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1994-07-31
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315 lines
Released July 31st, 1994
╒════╡ 4_Speed v2.0 │ Dos Data Transfer Rate Test
│ and Graph Utility
│ Dustbowl Designs, Inc. ┌────────────────┐
│ (405) 741-4705 VOX │ 150 MB │
│ (405) 741-3913 FAX │ ≡■≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡ │
│ (405) 741-2721 BBS └────────────────┘
│ (R-1) Drive C:
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Copyright 1993 by Dustbowl Designs, Inc. All rights reserved. │
│ 12600 S.E. 38th Street, Choctaw, Oklahoma USA 73020-6107 │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Go! Drive Passes Comment Mode Log Analyze View Help Quit
You are free to copy this software and distribute it to other users as
long as the archive file is distributed in its entirety with this text
file included in the archive.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│▒▒▒ What's New in v2.0 ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Little did we realize how popular this freeware utility would become!
Many thanks to go out to those kind folks who gave us feedback and
assistance in improving this program and establishing it as a valid
hard disk drive benchmarking tool.
Several new features and a few minor bug fixes have been added to this
new v2.0. Of most significance is the addition of an entirely new test
mode. Now the choices are the original Repetitive and the new
Sequential. There's a small debate amongst users of benchmark utilities
centering on whether a benchmark should measure a drive's "top end"
or whether it should simulate a "real world" environment. 4_Speed's
two test modes now offer a general solution to both.
New features in 4_Speed v2.0 include:
* Repetitive and Sequential test modes.
* the ability to capture up to 35 tests for the log/analyze file.
* the ability to delete a test from the log.
* create an encapsulated postscript printer file of the screen.
Bug fixes:
* an annoying hang on some VGA systems when initializing
640x480x16 graphics mode.
* the active state of the Print Screen key while in graphics mode
has been disabled.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│▒▒▒ Introduction ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
We've decided to release to the public a handy in-house Data Transfer
Rate Test utility as freeware. In order to test our own development
changes we found that the selection of benchmarking software available
for hard disk drives to be rich in variety.... almost too rich.
According to most of the magazine comparison benchmarking tests,
sophisticated models are developed that take a long time to run and
are almost to complex for most of us to understand when they are even
explained. What we wanted was a test that was quick, accurate, read
only, graphic based with print and screen save capability and - most
important - gave us a SINGLE number result. This is what 4_Speed does.
We hope you like it.
What's particularly useful about this Data Transfer Rate Test is that
you may talk to drives that are attached to either the Primary or
Secondary Port Addresses. This ability dovetails nicely with our
3_Drives, 4_Drives, DiskQwik and C_Prime shareware utilities.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│▒▒▒ Menu Options ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Go! Drive Passes Comment Mode Log Analyze View Help Quit
Go! - Starts the test. Default is C: unless it is changed.
Drive - This will display a selection of the available drive
letters in your system. Select as many as you like.
Watch out testing the transfer rate of the floppies
since it can take several minutes time.
Passes - The number of times (from 1 to 9) to test each block
size. This value remains in effect until it is changed
again. The default start up value is 1 pass. The
current value is posted on the screen to the left of the
drive icon.
Comment - This selection allows the placement of a 50 character
comment to be associated with the drive being tested.
Be sure to use this because after a while its hard to
tell between tests.
Mode - This will toggle the test mode between Repetitive and
Sequential. The current value is posted on the screen
to the left of the drive icon.
Log - This is optional and will ask for the name of the file
you want and saves the test data in simple ASCII text
to that file.
Analyze - Using data you might have saved to one of the log files,
you can graph the results of tests together. This is
very useful when you need to reboot the computer between
tests.
View - One of the options at the end of a test run is to save
the graphics screen to a PCX file. This View selection
allows you to look at them. Lots of programs have the
ability to display and print PCX files (Windows
Paintbrush for example).
Help - Not a lot of info here, mainly the Command line options
are described. Also, the formula for calculating the
Average transfer rate on the test is shown.
Quit - Exit to DOS. Pressing the Escape key does the same
thing.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│▒▒▒ Command Line Switches ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
(... no command line = Manual interactive mode)
4_Speed /[drive letter][Passes]:[Comment (NO spaces!)] [other]
example: 4_Speed /c9:MD-123_with_cache /e3:no_cache
= C: drive to test, with 9 calibration passes, and the
comment "MD-123_with_cache" AND E: drive, with 3
calibration passes and the comment "no_cache"
Other:
+ a plus sign on the command line separated by spaces will
cause 4_Speed to run in a non-stop mode and exit to DOS
after running which is handy for batch file exercisers.
Y a Y letter on the command line separated by spaces will
automatically save the test results to a default ASCII log
named 4_speed.log.
S a S letter on the command line separated by spaces will
activate a scatter plot result of each of the passes used
for each drive tested. You have to look closely at the
screen to see the Scatter usually. A single pixel is lit
up that shows the results from each of the passes.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│▒▒▒ Outline ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The two test mode methods that 4_Speed uses are very simple and
straight forward. Using Interrupt 25 (absolute logical sector read
within DOS prepared volumes), we read in a block of sectors which
increases in size, until it reaches DOS's block request limit of 127
sectors (1 segment). Each increment is tested as many times as set in
the Passes variable.
Repetitive Mode: Every start of the block read begins at logical
sector 0 (which is the location of that volume's DOS DBR (DOS Boot
Record). This test will measure a drive's external transfer rate.
The drive's buffer will usually contain the entire group of sectors at
the end of the test if the drive buffer is greater than 64K in size.
