ReadyBoost

ReadyBoost is the name of a caching technique, which is part of the Microsoft operating systems, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. ReadyBoost allows you to integrate flash memory such as SD or Compact Flash cards as an additional hard drive cache. This has potentially higher system performance, since flash memory devices usually have much lower access times than hard disk space. It also allows the discharge of the hard disk when data is written to or copied from a faster drive in a slower drive. In this case, under certain circumstances, the access times of the slower drive can be increased.

Operation

Because the flash cache is used as a cache for all mass data storage in the system, the increase in speed affects not only the page file or system files. Normal flash memory in sequential read and write slower than hard drives, so ReadyBoost was designed so that it first performs a speed test in detecting or when plugging in the flash memory. This also detects whether the flash memory is fast enough for ReadyBoost. This prevents large sequential read and write operations be slower than writing directly to disk. Write accesses to the flash media are as evenly as possible to prevent wear on most frequently described places.

Requirements

• The operating system is Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 must be used. Meanwhile, however, provide other providers such as eBoostr similar functionality on earlier Windows operating systems.
• The flash memory must be at least 256 MB in size, of which at least 230 MB must be free. With Windows Vista, a maximum of 4 GB for ReadyBoost capable of being used with Windows 7 up to 8 media with a maximum of 32 GB, for a total of 256 GB, if the flash memory is formatted with NTFS or exFAT.
• As a USB device ( ReadyBoost Compatible ) of the flash memory must support USB 2.0.
• The device must be at least a read speed of 2.5 MB / s for 4 KiB blocks and a write speed of 1.75 MB / s for 512 KiB blocks - each random, distributed uniformly over the entire device read or write operations - offer ( sticks with the enhanced for ReadyBoost label at least 5 MB / s for 4 KiB blocks and 3 MB / s for 512 KiB blocks).
• The device must be formatted with FAT, FAT32, exFAT ( available in Windows Vista Service Pack 1) or NTFS.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 have to check those conditions, the command line program winsat on. For a read test and run it as follows: The command line must be started as Administrator, otherwise the output of the program takes place in a new window which is immediately closed and therefore unreadable.

Winsat disk -ran -read - ransize BlockgrößeInByte '' '''' -drive drive letter '' For a write test like this:

Winsat disk -ran -write - ransize BlockgrößeInByte '' '''' -drive drive letter '' In Windows 7, the test can be initiated via the tab ReadyBoost at the drive properties.

Performance

When accessing a ReadyBoost -compatible storage device for caching allows Windows Vista random reads at a rate that is usually higher than the traditional reads from a disk.

Benchmarks show that ReadyBoost can produce different results in the current version. Especially on machines with little physical RAM can cause a measurable performance advantage ReadyBoost. According to Mike Trainor (Chief Mobile Technology Evangelist of Intel), a computer with 1GB of RAM plus 1 GB of flash memory is expected to reach about 60 to 80% of the performance of a computer with 2 GB of RAM.

Integration

If a compatible device is connected, the Windows AutoPlay dialog box offers an additional option to speed up the system. An additional ReadyBoost tab is added in the respective drive properties dialog where the amount of dedicated storage space can be adjusted. ReadyBoost can also be activated via the properties of the USB stick.