Hi. I currently have 2 computers running Ubuntu 5.04. One of them is a Sony Vaio, 512 MB RAM, P4 2.8 GHz (no HT) 120 GB hda, 8 GB hdb, and I'm not sure what other info you need.

The other is an HP Pavilion AMD Athlon XP 2200+ (1.8 GHz), 1 GB RAM, 60 GB hda, 15 GB hdb and again, ask if u need more info.

On the Vaio, when I use the command hdparm -t to test hard disk performance, I get approx. 50 MB per second on hda and approx 15 MB per second on hdb.

On the Pavilion however, I only get between 6 and 7 MB per second for both harddrives. Both have DMA enabled. Since both harddrives are running slower than they should be, I have a feeling that it is something wrong with the MoBo and not the harddrives.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thx!

I'd tend to want to bet money that the 15GB has a slower rotational speed than the 120GB. That will acount for a lot of it. And I think that 50 is not a bad speed considering the overhead involved. Try storagereview.com for some background on disk i/o speeds.

Is the only setting you are using with hdparm is -d1 ?
If you post the output of hdparm -i /dev/hdx & hdparm -I /dev/hdx I could make some recommendations of what other switches to use.

root@ryanhp:~# hdparm -i /dev/hda

/dev/hda:

Model=ST360012A, FwRev=3.31, SerialNo=5KC0AXJJ
Config={ HardSect NotMFM HdSw>15uSec Fixed DTR>10Mbs RotSpdTol>.5% }
RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=0, SectSize=0, ECCbytes=4
BuffType=unknown, BuffSize=1024kB, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=off
CurCHS=16383/16/63, CurSects=16514064, LBA=yes, LBAsects=117231408
IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:240,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
PIO modes: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
DMA modes: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2
UDMA modes: udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 *udma5
AdvancedPM=no WriteCache=enabled
Drive conforms to: ATA/ATAPI-6 T13 1410D revision 2:

* signifies the current active mode


root@ryanhp:~# hdparm -i /dev/hdb

/dev/hdb:

Model=Maxtor 91531U3, FwRev=FA520S60, SerialNo=G3HRYY5C
Config={ Fixed }
RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=0, SectSize=0, ECCbytes=57
BuffType=DualPortCache, BuffSize=512kB, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=off
CurCHS=16383/16/63, CurSects=16514064, LBA=yes, LBAsects=30015216
IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
PIO modes: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
DMA modes: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2
UDMA modes: udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 *udma4
AdvancedPM=yes: disabled (255) WriteCache=enabled
Drive conforms to: ATA/ATAPI-4 T13 1153D revision 17:

* signifies the current active mode


root@ryanhp:~# hdparm -I /dev/hda

/dev/hda:

ATA device, with non-removable media
Model Number: ST360012A
Serial Number: 5KC0AXJJ
Firmware Revision: 3.31
Standards:
Used: ATA/ATAPI-6 T13 1410D revision 2
Supported: 6 5 4 3
Configuration:
Logical max current
cylinders 16383 16383
heads 16 16
sectors/track 63 63
--
CHS current addressable sectors: 16514064
LBA user addressable sectors: 117231408
device size with M = 1024*1024: 57241 MBytes
device size with M = 1000*1000: 60022 MBytes (60 GB)
Capabilities:
LBA, IORDY(can be disabled)
bytes avail on r/w long: 4 Queue depth: 1
Standby timer values: spec'd by Standard
R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16 Current = ?
Recommended acoustic management value: 128, current value: 254
DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 *udma5
Cycle time: min=120ns recommended=120ns
PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
Cycle time: no flow control=240ns IORDY flow control=120ns
Commands/features:
Enabled Supported:
* READ BUFFER cmd
* WRITE BUFFER cmd
* Host Protected Area feature set
* Look-ahead
* Write cache
* Power Management feature set
Security Mode feature set
* SMART feature set
* Mandatory FLUSH CACHE command
* Device Configuration Overlay feature set
* Automatic Acoustic Management feature set
SET MAX security extension
* DOWNLOAD MICROCODE cmd
* SMART self-test
* SMART error logging
Security:
Master password revision code = 65534
supported
not enabled
not locked
not frozen
not expired: security count
not supported: enhanced erase
HW reset results:
CBLID- above Vih
Device num = 0 determined by the jumper
Checksum: correct


root@ryanhp:~# hdparm -I /dev/hdb

/dev/hdb:

ATA device, with non-removable media
Model Number: Maxtor 91531U3
Serial Number: G3HRYY5C
Firmware Revision: FA520S60
Standards:
Used: ATA/ATAPI-4 T13 1153D revision 17
Supported: 5 4 3 2 & some of 5
Configuration:
Logical max current
cylinders 16383 16383
heads 16 16
sectors/track 63 63
--
CHS current addressable sectors: 16514064
LBA user addressable sectors: 30015216
device size with M = 1024*1024: 14655 MBytes
device size with M = 1000*1000: 15367 MBytes (15 GB)
Capabilities:
LBA, IORDY(can be disabled)
bytes avail on r/w long: 57 Queue depth: 1
Standby timer values: spec'd by Standard, no device specific minimum
R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16 Current = 0
Advanced power management level: unknown setting (0x0000)
DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 *udma4
Cycle time: min=120ns recommended=120ns
PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
Cycle time: no flow control=120ns IORDY flow control=120ns
Commands/features:
Enabled Supported:
* NOP cmd
* READ BUFFER cmd
* WRITE BUFFER cmd
* Host Protected Area feature set
* Look-ahead
* Write cache
* Power Management feature set
* SMART feature set
Advanced Power Management feature set
* DOWNLOAD MICROCODE cmd
HW reset results:
CBLID- above Vih
Device num = 1 determined by CSEL
Checksum: correct


Also, how do you know which switches to use to speed up harddrive performance. Is there some kind of guide?

Thx

The warning. hdparm has the possibility to corrupt data. I've never had it happen to me, but I only enable features that I know my drives support. From the information you posted, I can only conclude the following about your drives.

It is probably a good idea to benchmark your current settings a few times by running. hdparm -tT /dev/hda, and write down the two speeds so you can compare them to the speeds of the setting I suggest. If you don't like the setting I suggest, reboot and they will be cleared.

hdparm -d1 -m16 -X69 -u1 /dev/hda

hdparm -d1 -m16 -X68 -u1 /dev/hdb


Drive hda also supports auto-readahead, but the value that it supports isn't shown. You could add two switches to enable auto-readahead

-A1 to enable it
-a## to set how far to read ahead. Mine is 256, but your doesn't say how far it can read ahead.

I imagine you have support for 32bit I/O, but I can only guess that so I haven't included that switch.
--------------------
hdparm is the worst documented utility in the world. You have to google it and read over 10 sites before you get the info you need to understand it. I have a notebook of linux related stuff and two pages are dedicated to how hdparm works.

I followed some instructions from a guide on the web and to help me tune my harddrive performace. it is going really fast for both hard drives now. Does any of the stuff below look like there might be a problem? I passed the switch -k1 to keep the settings, was this a good idea?


root@ryanhp:~# hdparm -i /dev/hda && hdparm -I /dev/hda && hdparm -i /dev/hdb && hdparm -I /dev/hdb

/dev/hda:

Model=ST360012A, FwRev=3.31, SerialNo=5KC0AXJJ
Config={ HardSect NotMFM HdSw>15uSec Fixed DTR>10Mbs RotSpdTol>.5% }
RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=0, SectSize=0, ECCbytes=4
BuffType=unknown, BuffSize=1024kB, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=off
CurCHS=16383/16/63, CurSects=16514064, LBA=yes, LBAsects=117231408
IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:240,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
PIO modes: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
DMA modes: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2
UDMA modes: udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 *udma5
AdvancedPM=no WriteCache=enabled
Drive conforms to: ATA/ATAPI-6 T13 1410D revision 2:

* signifies the current active mode


/dev/hda:

ATA device, with non-removable media
Model Number: ST360012A
Serial Number: 5KC0AXJJ
Firmware Revision: 3.31
Standards:
Used: ATA/ATAPI-6 T13 1410D revision 2
Supported: 6 5 4 3
Configuration:
Logical max current
cylinders 16383 16383
heads 16 16
sectors/track 63 63
--
CHS current addressable sectors: 16514064
LBA user addressable sectors: 117231408
device size with M = 1024*1024: 57241 MBytes
device size with M = 1000*1000: 60022 MBytes (60 GB)
Capabilities:
LBA, IORDY(can be disabled)
bytes avail on r/w long: 4 Queue depth: 1
Standby timer values: spec'd by Standard
R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16 Current = ?
Recommended acoustic management value: 128, current value: 254
DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 *udma5
Cycle time: min=120ns recommended=120ns
PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
Cycle time: no flow control=240ns IORDY flow control=120ns
Commands/features:
Enabled Supported:
* READ BUFFER cmd
* WRITE BUFFER cmd
* Host Protected Area feature set
* Look-ahead
* Write cache
* Power Management feature set
Security Mode feature set
* SMART feature set
* Mandatory FLUSH CACHE command
* Device Configuration Overlay feature set
* Automatic Acoustic Management feature set
SET MAX security extension
* DOWNLOAD MICROCODE cmd
* SMART self-test
* SMART error logging
Security:
Master password revision code = 65534
supported
not enabled
not locked
not frozen
not expired: security count
not supported: enhanced erase
HW reset results:
CBLID- above Vih
Device num = 0 determined by the jumper
Checksum: correct

