84 replies to this topic

[NoUserName]

Thanks a lot for all the feedback.
I am sorry for not placing enough information about the exact situation.
We are a small media producing company that are working under short term contracts out sourced for some local TV channels to record its shows on a daily base and do video encoding to various format like .avi, .rm, .flv, .mp3 … and upload it to famous websites plus a .mpeg copy to be given to the channel itself.
Exact situation simply like this:
- 20 computers DELL OptiPlex GX620 Pentium d using windows XP, all computers' cpu placed in a one big rack, no monitor, no speakers, no mouse, no keyboards, but just the cpu and lan and power cables plus the LNB cable.
- Each DELL OptiPlex GX620 one has a satellite pci card (TeVii S420 DVB-S PCI) as shown here:
http://www.tevii.com...ucts_S420_1.asp
Each computer do nothing except recording … this is why the low configurations for OptiPlex GX620 working great for us.
Each computer recording a very big file which is about 10-11 gb on a daily base (each new day mean a new file).
Also 4 other main computers using windows 7with i7 2600k with 16 gb ram and high features to do the video encoding.
To save a place we only have the cpu of the OptiPlex GX620 and access it from the i7s computers using remote desktop.
Sorry for spamming or bothering you with my silly details but it is just to place you in my place with exact situation.
Back to topic subject … the need for the copy software is to copy the .mpeg2 recorded files from the DELL OptiPlex GX620 computers to the i7 ones to do the main work which is video encoding.
I've realized that dell network is 10\100\1000 … but right now I am only on 10\100 mode only … (Thanks for pointing out the 10/100/1000 tip).
Also switches we have is only 10/100 … Thanks again for this tip guys
So the issue now is a magic solution or a tool to do the copy as fast as possible.
Also using 10/100/1000 switches and cables will help improve the speed or may still the same? Please clear this issue.
I think we have 5 or maybe more D-Link 10-100-1000 lan pci cards to may be used if this will help (this to be used with i7 computers but I think the motherboard gigabyte z68 maybe support 10-100-1000 mode.
So please advise what I shall do to do a fast copy and save our time as it is a very critical issue for our contract that may lead to cancel it if we did not succeed it.
Thanks for your time and sorry once again for a long post.

[+sc302]

You must understand something very very clearly. You are at the physical limit of the 10/100 switch. You need to change this out to get faster transfer rates. If these are new files that are getting created this large there is no software out there that will help your situation. If these files are being added to, eg: you have a word file and each day new data is getting added to that word file, then there is software that can help you.

Switch out the 10/100 switch for a gigabit switch to increase bandwidth utilization 10 times. The 10/100 switch is what is slowing you down, all equipment has to be 1000Mb/s for you to get 1000Mb/s, if not it will slow down to the slowest piece of equipment

-------------------------------------------------
Example
1pc 10/100/1000 - 1 switch 10/100 - 1pc 10/100/1000

the switch can only handle up to 100 so all traffic going through this will be at 100

--------------------------------------------------
1pc 10/100 - 1 switch 10/100/1000 - 1pc 10/100/1000

The pc to the right will get gigabit, which is all great, but will only trasfer from the pc on the left at 100 speed.

--------------------------------------------------

I hope that clears things up for you.

[NoUserName]

sc302, on 30 March 2012 - 18:49, said:

You must understand something very very clearly. You are at the physical limit of the 10/100 switch. You need to change this out to get faster transfer rates. If these are new files that are getting created this large there is no software out there that will help your situation. If these files are being added to, eg: you have a word file and each day new data is getting added to that word file, then there is software that can help you.

Switch out the 10/100 switch for a gigabit switch to increase bandwidth utilization 10 times. The 10/100 switch is what is slowing you down, all equipment has to be 1000Mb/s for you to get 1000Mb/s, if not it will slow down to the slowest piece of equipment.

