Disk Defragmenting

[GaryK]

How do you handle this normally simple task on a production web server?

Thanks,
~gary.

[devilspgd]

The same way you would with any machine: Install defragmentation software, run it.

For a Windows Server, I'd recommend looking into Executive software's Diskeeper. It tends to have a relatively low impact on system performance while it's running.

[GaryK]

It tends to have a relatively low impact on system performance while it's running.
That's really the essence of what I was wondering about.

I mean obviously I could even use the MS defragmenter but I wanted to be sure I wasn't going to slow my server to a crawl and/or wind up with corrupted files. ;)

I'll take a look at the product you recommended. Thank you.

~gary.

[Easyeieio]

I have been thinking along the same lines. Have you ( or anyone else ) tried defragmenting a live producton server in practice?

[GaryK]

Well I just did what I should have done before. I called one of my best friends who runs the world's largest website of its type in the world.

First, they use Diskeeper on each of their 300+ running, production web servers to defragment files every 24 hours.

It has no noticeable effect on system performance and it will not corrupt files.

The above process does not touch the directory structure. That requires you tell the program you want it to defrag the folders at the next reboot but before any other WWW-related services start.

He did give me one word of warning:

If you use the folder defrag option and for any reason the power goes out your entire HD will be corrupted. So that means if SB loses power and backup power, or even if you're on a system with a single power supply and it fails your HD will need to be reformatted.

Based on the above I'll be doing the disk defragmenting but will stay far away from the folder defragmenting. Even with a pre-defrag disk image I'd have no way to restore it if the server won't even boot.