Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!cadre!cgw
From: cgw@cadre.dsl.PITTSBURGH.EDU (Gray Watson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Virtual Memory and hard disk life
Keywords: Virtual Memory
Message-ID: <2872@cadre.dsl.PITTSBURGH.EDU>
Date: 1 Jun 89 20:29:17 GMT
References: <13548@ut-emx.UUCP>
Reply-To: cgw@cadre.dsl.pittsburgh.edu (Gray Watson)
Organization: Office of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh
Lines: 22

In article <13548@ut-emx.UUCP> osmigo@ut-emx.UUCP writes:
>It seems to me that if you used Virtual Memory as your "standard, everyday
>setup," it would involve INSTENSE, CONTINUOUS hard disk accessing, in contrast
>to the occasional "chirp" of the drive we now experience.
>
>Given that the more frequently something operates, the sooner it breaks,I'm 
>wondering if the upcoming virtual memory enhancement would significantly 
>reduce hard disk longevity. 
>Ron Morgan    {ames, utah-cs, uunet, gatech}!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!osmigo

I guess the question here is: what part of the hard-drive usually fails first
due to longevity or use over a long period of time??

As far as I know, most of the hard disk failures, I've heard of, have been
bering and drive-motor problems.  If this was indeed the case then intensive
use by virtual memory drivers, which don't increase usage of these parts, would
NOT decrease the HD's life expectancy.

On the other hand if most of the failures come from the head or any other part
that will be affected by increased io then this would be a problem.

gray