The test looks like this:
logical sector 0
1 -
2 --
3 ---
4 ----
5 -----
and so on to 127 sectors.
Sequential Mode: Every sector read is at least one sector higher than
the previous sector read. This insures that the sector cannot be
drawn from the drive's buffer. This test will measure the drive's
internal transfer rate.
The test looks like this:
1 - 2 -- 3 --- 4 ---- 5 ----- and so on to 127 sectors.
In either test mode 4_Speed will read 4,161,536 bytes per pass.
Since we are reading the same data over again, you will need to remove
any drive caching software from memory, or else you end up really
testing the speed of the system RAM, unless you want to make test
comparisons between various caching programs.
Today's newer drives use very sophisticated RAM buffers of their own.
Some are simple Read Look Ahead, while others are Read/Write
multi-Segmented Adaptive. Some are small and others nearly a megabyte
in size on the drive! The graph will often reflect the kind of
caching algorithms used by the drive or controller manufacturer.
4_Speed does a pretty good job of testing RAM speeds if you set up a
virtual drive with RAMDISK.SYS. Keeping a log of test results on the
Ram Drive and experimenting with various system setup options like bus
speeds can yield some interesting results to analyze.
A word about our "Average"...
At the conclusion of a test, you will see a single number which is
placed in front of the comment. This value is an Average Data
Transfer Rate. Although there are several methods available to
calculate an average Data Transfer Rate, each with its own valid
arguments, we chose a Linear Regression method and use its "line of
best fit" to calculate a midway point. This assumes that any point on
the resulting line has equal weight. 4_Speed will place a "tick" mark
on the graph to indicate the average.
Clearly, there must be a distribution of use that can be measured that
would show a system's actual pattern of use. (When results are saved
to a log file, two other averages are calculated; an average over the
life of the test and an average based on the area under the curve.)
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│▒▒▒ Legal Disclaimer ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
LICENSE AGREEMENT
3_Drives, 4_Drives, DiskQwik, 4_Drive Utilities, 4_Speed, C_Prime,
Primer All versions.
Dustbowl Designs, Inc. provides the accompanying object code software
("Software") and nonexclusively licenses its use on the following
terms and conditions. The Software is copyrighted by Dustbowl Designs,
Inc. with all rights reserved.
YOU ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SELECTION OF THE SOFTWARE TO
ACHIEVE YOUR INTENDED PURPOSES, FOR THE PROPER INSTALLATION AND USE.
Dustbowl Designs, Inc. DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SOFTWARE WILL MEET
YOUR REQUIREMENTS, THAT THE SOFTWARE IS FIT FOR ANY PARTICULAR
PURPOSE OR THAT THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE WILL BE ERROR FREE. Dustbowl
Designs, Inc. EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER ORAL OR
WRITTEN, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
IN NO EVENT WILL Dustbowl Designs, Inc. BE LIABLE TO YOU, YOUR
CUSTOMERS OR OTHER USERS FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR IN
CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE.
DiskQwik is a trademark of Dustbowl Designs, Inc. The DiskQwik
software and documentation are Copyright 1993-1994 by Dustbowl Designs
with all rights reserved. The Registered version of 3_Drives,
4_Drives, DiskQwik, C_Prime and Primer software programs ARE NOT
shareware or freeware and unauthorized redistribution is STRICTLY
PROHIBITED.
End of License agreement.
*****************************************************************
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│▒▒▒ Revision History ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
v1.0 08/93 - public release of Freeware 4_Speed v1.0.
v2.0 07/94 - public release of Freeware 4_Speed v2.0. Added new
Sequential test, enlarged the log file test capacity,
added new encapsulated postscript file output. Fixed
VGA bug.
Contents of the 4_Speed Distribution Set. 4SPD200.ZIP
(4SPD.ZIP on CompuServe (tm) go IBMHW forum Lib 1)
4_SPEED.EXE A VGA graphics based Data Transfer Rate Test utility.
(Compiled 7-31-94 2:00 am). Freeware.
4_SPEED.DOC Auxiliary documentation.
DBOWLDEM.EXE Simple demo that gives a look at registered
4_Drives v3.0 and 4_Park v1.1, and our new DiskQwik
programs.
VENDOR4.DOC Shareware vendor distribution policy
========================
From the makers of:
4_Drives and 3_Drives
The Universal device driver that lets you add an additional 16-bit
interface to your system. Add up to two more MFM, RLL, ESDI, or AT/IDE
Hard Disk Drives to a Secondary Port Address!
DiskQwik
A utility that maximizes the speed potential of AT/IDE hard disk
drives. Many newer IDE drives often have an untapped feature called
"Multiple Sectors per Interrupt". By activating this, you can increase
the data transfer rate of your hard drive by up to 50% .... State of
the Art!
C_Prime
Duplex/Mirror utility for DOS based systems using AT-IDE disk drives.
Data is written to two drives creating a "real time" backup (RAID-1
level fault tolerance). Disk compression software compatible. IDE
block modes supported. Lite and Pro registered versions available.
Shareware versions of these programs are available at all better
BBS's! If you can't find a copy locally, feel free to call our BBS.
Dustbowl Designs, Inc. |
12600 S.E. 38th Street |
Choctaw, Oklahoma 73020-6107 |
U.S.A. | CIS: 71062,2542
phone:
(405) 741-4705 VOX (ordering, tech support, general information)
(405) 741-3913 FAX (tech support)
(405) 741-2721 BBS (9600 HST/v.everything) Tech Support, Hard disk
drive shareware, drive specs, Online Shareware
Registration/Download for VISA or MasterCard orders!
-= EOF 4_SPEED.DOC =-