Formatting and Partitioning with Precision

[Slamadatan]

I've got a new 160Gb Samsung harddrive (highly recommended for anyone after
a quiet system) to add to my two existing 80Gb's and was thinking of
partitioning it in two equal halves so I've got 4 x 80Gb volumes. Is there
any way to do this so that the two partitions each occupy one of the two
platters? I know this may sound pointless, but I was hoping it might give
some added stability in the even that one of the platters dies, and more
importantly, by limitting each drive to a single platter, reduce seek noise
from the drives.

Any comments on the possibility and practicality of attempting this?

 

[Rod Speed]

I've got a new 160Gb Samsung harddrive (highly
recommended for anyone after a quiet system)

Yeah, loverly drives lack of noise wise.

to add to my two existing 80Gb's and was thinking of partitioning
it in two equal halves so I've got 4 x 80Gb volumes.

There might just be a small mathematical problem with doing that |-)

Is there any way to do this so that the two
partitions each occupy one of the two platters?

Fraid not, because the logical blocks are numbered down
the track on one surface, then down the same track on the
next surface, thru the 4 surfaces on the 2 platters, before
moving on to the next track. Because its a lot quicker to
switch heads electrically than it is to physically move the
head assembly from track to track across the surface.

I know this may sound pointless, but I was hoping it might give
some added stability in the even that one of the platters dies,

Platters dont die. Heads to tho.

and more importantly, by limitting each drive to a
single platter, reduce seek noise from the drives.

That approach would actually increase the seek
noise because you would be moving the heads
more. Electrically switching the heads as a large
file is written to or read from a single track over
both platters only has the rotation noise involved.

Any comments on the possibility and practicality of attempting this?

Its just not possible.

It would be technically feasible for the OS to do it, but
pointless noise wise and you would see lower performance
because there would be more head movement.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

.....thinking of partitioning it in two equal halves so I've got
4 x 80Gb volumes. Is there any way to do this so that the
two partitions each occupy one of the two platters? I know
this may sound pointless, but I was hoping it might give some
added stability in the even that one of the platters dies, and more
importantly, by limitting each drive to a single platter, reduce
seek noise from the drives.

I'd bet big money that it couldn't be done without re-
programming the ROM controller on the hard disk drive. To
do that, you're talking Manufacturer's Engineering Dept. or
National Means of Alteration. But *why* would limiting each
logical drive to a single physical platter reduce seek noise? All
the arms for the read/write heads are physically attached to the
same armature and they all move in unison. They are only
electically independent. Having partitions arm-specific might
limit the effect of a head crash on one platter, but as I understand
it, some failure modes affect the entire disk drive, and then all
partitions/platters would be affected. It's probably much more
practical and cheaper in the long run to use multiple hard disk
drives than to rely on multiple partitions for safety from hardware
failure, and the noise situation can be handled by other means.


*TimDaniels*