of uncompressed


video. The new DiamondMax Plus 40 drives include Maxtor’s MaxSafe and ShockBlock


reliability feature set for added protection against surface scan errors and


shock and handling damage. This reliability set, when incorporated into a RAID


level 5 configuration provides users in this market with unsurpassed protection


against drive failures and potential loss from expensive downtime and data loss.


The editorial community is taking notice of the SCSI-level performance that is


achieved by today’s 7200 RPM IDE drives. In a recent product evaluation of


Maxtor’s 7200 RPM drive published at Winmag.com, the reviewers tested the


drive’s performance using an internally-developed benchmark. The results were


impressive. In the copy test, the drive copied at 3.29 MB/sec., surpassing the


results of a competitive SCSI-2 LVD drive. Maxtor’s DiamondMax Plus 7200 RPM IDE


drives are approximately 25% faster on copy speed than a competing SCSI drive!


7200 RPM Drives Improve Overall System Performance High-performance drives


improve performance in several ways. The first is evident in the WinBench


measurement, a popular means of evaluating system performance. In WinBench, a


variety of popular applications are simulated and overall execution time


measured. A weighting factor is applied to the execution time for each


application package. Measurements have shown that 7200 RPM drives improve


WinBench scores approximately 20% over equivalent capacity 5400 RPM drives.


Considering that WinBench is a measure of overall system throughput, as opposed


to just drive throughput, this is an impressive result. Random throughput,


especially important in database or server applications, is largely determined


by seek time and rotational speed. In its roughest terms, random throughput, in


operations per second, is the speed of processing a string of mall transfer


commands where the data locations are randomly distributed over the disk.


Maxtor’s new 7200 RPM rotational speed drive reduces rotational latency by 25%


relative to 5400 RPM drives. This results in a substantial improvement in the


drive’s random throughput. Sequential throughput, critical in graphics, video


and entertainment applications, is ultimately determined by the drive’s internal


data rate or the rate at which the recording head transfers data to and from the


disk. The factor that determines sustained throughput, the internal data rate,


is indirectly determined by the drive’s rotational rate. Simply stated, a


faster-spinning drive will tend to read data from the disk faster. If two


drives, one 5400 and one 7200 RPM have the same capacity and the same number of


disks; the 7200 RPM drive will read the same amount of data in a shorter period.


Files therefore load faster, the OS boots in less time, and the computer


responds more quickly. The insatiable need for performance in high-end computing


systems and workstations requires new technologies and architectures in order to


meet the demand. Maxtor’s new DiamondMax Plus 40 incorporates a host of features


>

to provide an increase in overall system performance and responsiveness. The


DiamondMax 40 includes: 7200 RPM rotational speed; Capacities ranging from 10.2


GB to 40.9 GB; 2 MB cache buffer; DualWave controller; MaxSafe media scan;


ShockBlock mechanics; UltraDMA 66. General information and troubleshooting your


hard drive: The amount of space available to store information on hard drives is


constantly increasing. Computer operating systems and system BIOS have


limitations that are related to specific hard drive capacities. Three capacity


points that can affect how your operating system and system BIOS support your


hard drive are 8.4 GB, 2.1 GB, and 528 MB. There are several PC components that


have an EIDE drive capacity limitation at approximately 8.4 GB. The BIOS


limitations at the 2.1 GB and 528 MB capacity barriers do not occur in newer


systems. They are addressed here solely for the benefit of those who may be


experiencing issues with an older system. There is an 8.4 GB hard drive


limitation on some traditional system BIOS. The following is required to access


the full capacity of an 8.4 GB or larger hard drive: A system BIOS that supports


extended functions An operating system that recognizes extended BIOS functions


Operating systems that recognize extended BIOS functions: Windows 95 Windows 98


Operating systems that do not recognize extended BIOS functions: DOS 6.xx and


earlier Windows 3.1x Windows NT (See note in table below.) Novell NetWare OS/2


Warp (See note in table below.) Operating System Limitation DOS 6.xx and


earlier, Windows 3.1x, Windows NT 4.0, 3.x, and earlier, Novell NetWare– 8.4 GB


maximum capacity limit. Hard drive capacities larger than 8.4 GB are recognized


as 8.4 GB. Note: Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 3 recognizes hard drive


