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BBC R&D White Paper WHP122

The development of performance models for media storage systems
Y. Xiao

Keywords
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Abstract
Modern professional media storage systems usually comprise of RAIDs, which help to improve the capacity and throughput of the system. Different performances from various manufacturers are easily measurable but difficult to predict and compare, because of the proprietary implementations of unique hardware structures and software configurations.

In addition, as technologies spread across all levels of the market, storage systems made of commodity components start to exhibit similar throughput capacities too, blurring the boundaries between the tailor-made and homemade while rendering the comparisons more confusing.

A model is therefore developed to evaluate the performances more analytically. This paper firstly categorises the various RAID levels and evaluates their features. Then it introduces the special test software used for the analysis. Hence it explains the underlying mathematic theory behind the different throughput behaviours. Any other factor affecting the throughput of certain types of storage systems is also identified and taken into consideration in the model. With annotated performance graphs plotted from test results, the development of the performance model is described.

This document was originally published in the Proceedings of the International Broadcasting Convention, September 2005.