Hard Disk Speed Measurement Guide Using CrystalDiskMark Software

Introduction

In addition to CPU and RAM, one of the key factors influencing the service quality of a server is the speed of its storage space (HDD, SSD). The Padvish server is no exception, and low storage speed can significantly impact its performance. In an organizational setting, where hundreds or even thousands of systems might be connected to a Padvish server, numerous active transactions on the database occur at any given moment. Poor storage performance can directly slow down the console’s performance, particularly during activities such as reporting, backup, log cleanup, and similar tasks.

 

Technical Review

The actual performance of storage memory depends on numerous factors such as the generation of the host server (G8, G9, G10, etc.), the type of memory controller, the type of storage (SSD, HDD), the RAID version used, the hardware’s useful lifetime, and many other considerations. Qualitative assessment of these factors in an operational environment can be challenging. Therefore, it is recommended to use tools like CrystalDiskMark to assess this issue. This software, compatible with Windows, can display the maximum IOPS available to the virtual machine under operational conditions.

Using CrystalDiskMark to measure storage speed is suggested, though server managers may opt for other software with similar capabilities at their discretion.

 

Solution

After installing and running CrystalDiskMark, you will see a window like the image below. The software tests the read/write speed of the data sequentially and randomly, with and without a queue. By default, it performs a 5-step test with a data volume of 1 GB.

In the case of visiting Setting page, the following window will be displayed, through this section you can change all the settings, including the number of queues and the number of strings.

If you are using this software to evaluate the system’s suitability as a Padvish antivirus server, increase the number of threads to 32 in the settings section before performing the test. After pressing the Start button, the test will begin and take some time, depending on the speed of the storage memory. Below is a sample of speed measurements for HDDs, SSDs, and NVMe storage.

 

HDD 10k

 

SSD

 

NVME

 

Suggested Solutions

If the hard disk speed is not acceptable, it will affect the user experience with the console and may lead to service disruptions if it continues. In such cases, it is recommended to move the virtual machine to another host server equipped with more up-to-date hardware or upgrade the server with an SSD.

Given the importance of the antivirus server in terms of security, it is advisable to upgrade the hardware as soon as possible in case of slowness to prevent any security risks.