Raid 1 - 5Mil+ File Transfer

I am trying to move some data from one external hard drive(which I removed and installed the drive in the machine) onto a new raid 1 array. The transfer speeds seem very slow, but I am not sure as I have never moved this amount of files before.

I am trying to move 5,000,000+ 75-150kb files onto the array, the transfer speeds are about 5MB, is this normal? It seems slow as 160GB has taken 5hours...

ThermoDust84Asked: 2012-12-31

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LVL 8

teomcamCommented: 2013-01-01

There is not much you can do, that is nature of the data transfer. If the number of files are so much then you will experince surprisingly slow speeds as all files indivudally have their own attiributes to be written. Upon completion of each file those attributes also written one by one thats why the data transfer speed is unbelivably slow but it is normal, just let it finish its work. You can test that fact by using 1 single file from the same source HDD to same destination. You may use a iso file with a size of a couple of gigabytes. You will see 1 single file will be copied much much faster.
Your number of files are crazy, 5.000.000+ of 150KB files waoow :) Everything just normal dont worry.

LVL 8

teomcamCommented: 2013-01-01

Hi,

Yes that is very very normal as your number of files are a lot. For example;

1GB data as 1 File only= 1 minute
1GB data as 500 files =8 minutes

ThermoDust84Author Commented: 2013-01-01

Darn, any way to improve the speed?

LVL 47

DavidPresidentCommented: 2013-01-01

Get a faster external HDD interface. Looks like you are using USB2. Go USB3 or eSATA and you'll be at least 10X faster.

(Or just leave the HDD inside the machine and copy via 1GigE ethernet to another computer. That also will be at least 10X faster.

ThermoDust84Author Commented: 2013-01-01

dlethe Posted on 2013-01-01 at 00:10:21ID: 38734130

Get a faster external HDD interface. Looks like you are using USB2. Go USB3 or eSATA and you'll be at least 10X faster.

(Or just leave the HDD inside the machine and copy via 1GigE ethernet to another computer. That also will be at least 10X faster.

It is in the machine, I removed it from the external.

LVL 20

wolfcamelCommented: 2013-01-01

lots of small files also means a lot of directory and FAT updates, this typically means the disk heads are going back and forth with a lot of random read and writes.

The only things you can really do to improve speed..
stop other services on the machine - particularly antivirus - but then give the drive a manual full scan when you are finished.
If the AV is scanning each file as it gets copied that will represent an overhead you can most likely be comfortable in turning off.