/dev/hdb:

Model=Maxtor 91531U3, FwRev=FA520S60, SerialNo=G3HRYY5C
Config={ Fixed }
RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=0, SectSize=0, ECCbytes=57
BuffType=DualPortCache, BuffSize=512kB, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=off
CurCHS=16383/16/63, CurSects=16514064, LBA=yes, LBAsects=30015216
IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
PIO modes: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
DMA modes: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2
UDMA modes: udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 *udma4
AdvancedPM=yes: disabled (255) WriteCache=enabled
Drive conforms to: ATA/ATAPI-4 T13 1153D revision 17:

* signifies the current active mode


/dev/hdb:

ATA device, with non-removable media
Model Number: Maxtor 91531U3
Serial Number: G3HRYY5C
Firmware Revision: FA520S60
Standards:
Used: ATA/ATAPI-4 T13 1153D revision 17
Supported: 5 4 3 2 & some of 5
Configuration:
Logical max current
cylinders 16383 16383
heads 16 16
sectors/track 63 63
--
CHS current addressable sectors: 16514064
LBA user addressable sectors: 30015216
device size with M = 1024*1024: 14655 MBytes
device size with M = 1000*1000: 15367 MBytes (15 GB)
Capabilities:
LBA, IORDY(can be disabled)
bytes avail on r/w long: 57 Queue depth: 1
Standby timer values: spec'd by Standard, no device specific minimum
R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16 Current = 0
Advanced power management level: unknown setting (0x0000)
DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 *udma4
Cycle time: min=120ns recommended=120ns
PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
Cycle time: no flow control=120ns IORDY flow control=120ns
Commands/features:
Enabled Supported:
* NOP cmd
* READ BUFFER cmd
* WRITE BUFFER cmd
* Host Protected Area feature set
* Look-ahead
* Write cache
* Power Management feature set
* SMART feature set
Advanced Power Management feature set
* DOWNLOAD MICROCODE cmd
HW reset results:
CBLID- above Vih
Device num = 1 determined by CSEL
Checksum: correct


Also, here are my new speeds. What I'm wondering is if any of the options I've enabled could cause problems in the future.


/dev/hda:
Timing cached reads: 1008 MB in 2.00 seconds = 503.07 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 126 MB in 3.00 seconds = 41.98 MB/sec
root@ryanhp:~# hdparm -tT /dev/hdb

/dev/hdb:
Timing cached reads: 1004 MB in 2.00 seconds = 501.32 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 52 MB in 3.06 seconds = 17.01 MB/sec

I was just wondering also, will I notice if data corruption has occured right away or will it be little things, like missing files? I'm hoping it's right away, cause then I'm fine.

I've never used the -k, I put my settings in /etc/conf.d/local.start. As for file corruption, as I said I've never noticed any so I don't know if it takes days, weeks, months, or years. I've been using hdparm settings for years and haven't noticed any.

You posted the new speeds, but was there any increase? Without the old speeds, those new ones are meaningless to me.

The old ones were approx 6 MB per second for both HDDs. So it was quite a speed up. What I'm wondering is, did any of the changes I've made (you can see the differences by looking at the different posts I made) look dangerous to you?

if you used the commands I specified, they aren't dangerous because they are simply the features that the drives support. the -i and -I list information and features. I could add more switches to those, but I don't know for sure that the drive support them. What I recommended should be completely safe.

It appears that MutliSect is still off.
Is the 60GB a 7200RPM and 15GB 5400RPM?

I reverted the settings back to normal and the drives are still running fast now???

You're right, this hdparm utility is screwed up (well, thats not exactly what u said but oh well )

Anyways, since they are running good, I'm going to leave them the way they are.

Thx for your time!

What do you mean by its screwed up? What problems occurred?

what is all that security mode stuff at the end? never seen that before. 28 minutes for enhanced erase mode? 5 seconds with a big hammer :-)

I vote that anything that confuses me is screwed up

Note sure. A lot of people on #ubuntu didn't trust those settings either. I've shut them off.

Also, I use shred for secure data deletion. Not sure how good it is, but I don't know of anything else available for Linux so I just use it.