AN INTRODUCTION TO DISK-DRIVE MODELING

If I/O systems are to keep pace with current microprocessor technology, disk drive performance becomes more critical and must be better understood. This means that high-quality disk drive models are needed, and these models must be based on correct assumptions about disk drive behavior. The/authors describe the various components of modern disk drives, emphasizing bow each affects performance. This overview, which includes recording components, positioning components, and the disk controller, covers how each component and its functions contribute to the current state of the art in disk drive technology. Having evaluated the many performance factors, the authors go on to. show how they create accurate disk drive simulation models. They present graphs and tables that show how adding features to the model leads to more accurate performance figures. Data caching characteristics turn out to be the most important feature to model, followed by the data transfer model and the seek-time and head-switching costs.