The I/O performance evaluation of a Linux-based network-attached storage device

In a Local Area Network (LAN), clients are permitted to access the files on high-density optical disks via a network server. But the quality of read service offered by the conventional server is not satisfied because of the multiple functions on the server and the overmuch caller. This paper develops a Linux-based Network-Attached Storage (NAS) server. The Operation System (OS), composed of an optimized kernel and a miniaturized file system, is stored in a flash memory. After initialization, the NAS device is connected into the LAN. The administrator and users could configure and access the server through the web page respectively. In order to enhance the quality of access, the management of buffer cache in file system is optimized. Some benchmark programs are performed to evaluate the I/O performance of the NAS device. Since data recorded in optical disks are usually for reading accesses, our attention is focused on the reading throughput of the device. The experimental results indicate that the I/O performance of our NAS device is excellent.