RAID Spindle Calculator

Instructions:

Upper field: Enter IOs per seco

Frontend IOPS: 1000 Lower field: Enter percentage o
enter values here calculated automatically)
% Read IOs 67
% Write IOs 33 Caculation:
The colums in yellow, orange and

Backend IOs calculated on each

RAID Configuration RAID 1 & 10 RAID 5 RAID 6 the given Read/Write distribution.
random access pattern (database
Backend IOPS (random): 1330 1990 2650
Number of Disks specifys the am
RAID level with different disk type
Number of Disks needed: typical average for random acces
FC disks 180 IOPS 8 12 15
SAS Disk 200 IOPS 8 10 14 Legend:
SATA Disk 75 IOPS 18 27 36
Frontend IOs: Total number of R
application (e.g. MS Exchange) g

Backend IOs: Total number of R

RAID controller sends to its phys
due to the fact that depending on
perform multiple operations.
Application
Example:

1000 Frontend IOs; 67% Reads

(RAID 5 write penalty = 4; i.e. eac
Backend. Each Read IO causes 1
Frontend IOs
(between Application and Logical Volume) Reads: 1000 * 67% = 670 IOs
Writes: 1000 * 33% = 330 IOs * 4
Total: 1990 IOs
LUN Disks: 1990 IOs total / 200 per d

Backend IOs
(between RAID Controller and physical disks)
 uctions:

er field: Enter IOs per second the application generates in total.

er field: Enter percentage of Read IOs (percentage of Write IOs

ulated automatically)

ulation:
colums in yellow, orange and pink show:

kend IOs calculated on each RAID levels Write Penalty in subject to

given Read/Write distribution. Note: This calculation applies for mostly
om access pattern (databases, file&print services etc.).

mber of Disks specifys the amount of disks needed in the particular

D level with different disk types. Note: IOPS values of disk types are
al average for random access.

end:

ntend IOs: Total number of Read/Write operations per second an

cation (e.g. MS Exchange) generates and sends to its disk.

kend IOs: Total number of Read/Write operations per second the

D controller sends to its physical disks. This number is typically higher
to the fact that depending on the RAID level the controller needs to
orm multiple operations.

mple:

0 Frontend IOs; 67% Reads / 33% Writes; RAID 5; SAS disks

D 5 write penalty = 4; i.e. each Frontend write IO causes 4 IOs at the
kend. Each Read IO causes 1 IO at the Backend)

ds: 1000 * 67% = 670 IOs

es: 1000 * 33% = 330 IOs * 4 (write penalty) = 1320 IOs
l: 1990 IOs
s: 1990 IOs total / 200 per disk = 9.995 10 Disks