The most common performance characteristics are as follows: Random operations access locations on the storage device in a non-contiguous manner and are generally associated with small data transfer sizes, e.g. Sequential operations access locations on the storage device in a contiguous manner and are generally associated with large data transfer sizes, e.g. The most common performance characteristics measured are sequential and random operations. Random access compared to sequential access. Also, when testing SSDs in particular, there are preconditioning considerations that must be taken into account. There are other factors which can also affect the IOPS results including the system setup, storage drivers, OS background operations etc. The specific number of IOPS possible in any system configuration will vary greatly, depending upon the variables the tester enters into the program, including the balance of read and write operations, the mix of sequential and random access patterns, the number of worker threads and queue depth, as well as the data block sizes.

an engine capable of spinning at 10,000 RPMs with its transmission in neutral does not convey anything of value, however an engine capable of developing specified torque and horsepower at a given number of RPMs fully describes the capabilities of the engine. In isolation, IOPS can be considered analogous to 'revolutions per minute' of an automobile engine i.e. Absent simultaneous specifications of response-time and workload, IOPS are essentially meaningless. To meaningfully describe the performance characteristics of any storage device, it is necessary to specify a minimum of three metrics simultaneously: IOPS, response time, and (application) workload.

Random local disk e