Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations SkipVought on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
Do you run defrag?
- Thread starter 11kumi11
- Start date
Windows 2000 servers sometimes (about 2 times per year). I also have some Windows NT 4 servers and they works well without defragmentation. Windows 2000/XP workstations never. In fact I defragment them only after full reinstall. Windows 9x once in about 3 months.
===
Karlis
ECDL; MCSA
===
Karlis
ECDL; MCSA
- Thread starter
- #3
Here is some reading for you.
How to get defrag to run on a set schedule
thread779-1032305
Xp Defrag - Not All I Hoped For!
Thread779-872725
XP Attributes?
thread779-879324
Defrag "Tricks"
Boy, Do I Feel Dumb...
How to get defrag to run on a set schedule
thread779-1032305
Xp Defrag - Not All I Hoped For!
Thread779-872725
XP Attributes?
thread779-879324
Defrag "Tricks"
Boy, Do I Feel Dumb...
- Thread starter
- #6
I also use diskeeper, not only on the desktops on the servers too.
I checked my manuals from Microsoft for all of the servers, NT4, 2000 and 2003, and they all basically say this:
"...Anytime you add files to or remove files from a drive, the data on the drive can become fragmented. When a drive is fragmented, large files can't be written to a single continuous area on the disk. As a result the operating system must write the files to several smaller areas on the dik which means more time is spent reading the file from the disk. To reduce fragmentation, you should periodically analyze and defragment disks using Disk Defragmenter..."
For NT4, the manuals refer you to KB article 155679 about installing a 3rd party defragmenter. However the defragmenter in Windows Server 2000 was made for Microsoft by Executive Software, the developers of Diskeeper. In checking their help, I discovered that they have a product on the market for every Windows Software Version from Windows 95, to Windows Server 2003 w/Server Appliance Kit.
I know that my customers who hadn't been defragging told me after the first time I defragged their server that it ran quicker than it had before.
The thing I like about the Executive Diskeeper over the Microsoft version of it is that you can use "set it and forget it" so that you don't have to keep setting it up to run. They also have a program called administrator, which allows you to set and control the whole network's defragmenting from one point on your network, so the users don't have to worry. It also has a process called "frag shield" which will keep the paging file and the MFT in a contiguous manner so that as it grows it won't endup fragmenting. It also helps so that the MFT doesn't get overwritten by other files.
the Executive software version of diskeeper also allows you to set priorities for running it, so it is transparent to users.
I know that it sounds like I'm a sales person for Diskeeper, I'm not, I'm a computer instructor, who tests everything on my own machines before I will teach it. for me, on my personal machines, diskeeper increased the speed of the system a good 25%, and I'm running 1GB of RAM on my "play" machine. The rest of the network runs 512 MB of RAM per machine
The other thing I've noticed, as an A+ Tech is that using Diskeeper, or any defrag program, the read/write head doesn't have to keep moving over the disk searching for an empty spot to write data to because of the fragmentation. This saves wear and tear, and in the long run money, because the disk works better and longer!
I hope that will help you make your decision. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to send me a private msg.
By the way, I am the Network Administrator for a literacy program in Indiana. When I took over as Admin, there system was nothing but fragmented sectors on the drives and server. They have seen a 100% improvement since we started defragging their drive.
Kaycek
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't give up and Don't give in
I checked my manuals from Microsoft for all of the servers, NT4, 2000 and 2003, and they all basically say this:
"...Anytime you add files to or remove files from a drive, the data on the drive can become fragmented. When a drive is fragmented, large files can't be written to a single continuous area on the disk. As a result the operating system must write the files to several smaller areas on the dik which means more time is spent reading the file from the disk. To reduce fragmentation, you should periodically analyze and defragment disks using Disk Defragmenter..."
For NT4, the manuals refer you to KB article 155679 about installing a 3rd party defragmenter. However the defragmenter in Windows Server 2000 was made for Microsoft by Executive Software, the developers of Diskeeper. In checking their help, I discovered that they have a product on the market for every Windows Software Version from Windows 95, to Windows Server 2003 w/Server Appliance Kit.
I know that my customers who hadn't been defragging told me after the first time I defragged their server that it ran quicker than it had before.
The thing I like about the Executive Diskeeper over the Microsoft version of it is that you can use "set it and forget it" so that you don't have to keep setting it up to run. They also have a program called administrator, which allows you to set and control the whole network's defragmenting from one point on your network, so the users don't have to worry. It also has a process called "frag shield" which will keep the paging file and the MFT in a contiguous manner so that as it grows it won't endup fragmenting. It also helps so that the MFT doesn't get overwritten by other files.
the Executive software version of diskeeper also allows you to set priorities for running it, so it is transparent to users.
I know that it sounds like I'm a sales person for Diskeeper, I'm not, I'm a computer instructor, who tests everything on my own machines before I will teach it. for me, on my personal machines, diskeeper increased the speed of the system a good 25%, and I'm running 1GB of RAM on my "play" machine. The rest of the network runs 512 MB of RAM per machine
The other thing I've noticed, as an A+ Tech is that using Diskeeper, or any defrag program, the read/write head doesn't have to keep moving over the disk searching for an empty spot to write data to because of the fragmentation. This saves wear and tear, and in the long run money, because the disk works better and longer!
I hope that will help you make your decision. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to send me a private msg.
By the way, I am the Network Administrator for a literacy program in Indiana. When I took over as Admin, there system was nothing but fragmented sectors on the drives and server. They have seen a 100% improvement since we started defragging their drive.
