The test environment was a small network was setup in the lab comprising the following:
- NAS under test
- 3com SuperStack3 10/100/1000 Switch
- Client - Dell PowerEdge 6600 Quad Xeon server with 3GB of memory, gigabit LAN connectivity, SCSI RAID 5 array and Windows Server 2003.
Windows File Copy Tests
A series of files were copied to and from each NAS from our Windows Server 2003 client to look at common file transfer speeds using a variety of file sizes as shown below:
- Test 1: A single ZIP file of 1,967,101,917 bytes (copied to NAS)
- Test 2: A collection of 3401 files in 342 folders totalling 2,246,716,585 bytes (copied to and read from NAS)
- Test 3: A collection of 13,222 files in 1237 folders totalling 5,995,670,198 bytes (Copied to NAS)
Sample scenarioThis company needs additional storage to cope with the rapid expansion of its e-mail and other storage needs.
Requires: 1TB of total storage, either in one or two units, with gigabit Ethernet network connectivity and fibre channel for future SAN connectivity.
Concerns: In addition to the performance of the storage unit(s), the ability to manage the unit(s) easily and to integrate with current systems such as directory servers will be very highly regarded.
For maximum uptime, redundancy of disks, power supplies, and network connections will also be a consideration.
Best solution: SnapServer 4500
