Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!mcsun!ukc!acorn!moncam!emmo
From: emmo@moncam.co.uk (Dave Emmerson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Speeding up disk accesses - Food for thought.
Message-ID: <361@marvin.moncam.co.uk>
Date: 14 Jan 90 16:16:23 GMT
Organization: Monotype ADG, Cambridge, UK
Lines: 24

Several postings in recent weeks have prompted me to post this.
As I've only skimmed the literature on DOS file structures, I
acknowledge that my understanding of this may be incorrect. Feel
free to enlighten me..

Whenever I've formatted a hard disk I always begin by building the directory 
trees first, (that is, with NO FILES IN THEM). I have a small batch file
on floppy which does most of this automatically. Another small programme
creates this batch file if I want to copy/rebuild an existing disk.
Then the most frequently used files are copied into their respective 
directories, finally the remainder are installed.
The object of this is simply to keep the most often read tracks closest
to track 0, this should reduce the amount of stepping needed to access
any particular file more often than not. Even if the speed gain is
negligable, the saving in wear and tear on the stepper motor is worth
this small effort.
I've no idea what sort of improvement this yields, but I suspect it's
worthwhile on my system at least, since the hard disk is one of those
'intelligent' ones which self-park if you don't access it for half a
minute or so, and re-seeks track 0 next time it's accessed.

Anyone disagree?

Dave E.