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How do hybrid drives work?
Can someone explain how hybrid drives work? I understand SSD's and how
they have to be "cleaned up" using TRIM or some other means, but does a hybrid have some built-in mechanism to do a similar function on the solid state portion of the hybrid? |
#2
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How do hybrid drives work?
On 20/06/2014 3:26 PM, Charlie Hoffpauir wrote:
Can someone explain how hybrid drives work? I understand SSD's and how they have to be "cleaned up" using TRIM or some other means, but does a hybrid have some built-in mechanism to do a similar function on the solid state portion of the hybrid? A hybrid drive will also by necessity need to support the TRIM command. It is one part SSD, and one part HDD. The SSD part is no different than any other pure SSD. Yousuf Khan |
#3
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How do hybrid drives work?
On Fri, 20 Jun 2014 16:49:05 -0400, Yousuf Khan
wrote: On 20/06/2014 3:26 PM, Charlie Hoffpauir wrote: Can someone explain how hybrid drives work? I understand SSD's and how they have to be "cleaned up" using TRIM or some other means, but does a hybrid have some built-in mechanism to do a similar function on the solid state portion of the hybrid? A hybrid drive will also by necessity need to support the TRIM command. It is one part SSD, and one part HDD. The SSD part is no different than any other pure SSD. Yousuf Khan Ok, thanks for that, it makes sense even to me. But, then it would seem that I could use a small SSD to improve the performance of my 1 TB disk drive, and somehow keep all the actual data on the hard drive (where it is now). I presently have a 250 GB SSD that has OS and programs, and 1 TB Hard drive, and an old 125 GB SSD thats not being used any more (it was originally used for the OS and Programs). Is there a way to utilize that SSD like it was a part of a hybrid drive? |
#4
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How do hybrid drives work?
On 20/06/2014 5:00 PM, Charlie Hoffpauir wrote:
Ok, thanks for that, it makes sense even to me. But, then it would seem that I could use a small SSD to improve the performance of my 1 TB disk drive, and somehow keep all the actual data on the hard drive (where it is now). I presently have a 250 GB SSD that has OS and programs, and 1 TB Hard drive, and an old 125 GB SSD thats not being used any more (it was originally used for the OS and Programs). Is there a way to utilize that SSD like it was a part of a hybrid drive? There was a class of SSD's sold called SSD accelerators, but I don't think that you can use any old SSD to be an accelerator, it requires special firmware, I guess. Basically, it looks like part of an existing hard drive. Yousuf Khan |
#5
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How do hybrid drives work?
On Fri, 20 Jun 2014 16:00:50 -0500, Charlie Hoffpauir
wrote: But, then it would seem that I could use a small SSD to improve the performance of my 1 TB disk drive, and somehow keep all the actual data on the hard drive (where it is now). I presently have a 250 GB SSD that has OS and programs, and 1 TB Hard drive, and an old 125 GB SSD thats not being used any more (it was originally used for the OS and Programs). Is there a way to utilize that SSD like it was a part of a hybrid drive? Should be, although in practice that sort of arrangement is only sold on a couple of (somewhat discounted) niche SSD units, their requirement being Windows8 in order to function, which neither W7 or XP will apparently properly fulfill. All else being equal, the machine processor and architecture being the same, either that particular SSD lacks what else in component logic a SSD normally has, or software available to Windows 8 is less conspicuously made available, to provide as driver-kernel adaptations, for a similar function you're proposing. Unless of course you were running W8 and unaware of the potential. Reviews, nonetheless, do appear positively received. Have you considered dividing the 250G/byte HDD into two 125G/b drives, one of which will be the SSD for sharing with the platter drive in a RAID configuration. Not that, seriously, I've ever heard of anyone attempting such;- I just wouldn't offhand see why not. I do have, I should say, at present near 300G/byte of free space, 22G/b is inexcusably RAW;- 80G/b of that sum being SSD real estate, for somewhat of a similar quandary off fluctuating odds, from a resulting 200G of platters, which variously are filled, replenished with datum of a somewhat lesser consequence to import. Backups, if not among by in large unused potentials of sundry and questionable lasting viability. The advantage should be half your data reads and writes will infinitesimally become a negligible factor of direct SSD NAND access, or at least, possibly, as fast as two adapted RAID 10K/rpm performance class HDDs. Perhaps you're fortunate. Unlike 250G/bytes of platters comprising programs and an OS, my OS is under two gigabyte (a temporary 3/Gb swap file is assigned elsewhere to a plattered drive), and my programs only occupy 5/Gbyte, again on another logical partition. However, all are already on SSD with still 80Gbyte surplus, aforementioned, now largely unaccounted. Or, perhaps not. Last RAID I attempted, I killed both HDD units, Western Digitals. Perhaps when 120G/b, maybe 200G/b drives were popular upper-range storage facilities. Neither lasted long enough to amount to doodly-squat, though, in my estimation. Haven't tried RAID since, nor a Western Digital, come to think of it. |
#6
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How do hybrid drives work?