Kaycek
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't give up and Don't give in
diskeeper. only on workstations. "set it and forget it" for after hours smart scheduling (not sure what server team does).
imo, ANY workstation needs a good defrag at least once a year. some more, depending on amount of regular large data copies/deletes/adds.
imo, ANY workstation needs a good defrag at least once a year. some more, depending on amount of regular large data copies/deletes/adds.
elgordo1960
Technical User
another vote for diskeeper..I have set to defrag in screen saver mode! I used windows defrag for years...what a nightmare!!
- Thread starter
- #11
Nelviticus
Programmer
There's an interesting article in the latest edition of PC Pro (a UK PC magazine) which argues that if you're seeing a big speedup after defragging then you should be asking serious questions about how your server it set up. That's the author's opinion, not mine!
Nelviticus
Nelviticus
DragonQ0105
Technical User
I run Diskeeper 9 Executive Version about once every 2-3 months on my 2 XP Pro SP2 Machines.
- Thread starter
- #15
I don't know what they're talking about. I am a network administrator and manage multiple servers and have never heard of that problem. Defragging a workstation has nothing to do with the server. I just downloaded a defrag program and configured it to run in the background. I'll find out later if it really runs in the background and doesn't interfere with what I'm doing or if it doesn't slow down my computer while it's running.
I would suggest that those of you who don't defrag look at the fragmentation amounts on your servers, as well as your workstations on a regular basis. I think you will be surprised at how badly fragmented they become and how short a time it takes.
I ran a search on the microsoft site regarding defragmentation, and here are some of the things I found.
This one is about an Exchange server and defragmentation Article Nuimber 328804 (it refers to 2003):
Disk defragmentation is the process of rearranging the data that is stored on a computer's hard disks to make the files more contiguous and to increase data access and retrieval speed. When you defragment your hard disks, you can increase disk performance and help the servers in your organization run more smoothly and efficiently, including the servers that are running Exchange
Here is information about Windows 2000 Active Directory Article Number 232122:
Active Directory automatically performs online defragmentation of the database at certain intervals (by default, every 12 hours) as part of the Garbage Collection process. Online defragmentation does not reduce the size of the database file (Ntds.dit), but instead optimizes data storage in the database and reclaims space in the directory for new objects.
Performing an offline defragmentation creates a new, compacted version of the database file. Depending on how fragmented the original database file was, the new file may be considerably smaller.
From Technet for Windows XP:
Disk Defragmenter consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk, so that each occupies a single, contiguous space on the volume As a result, your system can gain access to your files and folders and save new ones more efficiently. By consolidating your files and folders, Disk Defragmenter also consolidates the volume's free space, making it less likely that new files will be fragmented.
this is from the tech net and explains why volumes become fragmented:
Why volumes become fragmented
Volumes become fragmented as users create and delete files and folders, install new software, or download files from the Internet. Computers typically save files in the first contiguous free space that is large enough for the file. If a large enough free space is not available, the computer saves as much of the file as possible in the largest available space and then saves the remaining data in the next available free space, and so on.
After a large portion of a volume has been used for file and folder storage, most of the new files are saved in pieces across the volume. When you delete files, the empty spaces left behind fill in randomly as you store new ones.
The more fragmented the volume is, the slower the computer's file input/output performance will be.
Hope this will help you....
Kaycek
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't give up and Don't give in
I ran a search on the microsoft site regarding defragmentation, and here are some of the things I found.
This one is about an Exchange server and defragmentation Article Nuimber 328804 (it refers to 2003):
Disk defragmentation is the process of rearranging the data that is stored on a computer's hard disks to make the files more contiguous and to increase data access and retrieval speed. When you defragment your hard disks, you can increase disk performance and help the servers in your organization run more smoothly and efficiently, including the servers that are running Exchange
Here is information about Windows 2000 Active Directory Article Number 232122:
Active Directory automatically performs online defragmentation of the database at certain intervals (by default, every 12 hours) as part of the Garbage Collection process. Online defragmentation does not reduce the size of the database file (Ntds.dit), but instead optimizes data storage in the database and reclaims space in the directory for new objects.
Performing an offline defragmentation creates a new, compacted version of the database file. Depending on how fragmented the original database file was, the new file may be considerably smaller.
From Technet for Windows XP:
Disk Defragmenter consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk, so that each occupies a single, contiguous space on the volume As a result, your system can gain access to your files and folders and save new ones more efficiently. By consolidating your files and folders, Disk Defragmenter also consolidates the volume's free space, making it less likely that new files will be fragmented.
this is from the tech net and explains why volumes become fragmented:
Why volumes become fragmented
Volumes become fragmented as users create and delete files and folders, install new software, or download files from the Internet. Computers typically save files in the first contiguous free space that is large enough for the file. If a large enough free space is not available, the computer saves as much of the file as possible in the largest available space and then saves the remaining data in the next available free space, and so on.
After a large portion of a volume has been used for file and folder storage, most of the new files are saved in pieces across the volume. When you delete files, the empty spaces left behind fill in randomly as you store new ones.
The more fragmented the volume is, the slower the computer's file input/output performance will be.
Hope this will help you....
Kaycek
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't give up and Don't give in
- Thread starter
- #17
Yes, it does, and according to that article, Exchange is different, you can't defrag it while the database is running and once it's been defragged a new backup needs to be made of exchange because all the records have moved...
Kaycek
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't give up and Don't give in
Kaycek
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't give up and Don't give in
Here is another interesting acticle on defragmentation
?Is Daily Defragmentation Needed in Today?s Environment?"
?Is Daily Defragmentation Needed in Today?s Environment?"
I believe it, just with the little I read... and yes, Diskeeper does defrag the MFT, and the page file also. It is done on startup. it also will run a check disk on boot up as well... I have had my system up since January, and hadn't defragged. I found a lot of difference, and I know better!
Kaycek, A+
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keep trying no matter how hard it seems it will get easier
Kaycek, A+
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keep trying no matter how hard it seems it will get easier
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Question
