but putting files in name order on disk as part of the defrag process. I don't see how that can be a benefit. Scenery tiles that are close together may not be in alpha order, it depends on the direction of flight across the scenery. They will be loaded into memory in the order FSX wants them, so even if they are in alpha order on disk that doesn't mean they are in that order in memory. Even if they are, how can that help?

 

Name defragging puts all things that are huddled in "Flight Simulator X\Scenery" into same general area, reducing seek time.

Ok found it.

Now before I copy/paste.....is it allowed to copy/past from an other forum and then paste it here?

Ok, well since nobody objects...

 

Like I said before, this is from someone with indepth hardware and FSX knowledge.

The same person as the earlier link (65% fill rate) points to.

 

If after reading this you think that the given info is wrong then that is fine.

However I can not help or explain further to anyone why,or if, the info is correct.

I simply dont have the knowledge.

 

 

Here we go:

 

"This the part that confuses people.. We dont use our computers for sequential access in FSX and typical applications, we use it for random access.

 

Sequential read/write access is when you are watching a movie or pulling up one huge data file, or things like A/V editing where you are writing one or more massive size files to the drive. Under those conditions you are duplicating what typical benchmark programs do, which is read the disk across the platter and rate the response. The buffer to host and the cache will then kick in and show its muscle. Those sequential read benchmark results are in reality 'false' to our real world use. To see the effect and test the performance of a drive in random access/read we must use enterprise software such as I/O Meter and run our systems for a specified number of hours/days then review the data to find the true average random 'real world' read/write performance sits.

 

Random read/write with 'some' sequential read/write going on is how the typical user works with their computer. Thats an entirely different performance curve situation and one they dont post or display for hard drives because that type of test may not be very flattering to the marketing and cost of the drive. In that situation the newer Vraps are faster than their older siblings, but mainly because of the platter size more than the specs for latency.

 

One of the reasons why I specify O&O defrag and use of the NAME defrag is because of what I posted above.. FSX and many other programs work off of a alphanumeric file name system to call files into physical memory. When we NAME defrag the drive we are in fact creating a much more 'sequential read' situation and therefore taking much greater advantage of the cache and buffer to host speed within the 'burst'. By using the NAME defrag method we are in many ways assisting the drive by making our access requests more sequential, in example..

 

When you are flying and coming up on the next scenery boundary area the sim will call the next area into physical memory from the drive. If we have NAME defragmented the drive correctly, then those files will be located on the drive in alphanumerical order right next to each other in the sectors. That means the head of the drive is not seeking randomly for every single file but instead seeking randomly for 'sets' of files which reduces the random seek/read by quite a bit. A visual aid to how this works would be this list of autogen and ground textures being called that have been NAME defragmented:

 

Begin next area scenery load:

 

 

 

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2an1.agn <---- once this file is found, the next that will be called is right next to it on the sector

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2an2.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2an3.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2an4.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2an5.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2an6.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2an7.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2fa1.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2fa2.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2fa3.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2fa4.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2fa5.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2fa6.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\023b2fa7.bmp

 

 -------------------- seek next set

 

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2an1.agn  <---- again, once this is found the rest follow suit on the drive

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2an2.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2an3.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2an4.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2an5.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2an6.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2an7.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2fa1.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2fa2.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2fa3.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2fa4.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2fa5.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2fa6.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\027b2fa7.bmp

 

  -------------------- seek next set

 

 

 

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2an0.agn <-----  zippity-do-da

Scenery\World\Texture\032B2an1.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032B2an2.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032B2an3.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032B2an4.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032B2an5.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032B2an6.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032B2an7.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2an8.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2an9.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2ana.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2anb.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2anc.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2and.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2ane.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2anf.agn

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2fa0.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2fa1.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2fa2.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2fa3.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2fa4.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2fa5.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2fa6.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2fa7.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2fa8.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2fa9.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2faA.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2faB.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2faC.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2faD.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2faE.bmp

Scenery\World\Texture\032b2faF.bmp

 

etc, etc, etc  and the cycle continues till all files are read

 

And because they are all on the first physical partition of the drive and compacted to the outer sectors of the drive and in NAME order, the drive head is literally 'skimming' through the track with little or no bouncing around, so to speak.. this translates to FAR LESS CPU TIME as well which in turn goes to the game instead of the file system

 

 Therefore we have made our file system far more "sequential read access" friendly and that is what takes real advantage of the SATA system and the SATA drives cache/buffers

 

 

 

and to add to this... the reason AHCI/NCQ hinders SINGLE USER drive performance is because in between those reads the drive is going though unnecessary cycles in the command. In MULTI USER environments those commands are a BLESSING to access and call files to different user stations but the operations are nothing but HIGH LATENCY or pauses to a single user, therefore its best to run single user drives in ENHANCED IDE mode instead of AHCI/NCQ

 

With SSD that is just the opposite! We want AHCI/NCQ operations with SSD because there is absolutely NO mechanical WAIT STATE time being imposed on the drive read operation and with SSD NCQ has been advanced far past what a typical mechanical hard drive can do with it"

 

 

Sorry, Rob, but I have lost the will to live read!

Sorry, Rob, but I have lost the will to live read!

Oh uuuuh ok.

Not sure if I insulted you, but if I did I appologise.

Hi Rob!

 

No insult received at all. It's just that your long post defeated my usual interest in reading most posts.

 

Regards, R

Regardless to the fact that we have no EFB or Taxi cam, we simmers have alternates! There is an EFB app for iPad as well as one for the PC. For taxicam, the 772LR doesn't have it! It is only for the 773 series! 

 

Hope to get the PMDG 777 soon!

And what about EFB? Won't release in 200LR but only with 300?

 

 

And what about EFB? Won't release in 200LR but only with 300?

To put it quite blunt, no. PMDG have on numerous occasions expressed their thoughts regarding including an EFB.

Well, figured this topic would do good but people are still asking these questions, PMDG staff this is why ideally it needs to be pinned :wink: