AllegroCDFS speed tests

AllegroCDFS is at present the fastest CD filesystem for Amiga computers. Below please find the results from speed measurements for AllegroCDFS and the very popular filesystem of CacheCDFS. For the test, a CD-ROM enclosed with the Amiga Format No. 12/99 was used.

The test consisted in copying the contents of the -websites-\F1_GP drawer from the CD-ROM to RAM:. This folder includes over 1,100 files for the total size of 19,083,695 bytes. The test has been performed on computers fitted with the most popular turbo cards with 32MB RAM.

The results:
Turbo board AllegroCDFS CacheCDFS
Blizzard 1260/50 16.8 sec. 26.6 sec.
Apollo 1240/40 20.2 sec. 29.2 sec.
Apollo 1240/33 23.0 sec. 32.0 sec.
Blizzard 1240/40 23.0 sec. 32.1 sec.
Blizzard 1230-IV 24.7 sec. 35.6 sec.
BlizzardPPC 68040/25 25.0 sec. 38.0 sec.
Elbox 1230/40-II 36.0 sec. 50.0 sec.

AllegroCDFS ver. 2.1 (24 Oct 1999)
CacheCDFS ver. 42.19 (10 Jun 1999) from AmigaOS 3.5

The test was made on Amiga 1200 rev.2B with PowerFlyer Gold with the CD-ROM x48 (SAMSUNG SC-148) drive switched to PIO-4.

The test was made with AF CD No.46 (Amiga Format Issue 130 December 1999)

The test program (script):

TESTAF1
copy CD2:-websites-/start.html ram: ; *** CD-ROM motor start ***
delete ram:start.html
date ; *** start copying ***
copy CD2:-websites-/F1_GP ram:F1_GP ALL QUIET
date ; *** end copying ***
delete ram:F1_GP ALL QUIET
date


To run the script write:
execute TESTAF1

Filesystem preferences:
Both filesystem had the some (optimal) configuration: Buffer set on 64 lines (two sectors in one line). For AllegroCDFS is the default, for CacheCDFS LC=2, Buffers=64. Each measurement was taken 10 times. Table results are average value from the 10 readings.


TEST RESULTS EXPLAINED

In the measured with testing procedure, the drawer entire contents (-websites-\F1_GP) was copied to RAM:.

The measured time includes 3 elements:

  1. Filesystem operations: searching information on files, finding appropriate paths, sectors,...


  2. The time needed by scsi.device for transmitting the data from the filesystem to buffers in the turbo card FastRAM.


  3. The time, within which the ram-handler rewrites data from the buffer to the RAM: logical device.

How long each of these operation take?

Re 1. Depening on the processor's speed:
from 3.3 sec. (B1260/50) to 14.0 sec. (E1230/40) for AllegroCDFS
from 13.1 sec. (B1260/50) to 28.0 sec. (E1230/40) for CacheCDFS

Re 2. In all tests as above, the time exceeds ca. 9 sec. (with the standard A1200 IDE controller, it takes ca. 3 times more).

Re 3. Depending on the turbo card (or rather on the speed of processor and Fast memory controller in the card), the operation lasts from 4.5 sec. (B1260/50) to 13.0 sec. (E1230/40).

AllegroCDFS filesystem is from 2 to 4 times faster than CacheCDFS. Achieving this major advantage over other filesystems was possible as this filesystem has been entirely written in assembler. Very efficient cache mechanisms have been employed in it.

The AllegroCDFS code is optimised for 68040 and 68060 processors, therefore the difference in speed for these processors is highest.


Note:
All equipment used in the testing is publicly available shipping hardware and software. Tests were made on 29 August 1999.