Perfectdisk 2000

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