There are many issues involved in measuring the performance of hard disk drives. For
starters, there are different ways it can be measured, there are different ways to do it,
and important considerations to keep in mind when making the measurements.
The process of measuring the performance of a system or component is called benchmarking.
Its intention is to express the overall performance of a piece of hardware in numeric
terms. Benchmarking can provide useful data if it is done properly, and kept in
perspective. Unfortunately, benchmarking is a process that is greatly prone to error and
to exaggeration. In order to use benchmarks wisely, one must have a proper understanding
of the factors in measuring performance. It is also important to keep in mind that
benchmarking is not the only way to look at the matter of performance.
This section discusses some of the issues that are specifically relevant to the matter
of measuring the performance of hard disk drives.
Next: Putting Performance Measurement In Perspective