On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:21:54 -0400, Flasherly
wrote: Haven't tried RAID since, nor a Western Digital, come to think of it. Wrong. Have one and only one WD: a 640G/b HDD. Been running like a gang-buster, and looks to want to replace as long as my oldest Seagate 200&250G/b have run. Over ten years continuous operation when I can swing them into a steady-eddy machine. |
#7
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How do hybrid drives work?
On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:29:17 -0400, Flasherly
wrote: On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:21:54 -0400, Flasherly wrote: Haven't tried RAID since, nor a Western Digital, come to think of it. Wrong. Have one and only one WD: a 640G/b HDD. Been running like a gang-buster, and looks to want to replace as long as my oldest Seagate 200&250G/b have run. Over ten years continuous operation when I can swing them into a steady-eddy machine. You mentioned RAID earlier in the thread, and I did have that arrangement for a couple of years before I got the first SSD. First tried a pair of 500 GB Seagates, and that worked fine giving me a TB for programs and data. As data grew (I do a lot of Photoshop and Video), I changed that to a pair of Hitachi 1TB ea in RAID and that also worked great. However, I'm paranoid about backups, and particularly with the RAID 0 arrangement containing "everything", so I got a 2 TB Seagate and backed everything up to it twice a day via scheduled tasks to run batch files. Now, I have the Samsung SSD holding OS and programs, and so only back it up occasionally (once every few months) but back up the data disk daily. I was thinking of setting up a RAID 0 arrangement just for the data, but then was hit with the idea of somehow utilizing the older SSD to get faster reads and writes from the data disk. Right now the problem is that I'm running out of SATA ports, and my MB is kind of old and only supports SATA II. That's limiting the SSD speed and probably also a RAID config. I've ordered a SATA card that supports SATA III (Startech XSAT34RH) so I'll see what that does. Earlier attempts to use another SATA card in a PCI slot didn't work.... probably a MB problem because I tried two cards and neither worked. |
#8
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How do hybrid drives work?
On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 09:23:42 -0500, Charlie Hoffpauir
wrote: Interesting - sounds you've been using some pretty efficient practices, raiding along with a backup. I never got into it that long to be able to develop a RAID preference. Pretty well disgusted me when I lost one HDD in a RAID config within a year and the other shortly after. COMPUSA purchased HDDs on sale may have been a part of that, although HDDs never are exactly all that cheap, at least to me, and I do expect better than that;- another factor is I don't believe they were exact serial# duplicates, although very close. (Oh well, it's a big world. Not much of a NTFS fan, either - for another story - and almost exclusively run FAT32 given that option.) Know that story well - running out of SATA ports. Startech XSAT34RH, eh - 4 ports of course do cost more. Not many (6 on NewEgg / 16 on Amazon) reviews at the commonplace purchasing outlets, though they do lean to favorable. My last was a $5 board (shipping included for a god's-sake Newegg sale), but I started having trouble with a 1T HDD on it - so I guess I got lucky and got the HDD off it before I really got "in some instances, exactly what you paid for and deserve." Bought another board - $19 Silicon Image. They're all somewhat similar to me - 2 ports, cheap, (well - for me, could have been cheaper yet), and lots of reviews. This one has a different player for the actual chipset, along claims to 3T recognition for fame. My standards, though, are survivability, and for a multimedia center all that basically entails is to function properly and last until either I'm sick of it and/or it's outdated and fit for a trash barrel. Not sure why two others shouldn't have worked. Granted, especially with bottom-feeding prices I indulge, I wouldn't especially trust an overall integrity of PCI controllers (as much as native MB chips), although I can usually get them up and at least going. 6G/b thruput on an older MB PCI architecture, though - can't say I've asked for that. Does sound nice and if you do realize those speeds...interesting. I've also older MBs and presently have at best seen occasional 90Kbyte/sec with SSD related transfers. Normal speeds can range from a Class10 USB flashstick, at 20-30K/b/s, to 20-50K/b/s on platter-to-platter transfers. Nothing stellar in a relative sense and in case you've ever owned RLL or MFM drives -- 10-20M HDDs - an "upgrade" of course from computing on only a floppy-based system. Hope the Startech XSAT34RH comes thru and does it for you. I was thinking of setting up a RAID 0 arrangement just for the data, but then was hit with the idea of somehow utilizing the older SSD to get faster reads and writes from the data disk. Right now the problem is that I'm running out of SATA ports, and my MB is kind of old and only supports SATA II. That's limiting the SSD speed and probably also a RAID config. I've ordered a SATA card that supports SATA III (Startech XSAT34RH) so I'll see what that does. Earlier attempts to use another SATA card in a PCI slot didn't work.... probably a MB problem because I tried two cards and neither worked. |
#9
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How do hybrid drives work?
Update...
