sending data from two places at once

[donburkard]

if i have files on two computers (Both wireless) and want to send them to my shiny, new unraid server, can i send the files at the same time.  is it going to chock the server or the router (linksys wrt300n)?  the wireless is slower than S#!? so i figured i can just send the stuff wireless for now until i can run the wires thru the house and buy the gigabit router.

[RobJ]

I imagine the unRAID server is just going to be sitting there twiddling its thumbs, while waiting for your wireless clients.  You could probably send data from 4 or more stations simultaneously.

 

[Equilibrium]

I'd assume sending files over wireless will "choke" (use up all the wireless bandwidth) your wireless router. Even sending a single file would probably do that. I don't think you would benafit from sending multiple files from different sources simultaneously, it would probably just create congestion and slow the process down even further. (as apposed to sending the files from computer 1, and then sending them from computer 2 when finished)

[Billped]

I'd assume sending files over wireless will "choke" (use up all the wireless bandwidth) your wireless router. Even sending a single file would probably do that. I don't think you would benafit from sending multiple files from different sources simultaneously, it would probably just create congestion and slow the process down even further. (as apposed to sending the files from computer 1, and then sending them from computer 2 when finished)

 

Not necessarily.  Any one PC could see intermittent access to the access point so two PCs sending simultaneously would be more likely to consume all the bandwidth.  You are correct in that it certainly won't be twice as much.

 

 

Bill

[subwars]

main downside i see is, unless your using a cache disk on the unraid, or you have each computer sending to a different disk on the unraid. you could find the files your sending at the same time would become fraged. as it would be writing part of file number one in block x and file number to into block x+1 and then the next part of file number one into x+2 ect.

[Equilibrium]

main downside i see is, unless your using a cache disk on the unraid, or you have each computer sending to a different disk on the unraid. you could find the files your sending at the same time would become fraged. as it would be writing part of file number one in block x and file number to into block x+1 and then the next part of file number one into x+2 ect.

 

I was wondering about that too. (I'm a linux novice)  I thought linux doesn't allow for for fragged files? Perhaps ReiserFS does? How would sending 2 files at the same time work out?

[WeeboTech]

The more modern file systems resist fragmentation.

If it's really an issue, you can always copy the file to another drive and copy it back or something similar.

If fragmentation was an issue, there would be all sorts of fragmentation tools.

 

I would say not to worry about this for now unless you actually see it becoming a problem.

 

I've had ext3 file systems for years that are not severely fragmented.

 

Now if you had hundreds of workstations writing all sorts of smaller files constantly, It might be a concern.

Two stations sending data every now and then, not much of a concern.

 

If you use a cache disk, fragmentation should be of little concern.

With a cache disk the files exist there for a number of hours and are then moved to a final spot on the protected array in one sweep.

 

 

 

 

 

[RobJ]

You make a good point about the Cache drive.  It will have a defragging effect on all files that use it.  I added a note to the wiki about it here:  http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=Improving_unRAID_Performance#Use_Cache_Drive.