Ok, I will buy 4 switches cisco small business edition 8 ports each 10-100-1000 (then bridge each 2 switches together to have a 14 ports one because the 16 ports or 24 ports one is very expensive) and a cat 6 cables.
So you mean the transfer with the same software (teracopy 0 richcopy) will jump up when I use the 10/100/1000 instead?
The current rate is 9:10 mb/second as I mentioned earlier.
What is the expected rate with the 10/100/1000 tools (lan card or port - switch - cable)?
Thanks

[+BudMan]

I just gave you an example of what speed you can expect.. I see like 70MBps easy, with 95MBps in some testing over my home gig network. This is using cheap cards and cheap disks - everything is on the cheap

Keep in mind as sc302 clearly pointed out -- you have to have gig end to end. There can not be anything between the 2 machines at 100 or your going to be limited to that speed.

Once you move to gig, your bottle neck is more likely going to be your drives and not the network.. Currently your network is limiting you to that 9.1MBps speed.. This is about the best you can see with 100mbit.. Yah might be able to squeeze out 10 -- but just doing the simple math. Saying you could get all 100mbps -- which you can't!!! Simple 100/8 give you max theory raw speed of like 12.5, now take into account the overhead of tcp and then the protocol your using to move the files.. And yeah 10 is freaking SCREAMING!!! on a 100mbps connection.. If you seeing 9.1 that is pretty good.

But once you move to gig you should see like 50 without any problem. If not -- let us know and we can do some digging to why not, etc.

BTW you don't really need cat6 - 5e will work just fine! But you can get 16 or 24 port gigs for pretty cheap vs buying multiple little ones.

Here is a 24 porter for $150
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817111031

Gig switches are not that exp these days. Since your moving large files, once you could go gig you could look into jumbo frames as well.. This could get you some extra speed.. But need to make sure your cards and switches support it with the same sizes. Quite often the issues you run into with jumbo is that cards don't support same sizes that the switches do, etc. Or different makers cards might not support the same sizes as the cards in the other machines, etc.

Shoot here is a 24 porter for $107
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16833704065

[+sc302]

what budman said!!

[Cryton]

.

[+sc302]

Cryton, on 30 March 2012 - 20:01, said:

The answer is bittorrent.

That has as much to do with this as cows and sheep do. Might as well have told him that the answer is a big mac with a side of fries. But I am in for some schooling....how is that the answer on a lan?

[+BudMan]

torrents? No - sorry not by any means at all.

Now if he had to move these large files to like 500 different machines on the same lan ok. But he is moving files from the recording boxes to the transcoding boxes. There are only a few boxes involved. Torrents don't make a lot of sense for that sort of thing.

Shoot once he goes gig he should be able to move these files in couple of minutes vs the like 20 it takes him now.

[NoUserName]

Really thanks a lot for all these information from all of you, really too much appreciated.
I think the 10/100/1000 or Giga is a must now.

Please anotherthing but I do not know if it is suitable to ask here or open another new topic, it is regarding the switch:-

• a) Does connecting two switches, each one is 8 ports which equal 16-2=14 ports works the same as one switch with 16 ports or still one switch with 16 ports is a better performance in my cae?
  
• b) When I am comparing switches with the same features except different branding ... does it differ to use cisco or d-link or tp-link ...etc ?

Thanks a lot

[NoUserName]

Well, I've contacted my co-workers and they got 3 switches from this model:
http://www.newegg.co...pk=sg%20100d-08
to connect two of them for a big one.

and a one switch from model:
http://h10010.www1.h...0261.html?dnr=1
to connect it with the one from te three above to have a big one.

plus 20 pci cards d-link 10/100/1000

so please advise ... shall we use these devices as they already purchased (really they got it very fast lol) or it is better to get another alternate?

thanks a lot and really very sorry for bothering you all

also regarding the pci lan cards ... is it better to use the motherboard built-in lan port ? or to use the pci device ? I mean regarding performance and copy or transfer performance and time consuming?

