Optimizing Cache Performance For Desktop And Server Applications - Seagate 15K.4 - Cheetah - Hard Drive Product Manual

4.5.3

Optimizing cache performance for desktop and server applications

Desktop and server applications require different drive caching operations for optimal performance. This
means it is difficult to provide a single configuration that meets both of these needs. In a desktop environment,
you want to configure the cache to respond quickly to repetitive accesses of multiple small segments of data
without taking the time to "look ahead" to the next contiguous segments of data. In a server environment, you
want to configure the cache to provide large volumes of sequential data in a non-repetitive manner. In this
case, the ability of the cache to "look ahead" to the next contiguous segments of sequential data is a good
thing.
The Performance Mode (PM) bit controls the way the drive switches the cache buffer into different modes of
segmentation. In "server mode" (PM bit = 0), the drive can dynamically change the number of cache buffer
segments as needed to optimize the performance, based on the command stream from the host. In "desktop
mode" (PM bit = 1), the number of segments is maintained at the value defined in Mode Page 8, Byte 13, at all
times. For additional information about the PM bit, refer to the Unit Attention Parameters page (00h) of the
Mode Sense command (1Ah) in the Fibre Channel Interface Product Manual, part number 77767496.
Cheetah 15K.4 FC Product Manual, Rev. C 15