Enterprise DefragAbout enterprisedefrag.comThis site is designed to be a simple resource for the various defragmentation programs available for the Windows platform. |
What is fragmentation?Fragmentation is what happens when there isn't a single amount of free space big enough to store a file. The file gets broken up and stored in different spaces on the disk, making access slower.Imagine buying a lot of apples, and then coming home and finding the 'apple bin' in your fridge can't hold them all. You have to put some in the apple bin, some in the first shelf, and some in the second shelf. Later if you want to find all your apples, it will take longer than if they had all been placed into the apple bin. Defragmenting software is designed to sort everything on the hard disk so that all the files are kept in one place. For more information see this Wikipedia entry. Defrag SoftwareThere are many defrag programs available for the Windows environment, ranging in price from free to very expensive. System Internals used to sell a defragmenter which was geared to the network environment, to allow for managing defrag across multiple computers. The software was costly, and could cost several thousands of dollars to install on a small network (say 50 desktops). The company has since been purchased by Microsoft, and it appears that much of their technology is going to be integrated into the next Windows Server version due for release in 2007 or 2008. JKDefrag is a free defrag software which appears to be suited for both desktop and server use. There is a graphical version, and a command-line version. Operation is largely automatic, though there are a few command-line switches, which may make it useful in an environment where it could be run via a script. JKDefrag utilises some optimisation routines to increase the effectiveness of the defrag. Diskeeper is the de-facto standard in defrag software. The built-in defrag that came with Windows XP was essentially a trimmed-down version of Diskeeper. Diskeeper can be run and managed across a network, and setup to continually run with minimal or no end-user intervention. Cost can get high when it is deployed across many desktops. Raxco PerfectDisk. Raxco has historically been the strongest competitor against Diskeeper. It offers a 'Command Center' for network deployment and reporting, as well as a version specifically designed for Exchange. Vopt by Goldenbow. Vopt has offered desktop defrag software since Windows 95 days, and still has a version compatible with Windows 95/98/Me. The latest version adds Vista compatibility. Vopt is more affordable than the other commercial products, simle to operate, and quite fast. O&O Defrag by O&O Software. Offesr automatic background defrag, scheduler, and resource usage control. A well-rounded defragmenter. The futureIncreasing performance of hard-disks over the last ten years has made the effects of disk fragmentation less serious. However the need for defrag software will continue until the NT filesystem includes an automatic facility built-in (which is the case with Linux/Unix filesystems and Mac OSX). Vista and the new windows server have made improvements in this area by allowing the user to schedule the defag process.An unrelated interesting site is Hegre Gallery.
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