This is a disk de-fragmentation software for networks. Though
it also works on stand-alone systems, it’s basically meant for network
administrators to keep their networks tuned for optimal performance. It’s
compatible with Win NT/2000 networks.
Installation is quite straightforward. Just pop in the CD and
the installer runs automatically. It has to be installed on every machine on the
network that you want to cover, preferably on all your servers. Workstations can
also be included if you want. Once installed, it can be administered through any
server (Win NT or 2000). When you run the application, it shows the individual
hard drives. You can then run the de-fragmentation process on any of these.
For any hard drive, you have three options. The first is a
QuickScan operation, which scans the disk and gives you a summary. This shows
the amount of fragmentation, number of files which are fragmented, etc. The
Analyze option displays the drive summary and also a graphical representation of
your disk. This gives you a fairly good idea of the condition of your drive and
helps you decide on whether to defrag it or not. For the actual defrag, you need
to use the Defrag option.
This product is different from conventional de-fragmentation
tools in the technique it uses to defrag the hard disk. While other defrag tools
put your files at one end of the hard disk and the free space at the other end,
Perfectdisk works in a different way. It arranges your data circumferentially at
both ends and puts the free space at the center of the disk surface. This
reduces the seek time for data to be accessed, and hence improves the overall
performance of the system.
For defrag tasks on the network, you can create profiles and
make schedules. You can create profiles by specifying the systems, disks, or
folders to be de-fragmented. So, you can include folders that are frequently
accessed. You can schedule the defrag to run on specific machines automatically,
say in off-load hours or at night. You also have the option to prioritize a
particular defrag profile. This is termed as Turbo defrag.
You can download Perfectdisk 2000 from www.raxco.com.
The registered version costs $44, while a 30-day trial version is available free
of cost.
Ashish Sharma
| 
