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SeriTek/2ME4-E Direct Connect PerformanceSeriTek/2ME4-E + Dual miniSwap/ES Enclosures + SSD = 997MB/s RAID Performance
The FirmTek SeriTek/2ME4-E provides outstanding performance when used with the miniSwap/ES enclosure and OWC Mercury Extreme Pro RE Solid State Drives. With four 200GB SSD devices mounted in dual miniSwap/ES enclosures using two SeriTek/2ME4-E controllers, RAID 0 average write performance of 851MB/sec. and average read performance of 997MB/sec. can be achieved.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Area Full |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
| empty |
223 - 249
|
444 - 501
|
691 - 783
|
852 - 995
|
| 10% |
223 - 249
|
446 - 499
|
688 - 783
|
852 - 997
|
| 20% |
223 - 249
|
444 - 497
|
690 - 780
|
852 - 1000
|
| 30% |
223 - 249
|
445 - 498
|
688 - 779
|
851 - 1000
|
| 40% |
222 - 246
|
445 - 499
|
688 - 781
|
851 - 996
|
| 50% |
221 - 246
|
445 - 497
|
691 - 783
|
852 - 997
|
| 60% |
221 - 246
|
446 - 498
|
689 - 781
|
849 - 997
|
| 70% |
221 - 246
|
445 - 497
|
689 - 780
|
851 - 998
|
| 80% |
222 - 248
|
445 - 500
|
689 - 781
|
853 - 996
|
| 90% |
222 - 248
|
445 - 498
|
690 - 781
|
852 - 994
|
| 100% |
223 - 248
|
445 - 499
|
693 - 785
|
852 - 998
|
| Average |
222 - 248
|
445 - 499
|
690 - 782
|
851 - 997
|
| Configuration |
Single Disk
|
RAID 0
|
RAID 0
|
RAID 0
|
| Volume Size |
186GB
|
372GB
|
774GB
|
774GB
|
SeriTek/2ME4-E + SeriTek/2eEN4 = Great 4-Drive 3.5" SATA RAID Performance
The FirmTek SeriTek/2ME4-E also provides excellent
performance with Samsung F3 1TB model HD103SJ
SATA hard disks. With four 1TB Samsung F3 SATA hard disks mounted in the direct connect SeriTek/2eEN4,
the SeriTek/2ME4-E provided RAID 0 average write performance of 445MB/sec. and average read performance of 432MB/sec.
As individual 3.5" SATA hard disks become even faster, the high bandwidth capability provided by the SeriTek/2ME4-E can support RAID
speeds in excess of 700MB/sec. for blazing direct connect performance.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Area Full |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
| empty |
150.1 - 143.4
|
294 - 289
|
420 - 410
|
560 - 548
|
| 10% |
149.5 - 142.1
|
274 - 270
|
393 - 383
|
524 - 506
|
| 20% |
144.3 - 137.4
|
263 - 261
|
383 - 376
|
513 - 499
|
| 30% |
135.7 - 131.3
|
249 - 249
|
369 - 366
|
497 - 484
|
| 40% |
132.2 - 128.3
|
241 - 239
|
356 - 351
|
476 - 465
|
| 50% |
120.1 - 117.5
|
234 - 236
|
339 - 337
|
456 - 446
|
| 60% |
121.3 - 115.8
|
229 - 224
|
329 - 326
|
440 - 429
|
| 70% |
115.5 - 110.6
|
204 - 203
|
307 - 302
|
411 - 399
|
| 80% |
105.7 - 100.9
|
200 - 199
|
289 - 277
|
388 - 375
|
| 90% |
90.6 - 86.8
|
179 - 177
|
256 - 247
|
343 - 334
|
| 100% |
80.5 - 76.7
|
153 - 150
|
212 - 208
|
280 - 271
|
| Average |
122 - 117
|
229 - 227
|
332 - 326
|
445 - 432
|
| Configuration |
Single Disk
|
RAID 0
|
RAID 0
|
RAID 0
|
| Volume Size |
931.2GB
|
1.82TB
|
2.73TB
|
3.64TB
|
| AJA Test |
SeriTek/2ME4-E + SeriTek/5PM Port Multiplier Enclosure = Virtually Unlimited Data Storage
The combination of a single FirmTek SeriTek/2ME4-E and multiple SeriTek/5PM enclosures can achieve excellent performance. With ten 1TB Samsung F1 SATA hard disks mounted in two SeriTek/5PM enclosures, FirmTek obtained RAID 0 average write performance of 413MB/sec. and average read performance of 493MB/sec. With four SeriTek/5PM enclosures and twenty hard disks in a RAID 0, average write performance increased by 58% to 637MB/sec. and average read performance increased by 52% to 751MB/sec. with the SeriTek/2ME4-E controller installed in slot 4 of the 2009 Mac Pro.
The SeriTek/5PM enclosure provides several interesting advantages.