Thanks

[NoUserName]

also I forget to ask about the buffer size I should ask about for the switch and does it matter or not?
thanks

[+sc302]

why so many switches. we showed 1 large one for 100, you just spent 180 for something that could have been had for 100, unless you need those switches in different areas....


onboard is just fine. buffer size I wouldn't worry too much about that, I would worry about if it supports jumbo frames and if the cards support jumbo frames (again useless if only one supports not the other, all have to support). Jumbo Frames could squeeze out some more bandwidth.

[NoUserName]

sc302, on 30 March 2012 - 23:16, said:

why so many switches.

It was not my decision to buy them but it is my other co-worker as he was in the mall while we were discussing it here.

sc302, on 30 March 2012 - 23:16, said:

we showed 1 large one for 100, you just spent 180 for something that could have been had for 100.

He has been advised by the guy in the mall to get them, and it was late to reach him I am afraid , but prices in local markets are not the same as newegg website but more cheap.

sc302, on 30 March 2012 - 23:16, said:

unless you need those switches in different areas....

No, all are in one place, so now shall I continue using these switches and bridging each two switches to become a bigger one or still 0ne with 16 ports is far better?

sc302, on 30 March 2012 - 23:16, said:

onboard is just fine.

Please I want to know if you mean it is the same performance as the performance of the pci cards or not?

sc302, on 30 March 2012 - 23:16, said:

buffer size I wouldn't worry too much about that?

Why? isn't not important?

sc302, on 30 March 2012 - 23:16, said:

I would worry about if it supports jumbo frames and if the cards support jumbo frames (again useless if only one supports not the other, all have to support). Jumbo Frames could squeeze out some more bandwidth.

Please I am still do not understand this Jumbo Frames thing correctly, please may you explain it more?

=> one last thing, regarding comparing brands, if I am comparing the same features for different brands, does it matter? or all are the same? cisco, d-link, tp-link?

Thanks a lot and too much appreciated.

[SirEvan]

intel gigabit nics are the best, make sure you enable jumbo frames if your switch supports it, it'll help out. I've gotten 100+MB/sec across my gig connection to my raid array

[+sc302]

NoUserName, on 31 March 2012 - 02:42, said:

No, all are in one place, so now shall I continue using these switches and bridging each two switches to become a bigger one or still 0ne with 16 ports is far better?

Lets start with this, transferring on a single switch would be faster. When you start daisy chaining (what you are doing by plugging one switch into another) you are creating a potential bottleneck. A good switch will transfer to each port a 1Gb/s, if you are transferring multiple gigs from switch1 to multiple gigs on switch 2 the link between switch one and switch two will be the bottleneck and your transfers will suffer and be cut in half. You loose the ability to transfer 1Gb/s to each port, and it becomes halfed or even less. This is why 1 switch is better.

NoUserName, on 31 March 2012 - 02:42, said:

Please I want to know if you mean it is the same performance as the performance of the pci cards or not?

I have not noticed any gain with going with a PCI nic when doing file transfers.

NoUserName, on 31 March 2012 - 02:42, said:

Why? isn't not important?

Well it is sort of important, but not really. You are doing copies, it would help more if you had a ton of devices making different requests. Your goal is to transfer data, not going to see much benefit with buffer size.

NoUserName, on 31 March 2012 - 02:42, said:

Please I am still do not understand this Jumbo Frames thing correctly, please may you explain it more?

Basically the largest transmit unit or MTU most devices and switches can transfer at is 1500. Anything above 1500 is considered a jumbo frame. Frames close less times per large file transfer when you use Jumbo Frames. You can get a bit more speed out of the line if you use Jumbo Frames. This may help a little: http://www.codinghor...mbo-frames.html

NoUserName, on 31 March 2012 - 02:42, said:

=> one last thing, regarding comparing brands, if I am comparing the same features for different brands, does it matter? or all are the same? cisco, d-link, tp-link?

Thanks a lot and too much appreciated.

You want to compare features of different switches, brands really don't matter much.