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Newer file systems try to keep files from becoming fragmented. Hard disk performance declines with fragmentation. When files are not placed in contiguous blocks, file fragmentation occurs. When a file is spread out over the hard disk, the hard drive "appears" to be slow to the user. The hard drive has to wait for the disk to spin to maneuver the read/write heads over the correct sectors. The lag time causes most users to believe the system is slowing down. The problem is not the computer, but the hard disk.
One neat trick with the original Norton Utilities,
Use directory-sort to put the files in the order I wanted.
Then run defrag, which would write the files to the drive in the same order they were in the directory listing.
Maximum optimization of disk read functions!
I am so very, very glad those days are over. Not that I don't respect hand optimization, I consider it a sign of a true artiste. Linus talking recently about the lovingly hand-optimized low-level look-up that Linux does faster than any other OS comes immediately to mind.
I'm just very glad that I can ignore all that and just play. What? Disk getting full? Where's that 2TB backup drive!
After reading the article, I decided to check my drives. After all, I do some deleting and adding and modifying of files. Maybe the ext4 filesystems had become fragmented. After checking 3 drives and getting a 0 index on all 3, I gave up the idea.
Be careful using the ext4 defragger. It silently wiped a few files on two of my systems (nothing critical, *whew*).
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Use directory-sort to put the files in the order I wanted.
Then run defrag, which would write the files to the drive in the same order they were in the directory listing.
Maximum optimization of disk read functions!
I am so very, very glad those days are over. Not that I don't respect hand optimization, I consider it a sign of a true artiste. Linus talking recently about the lovingly hand-optimized low-level look-up that Linux does faster than any other OS comes immediately to mind.
I'm just very glad that I can ignore all that and just play. What? Disk getting full? Where's that 2TB backup drive!