README.TXT V1.10 9-DEC-90 This file contains comments about the disk performance comparison test programs. ***************************************************************** COPYRIGHT 1984, 1988, 1990 BY COMPUTER PROGRAMMING SERVICES ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Computer Programming Services 1925 W. Glenoaks Boulevard Glendale, CA 91201 (213) 849-4082 Users may NOT sell this software. COMPUTER PROGRAMMING SERVICES DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES ON THIS SOFTWARE AND SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE, INCLUDING INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, RESULTING FROM ITS USE. COMPUTER PROGRAMMING SERVICES ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR COMMITMENT TO NOTIFY USERS OF ANY FUTURE CHANGES, UPDATES, AND/OR MODIFICATIONS MADE TO THIS SOFTWARE. ***************************************************************** The disk exerciser programs provide a method for comparing the performance of different disks. For example, how do disks compare when writing one large file or when writing many small files. On completion, each test program displays the program name and the time it took to run, except for TEST11 which displays a 'Figure of Merit'( = bytes/second). This performance comparison test package consists of 13 programs. Not all the programs can be run on all disks due to size constraints. 350 blocks minimum available disk space Run test programs TEST1 thru TEST5 and TEST11 600 blocks minimum available disk space Run test programs TEST1 thru TEST7 and TEST11 5500 blocks minimum available disk space Run test programs TEST1 thru TEST11, including SPACE2 where indicated 18000 blocks minimum available disk space Run test programs TEST1 thru TEST11, including SPACE2 and SPACE8 where indicated TEST12 AND TEST13 REQUIRE 24,000 BLOCKS TO RUN!!! See DSKTST.INS for complete instructions. The programs are written with the assumption that you will exercise a EMPTY volume that has been initialized using the maximum number of segments for that type of device. (i.e. for an RX02, INIT/SEG:13) The files written by these programs have file names of the form Nnnn. There are no file extensions. (i.e. N1.,N300.) Obviously then, 'DEL/NOQ dev:N*.' will delete all these files from the specified device. In programs TEST1 thru TEST10, if a file cannot be opened for any reason, the program will exit. The message 'ERROR IN OPENING FILE. PROGRAM ABORTED.' will appear. Check the directory size, space on the disk, etc. to determine the problem. In TEST11, if the channel cannot be opened, the message 'TILT !!!' will appear. Test programs TEST1, TEST2, TEST3, TEST4, and TEST5 were designed with VM in mind and are useful for normalizing purposes. They can be used for comparing CPU speeds and memory speeds in general terms. The tests will be run on the device you assign XX0:. In order to use SPACE2.COM and SPACE8.COM, you will need an auxillary volume of at least 250 blocks to assign XX2:. The run times are NOT, generally, a function of the device the system is on but most of the published data was run from RX02. NOTES FOR THOSE WHO ONLY HAVE RX01 FLOPPY DISKS If you are testing an RX01 with the system booted on the other drive, there is only sufficient space on the system disk for 2 or 3 of the TESTn.SAV files at a time. Obviously, it will be necessary for you to copy the required TESTn.SAV files to the system disk between tests. GENERAL WARNING THESE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN RUN SUCCESSFULLY ON A WIDE VARIETY OF PDP-11 SYSTEMS AND ON A WIDE VARIETY OF CONTROLLERS AND DISKS. IF YOU FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AND SOMETHING ABORTS, YOU SHOULD ASSUME YOU HAVE MADE A MISTAKE OR YOU HAVE HARDWARE PROBLEMS! FIRMWARE REVS AND BAD MSCP EMULATIONS HAVE BEEN REAL PROBLEMS.