Single Client Access - NAS Benchmarks

Evaluation of single client performance in a networked environment was done by configuring three drives in RAID-5 in the QNAP TS-EC1279U-SAS-RP unit. Two of the network links were bonded (configured with 802.3ad LACP). Our usual Intel NASPT / robocopy benchmarks were processed from a virtual machine in our NAS testbed. The results are presented in the graphs below.

HD Video Playback

2x HD Playback

4x HD Playback

HD Video Record

HD Playback and Record

Content Creation

Office Productivity

File Copy to NAS

File Copy from NAS

Dir Copy to NAS

Dir Copy from NAS

Photo Album

robocopy (Write to NAS)

robocopy (Read from NAS)

For almost all workloads, there is no discernible difference between the performance of various drives, indicating that it is the network acting as a bottleneck for single client access. Even when there are differences, it shows that certain drives are better suited for a particular type of workload compared to others. Differences start to appear when there are multiple clients accessing the NAS.

Single Client Access - DAS Benchmarks Multi-Client Access - NAS Environment
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  • Souka - Tuesday, September 8, 2015 - link

    It would be even louder with four of these WD Red Pro drives!
  • nagi603 - Monday, October 5, 2015 - link

    The problem might also lie with your NAS: insufficient decoupling will lead to very nasty vibration, as is insufficient dampening or the use of not stiff enough components.
  • beginner99 - Tuesday, September 8, 2015 - link

    Well with the Pro only $33 more it's a no brainer. The 5 years warranty alone will make that a profitable investment alone.
  • Visual - Tuesday, September 8, 2015 - link

    Important details are missing from the article. It should be the first thing covered for drives of such capacities - make it clear if they are using a shingled write method requiring rewrites of large blocks for small random writes.
  • Morawka - Tuesday, September 8, 2015 - link

    anyone remember when all seagate consumer drives had 5 year warranties.. it was great. now we are lucky to get a 3 year warranty.
  • FunBunny2 - Tuesday, September 8, 2015 - link

    planned obsolescence is a wonderful thing. just ask Apple.
  • star-affinity - Tuesday, September 8, 2015 - link

    In what way is Apple worse than others when it comes to ”planned obsolescence”?
  • valinor89 - Tuesday, September 8, 2015 - link

    As far as I know Apple was the first mass consumer company to embrace the practice. Or at least the best known for it. Usually gadgets of other companyes were expected to be superceeded by advancing technology, not designed to fail after x time... One of the most famous examples was the Ipod Nano case.

    The practice existed before but apple put it in the spotlight.
  • Gigaplex - Sunday, September 13, 2015 - link

    Apple is rarely the first to do anything. They certainly weren't the first to embrace planned obsolescence.
  • Hannibal80 - Tuesday, September 8, 2015 - link

    Why not moving to a 10gbe for the nas test? I think that for a soho scenario could make sense, with a direct 10gb connection between workstation and nas and classic 1gb link among remaining clients. Just my 2 cents

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