1. Reduced cable clutter (a single cable per enclosure)
2. Stable RAID performance as the volume fills
3. Raw storage capacity (5x greater than a direct connect configuration)
4. Up to twenty hard disks can be supported with a single SeriTek/2ME4-E
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| # of Drives |
5
|
10
|
15
|
20
|
| Area Full |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
| empty |
208 - 248
|
411 - 498
|
597 - 744
|
679 - 786
|
| 10% |
209 - 247
|
414 - 497
|
597 - 743
|
678 - 783
|
| 20% |
209 - 245
|
412 - 497
|
596 - 740
|
677 - 785
|
| 30% |
208 - 245
|
413 - 494
|
591 - 738
|
675 - 779
|
| 40% |
209 - 247
|
414 - 497
|
598 - 741
|
674 - 779
|
| 50% |
206 - 248
|
413 - 498
|
595 - 743
|
673 - 755
|
| 60% |
209 - 249
|
414 - 499
|
598 - 740
|
672 - 764
|
| 70% |
209 - 248
|
414 - 496
|
598 - 740
|
673 - 787
|
| 80% |
209 - 247
|
414 - 492
|
598 - 738
|
674 - 787
|
| 90% |
209 - 242
|
413 - 480
|
599 - 729
|
675 - 783
|
| 100% |
209 - 245
|
415 - 472
|
599 - 718
|
676 - 784
|
| Average |
208 - 246
|
413 - 493
|
597 - 738
|
675 - 779
|
| Configuration |
RAID 0
|
RAID 0
|
RAID 0
|
RAID 0
|
| Volume Size |
4.55TB
|
9.09TB
|
13.6TB
|
18.2TB
|
| AJA Test |
Placing the Samsung hard disks used in Table 2 in the SeriTek/5PM reduces performance as a single port multiplier enclosure is limited to write performance
of approximately 210MB/sec. and read performance of approximately 250MB/sec. with the 2009 Mac Pro.
The 2006-2008 Mac Pro models can provide slightly higher port multiplier write performance but they are
still limited to approximately 230MB/sec. Even so, the SeriTek/5PM has the advantage of supporting up to
twenty hard disks. Users looking for raw storage capacity can connect up to 40TB with 2TB hard disks.
Performance minded users will find at least two SeriTek/5PM enclosures are required to obtain SeriTek/2ME4-E RAID
performance similar to the direct connect SeriTek/2eEN4 enclosure. As expected, using a different model of hard disk will usually provide
slightly different performance results.
Combining the SeriTek/2ME4-E with multiple SeriTek/5PM enclosures provides a large variety of possible configuration options.
The first row of the table below displays how moving the SeriTek/2ME4-E to PCIe slot 2 (16x) in the 2009 Mac Pro instead of slot 4 (4x) can
increase performance. The other three rows demonstrate how installing two SeriTek/2ME4-E controllers in slots 2 and 4 with 16-20 hard disks can also increase RAID performance.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| # of Drives |
20
|
20
|
16
|
20
|
| Area Full |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
Write - Read
[MB/s] |
| empty |
717 - 800
|
824 - 991
|
814 - 960
|
1031 - 1214
|
| 10% |
716 - 800
|
824 - 989
|
803 - 966
|
1032 - 1222
|
| 20% |
715 - 801
|
823 - 988
|
810 - 982
|
1033 - 1226
|
| 30% |
714 - 804
|
824 - 987
|
805 - 980
|
1029 - 1217
|
| 40% |
714 - 804
|
825 - 993
|
817 - 982
|
1032 - 1221
|
| 50% |
713 - 803
|
823 - 994
|
811 - 990
|
1033 - 1224
|
| 60% |
711 - 801
|
825 - 992
|
824 - 994
|
1030 - 1226
|
| 70% |
709 - 800
|
826 - 993
|
828 - 985
|
1034 - 1226
|
| 80% |
708 - 795
|
826 - 989
|
827 - 985
|
1027 - 1222
|
| 90% |
708 - 798
|
820 - 971
|
823 - 982
|
1034 - 1203
|
| 100% |
708 - 804
|
823 - 952
|
821 - 820
|
1035 - 1020
|
| Average |
712 - 801
|
824 - 985
|
817 - 966
|
1032 - 1202
|
| Configuration |
RAID 0
|
RAID 0
|
RAID 0
|
RAID 0
|
| Volume Size |
18.2TB
|
18.2TB
|
14.5TB
|
18.2TB
|
| AJA Test |
Once four SeriTek/5PM enclosures are configured with 20 hard disks,
dropping to sixteen hard disks with four in each enclosure provides minimal performance reduction. If the four removed hard disks
(one from each enclosure) are installed in a 5th SeriTek/5PM that is connected to the second SeriTek/2ME4-E in slot 2,
RAID performance jumps dramatically. Configuring dual SeriTek/2ME4-E controllers with a single large twenty disk RAID 0
can measurably increase RAID performance.
Using five SeriTek/5PM enclosures with twenty hard disks (4 per enclosure) plus dual SeriTek/2ME4-E controllers in slots 2 and 4 provided
average write performance of 1032MB/sec and average read performance of 1202MB/sec. when DiskTester 2.0 was used to measure the RAID 0 performance.