I rec'd the Startech XSAT34RH card yesterday and installed it. It doesn't work at all, my computer wouldn't POST with it installed. However, I don't necessarily think this is a problem with the Startech, I've never been able to get anything but a video card to work in that PCI video slot, even tho the cards (including the Startech) say they will work. I suspect it's a problem with my old Foxconn MB. I guess I'll have to be satisfied with SATA II speeds on my SSD and HDD's for a while. It's going back to Newegg today. On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 16:08:07 -0400, Flasherly wrote: On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 09:23:42 -0500, Charlie Hoffpauir wrote: Interesting - sounds you've been using some pretty efficient practices, raiding along with a backup. I never got into it that long to be able to develop a RAID preference. Pretty well disgusted me when I lost one HDD in a RAID config within a year and the other shortly after. COMPUSA purchased HDDs on sale may have been a part of that, although HDDs never are exactly all that cheap, at least to me, and I do expect better than that;- another factor is I don't believe they were exact serial# duplicates, although very close. (Oh well, it's a big world. Not much of a NTFS fan, either - for another story - and almost exclusively run FAT32 given that option.) Know that story well - running out of SATA ports. Startech XSAT34RH, eh - 4 ports of course do cost more. Not many (6 on NewEgg / 16 on Amazon) reviews at the commonplace purchasing outlets, though they do lean to favorable. My last was a $5 board (shipping included for a god's-sake Newegg sale), but I started having trouble with a 1T HDD on it - so I guess I got lucky and got the HDD off it before I really got "in some instances, exactly what you paid for and deserve." Bought another board - $19 Silicon Image. They're all somewhat similar to me - 2 ports, cheap, (well - for me, could have been cheaper yet), and lots of reviews. This one has a different player for the actual chipset, along claims to 3T recognition for fame. My standards, though, are survivability, and for a multimedia center all that basically entails is to function properly and last until either I'm sick of it and/or it's outdated and fit for a trash barrel. Not sure why two others shouldn't have worked. Granted, especially with bottom-feeding prices I indulge, I wouldn't especially trust an overall integrity of PCI controllers (as much as native MB chips), although I can usually get them up and at least going. 6G/b thruput on an older MB PCI architecture, though - can't say I've asked for that. Does sound nice and if you do realize those speeds...interesting. I've also older MBs and presently have at best seen occasional 90Kbyte/sec with SSD related transfers. Normal speeds can range from a Class10 USB flashstick, at 20-30K/b/s, to 20-50K/b/s on platter-to-platter transfers. Nothing stellar in a relative sense and in case you've ever owned RLL or MFM drives -- 10-20M HDDs - an "upgrade" of course from computing on only a floppy-based system. Hope the Startech XSAT34RH comes thru and does it for you. |
#10
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How do hybrid drives work?
On Tue, 24 Jun 2014 10:18:24 -0500, Charlie Hoffpauir
wrote: Update... I rec'd the Startech XSAT34RH card yesterday and installed it. It doesn't work at all, my computer wouldn't POST with it installed. However, I don't necessarily think this is a problem with the Startech, I've never been able to get anything but a video card to work in that PCI video slot, even tho the cards (including the Startech) say they will work. I suspect it's a problem with my old Foxconn MB. I guess I'll have to be satisfied with SATA II speeds on my SSD and HDD's for a while. It's going back to Newegg today. That's too bad. ASUS, Gigabyte -- MSI, Intel. The list grows narrower over time, at least for me, brands boards I've owned. MSI, haven't owned one in ages, though they used to treat me right. Of course that StarTech works (along with a zillion other $10-20 class, 2-port SI/SYBA controllers out there). It's the MB. Ideal way to address it, most confidence I'd feel, would be a MB itself. I really don't like adding another $20 to the cost of a MB for a controller, I feel the MB should provide. Of course the problem is mine, in selection of the right MB, in the first place, for future contingencies and available ports. Price of memory and a CPU/heatsink, though may not make it feasible -- (or conversely) may: I bought both a used x2 4200 AMD dualcore CPU and memory DDR2 from EBAY on my last system. Memory twice (I screwed up the first purchase). Add another $35 to the cost of the MB ($15 CPU, $10 heatsink, $15 a gigabyte memory). Presently on my second PCI controller FWIW: the 1st, Silicon Image I paid $5/shipped (NewEgg), after a year in operation was potentially trying to kill my 1T Samsung HDD (some "nasty issues" were arising). This second, I'm now running, cost $20 and its still a Syba/SI (all those controllers I buy are basically in the same class -- cheap as I can get them for the most decent reviews), except for a different chipset controller. Got a "hunch" (famous last words, eh) it'll hold up. Only thing I don't skimp on if at all avoidable are MB brands and Power Suppy make/quality. I don't like usually to spend over $50, if that, for a MB. (Same goes for a PS.) Once, ages and ages ago, NewEgg sent me a returned-item, a videocard I bought after NewEgg marked it for a special sale. Perhaps somebody had overclocked the holy hell out of. In any event that was one and only item I've ever returned to them;- and the last time I ever bought from Newegg something other than indicated for factory new. Those Ebay purchases I mentioned: first time I've ever bought a computer part from Ebay. Got lucky. The cost of that StarTek, believe you mentioned in a $70 range, ouch - pricey little sucker considering potentials, nor something I'd care to spend. Most MBs now should contain 4 SATA HDD ports, a few likely have 6 ports -- all the latest greaest, faster speeds and standards &etc., not sure. Usually are a few decent ones under $50... |
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