capacities larger than 8.4 GB. OS/2 Warp– Note: OS/2 Warp has a driver update


available, which should support hard drive capacities larger than 8.4 GB. See


IBM’s OS/2 Device Driver Pak on-line for more details. The limitations of your


system BIOS and your operating system combined determine your overall system


limitation. For example, if your operating system recognizes extended BIOS


functions, but your system BIOS has a 2.1 GB drive barrier, you are limited to


your system BIOS’s 2.1 GB drive barrier. Conversely, if your operating system


does not recognize extended BIOS functions, but your system BIOS supports 8.4 GB


hard drives, you are limited to your operating system’s capability. Your system


limitation is based on the lowest functioning barrier. Since it is difficult to


determine if your system BIOS supports 8.4 GB or larger hard drives, we


recommend using EZ-Drive 9.06W or later. EZ-Drive 9.06W or later determines


whether or not your system BIOS provides extended BIOS support. If it does not,


EZ-Drive installs EZ-BIOS on the boot sector of the hard drive to support the


full capacity of your 8.4 GB or larger hard drive. If your system supports


extended BIOS functions, EZ-Drive does not install EZ-BIOS. EZ-Drive software


can be downloaded here. If you do not use EZ-Drive, another option is to upgrade


your system BIOS. A properly upgraded system BIOS will support the full capacity


of your hard drive if used with an operating system that recognizes extended


BIOS functions. Contact your system manufacturer for more information. Hard


drives larger than 2.1 GB have more than 4095 cylinders. Some computer systems


built before early 1996 do not support hard drives with more than 4095 cylinders


(hard drives larger than 2.1 GB), unless you update the system BIOS, install an


EIDE controller card with onboard BIOS, or install third-party software such as


EZ-Drive. You will know if your system BIOS has this limitation after installing


your drive if: Your operating system shows a much smaller drive capacity than


the actual drive capacity. Your system locks up on initial boot, preventing you


from accessing CMOS setup. If your operating system shows a much smaller drive


capacity, use EZ-Drive to overcome the 2.1 GB BIOS limitation. Your System Locks


Up on Initial Boot. If you cannot access the CMOS setup because your system


locks up on initial boot, follow these instructions: 1. Turn off your system


power, check the IDE interface cable and power supply cable. 2. Check jumper


settings. 3. Turn on your system power. 4. Try to enter your CMOS setup and set


the drive type to auto config. If your system still does not respond, your


system BIOS may not support drives with more than 4095 cylinders. If this is the


case, consider these solutions: 1. Use EZ-Drive installation software. If the


system locks up and prevents entry to CMOS, you must turn off your system power


and disconnect the IDE interface cable from the system. – Enter your CMOS setup.


- Select the Hard Disk Type option for your new Western Digital hard drive. -


Select a user defined drive type and enter: 1023 cylinders, 16 heads, and 63


sectors. If your system does not have a user defined drive type, select Type 9.


- Reconnect your IDE interface cable to the system. – Use EZ-Drive installation


software. These new settings allow your system to boot so that you can install


EZ-Drive to access the full capacity of your drive. – OR- If you do not have a


user defined or Type9 drive type, use option 2, 3, or 4 below to change the


parameters reported to the BIOS. 2. Upgrade your system BIOS A properly upgraded


system BIOS will support the full capacity of your hard drive. Contact your


system manufacturer. 3. Install an EIDE controller card with an onboard BIOS


that supports hard drives larger than 2.1 GB. For 8.4 GB or larger hard drives,


the EIDE controller card must support extended BIOS functions. 4. Rejumper the


drive using alternate jumper set-tings and install EZ-Drive. With these


alternate jumper settings, you MUST install EZ-Drive. Most computer systems


built before August 1994 do not support hard drives larger than 528 MB, unless


you update the system BIOS, install an EIDE controller card with onboard BIOS,


or install third-party software such as EZ-Drive. To determine if your system


supports drives with a capacity larger than 528 MB, we suggest the following: 1.


Enter your CMOS setup, look for options such as "LBA", "Large


Disk Access", or "Translation," and enable these options. 2.


Frequently, but not always, you must select an auto config drive type. If you


see a value greater than 16 heads, you probably have translating BIOS. 3.


Contact your system or BIOS manufacturer and verify that your system recognizes


drive capacities over 528 MB. In conclusion it has been shown that indeed hard


drive specifications and technology is keeping up with the rest of the


technology world. Advances in throughput and access speeds, coupled with large


amounts of space, have made the personal computer much more efficient and


effective for the average and the serious user.


‘The Expanding Frontier for 7200 RPM Drives’, www.maxtor.com/techdocs/dm_p40wp.htm,


February 14, 2000. ‘Hard Drive Capacity Hard Drive Barriers’,


www.westerndigital.com/products/drives/8-4barr.html, December 02, 1999.

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