Hard drives
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| == Thrash the drive == | == Thrash the drive == | ||
| − | Drive thrashing should involve the looping creation (write) and md5sum (read) and then deletion of files of random sizes. Data from /dev/urandom. | + | Drive thrashing should involve the looping creation (write) and md5sum (read) and then deletion of files of random sizes. Data from /dev/zero | 
| − | * Is this efficient really? | + | * Is this efficient really? Do we need random filesizes? How about a range of constant sizes? Or just constant sizes?  | 
| + | == Destructive testing == | ||
| + | Test a drive and then stress it till the tests break. Keep going till the drive breaks...  | ||
| − | == [[Magnets]] == | ||
| − | |||
| − | What I have never seen is testing of magnets on drives. Now, I have alot of nice strong rare-earth magnets, and I have some old drives which are all but ready to be decomissioned.  | ||
| − | |||
| − | === Testing external magnetic effects on [[Hard drives]] === | ||
| # setup computer with an OS and boot drive.  | # setup computer with an OS and boot drive.  | ||
| # attach drive-to-test | # attach drive-to-test | ||
| # format drive | # format drive | ||
| − | # write data, md5sum written data | + | ## consider two partitions, then read/write files on both to observe :D | 
| − | # bring magnets to drive | + | # write data, md5sum written data (/dev/zero, or urandom data? Random size or predictable size? predictable sized zero data can have pre-known md5sums) | 
| + | # apply test | ||
| # md5sum data again to check against bit corruption | # md5sum data again to check against bit corruption | ||
| # consider 'spamsum' to check for how MUCH of the data is corrupted. | # consider 'spamsum' to check for how MUCH of the data is corrupted. | ||
| − | * consider applying all this in a loop which runs constant, generating files (/proc/partitions), md5sum, wait for magnets, md5sum again, delete and repeat | + | * consider applying all this in a loop which runs constant, generating files (/proc/partitions), md5sum, test, md5sum again, delete and repeat | 
| * 10meg files? | * 10meg files? | ||
| + | |||
| + | === [[Magnets]] === | ||
| + | I have alot of nice strong rare-earth magnets (from hard drives...) | ||
| * test for effects of magnetic field when writing files as well as reading | * test for effects of magnetic field when writing files as well as reading | ||
| + | * test the effect of a moving magnetic field, vs a static one (as applied both before and after a format of the drive?) | ||
| − | + | === foreign materials === | |
| − | == foreign materials == | ||
| * open breather hole, apply smoke | * open breather hole, apply smoke | ||
| ** thrash drive - how long till observable issues? | ** thrash drive - how long till observable issues? | ||
| − | * open breather hole, but apply coke (alternate: drill hole) | + | * open breather hole, but apply liquid (water or coke) | 
| ** will it seize up the drive? Or froth up the coke? | ** will it seize up the drive? Or froth up the coke? | ||
| + | * Drill hole - shavings do what now? | ||
| * sparkler (inverted, through pre-drilled hole) | * sparkler (inverted, through pre-drilled hole) | ||
| + | * spray paint (after opening drive)** chalk spray | ||
| + | ** metallic spray | ||
| + | ** apply soot | ||
| − | == Open drive == | + | == let's get physical...  == | 
| + | * you put your hard drive in, you pull your hard drive out, you put your hard drive in and you shake it all about | ||
| + | ** (not innuendo) | ||
| + | * melt solder to short or remove components | ||
| + | * hit drive with a hammer (rubber, then metal) | ||
| + | * drop drive (in as far as is possible when attached to cables) | ||
| * open drive entirely... :) | * open drive entirely... :) | ||
| − | ** create two partitions, then read/write files on both to observe :D | ||
| − | ** apply soot to drive platters, then see patterns with head movement... | ||
Latest revision as of 15:47, 15 December 2014
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[edit] Measuring drive performance
- A basic Linux utility to measure drive latency and throughput, and record these continuously.
[edit] Thrash the drive
Drive thrashing should involve the looping creation (write) and md5sum (read) and then deletion of files of random sizes. Data from /dev/zero
- Is this efficient really? Do we need random filesizes? How about a range of constant sizes? Or just constant sizes?
[edit] Destructive testing
Test a drive and then stress it till the tests break. Keep going till the drive breaks...
- setup computer with an OS and boot drive.
- attach drive-to-test
-  format drive
- consider two partitions, then read/write files on both to observe :D
 
- write data, md5sum written data (/dev/zero, or urandom data? Random size or predictable size? predictable sized zero data can have pre-known md5sums)
- apply test
- md5sum data again to check against bit corruption
- consider 'spamsum' to check for how MUCH of the data is corrupted.
- consider applying all this in a loop which runs constant, generating files (/proc/partitions), md5sum, test, md5sum again, delete and repeat
- 10meg files?
[edit] Magnets
I have alot of nice strong rare-earth magnets (from hard drives...)
- test for effects of magnetic field when writing files as well as reading
- test the effect of a moving magnetic field, vs a static one (as applied both before and after a format of the drive?)
[edit] foreign materials
-  open breather hole, apply smoke
- thrash drive - how long till observable issues?
 
-  open breather hole, but apply liquid (water or coke)
- will it seize up the drive? Or froth up the coke?
 
- Drill hole - shavings do what now?
- sparkler (inverted, through pre-drilled hole)
-  spray paint (after opening drive)** chalk spray
- metallic spray
- apply soot
 
[edit] let's get physical...
-  you put your hard drive in, you pull your hard drive out, you put your hard drive in and you shake it all about
- (not innuendo)
 
- melt solder to short or remove components
- hit drive with a hammer (rubber, then metal)
- drop drive (in as far as is possible when attached to cables)
- open drive entirely... :)

