
Bart's Stuff Test 5

   Version 5.1.3
   Created: Mar 11, 2003
   Updated: Apr 11, 2003
   :: Introduction [#intro]
   :: Some history [#history]
   :: Supported Platforms [#platforms]
   :: Practical use of bst5 [#use]
   :: Screen shots [#screen]
   :: Buy the Pro Edition [#buy]
   :: Installation [#install]
   :: Faq [#faq]
   :: Changes [#changes]
   
> Introduction

   [#intro]
   Bst5  (Bart's  Stuff Test v5) is a small win32 application for heavily
   stress  testing  storage  devices.  Bst5  supports testing at file and
   device level.
   File  level  support enables you to test any local or remote volume by
   file access. This makes it possible to test almost any storage device.
   As  long  as the operating system can write or read files from it, you
   can use bst5 to test it. In bst5 this is seen a "high" level test, you
   write/read data to/from a file using the file system support from your
   operating system.
   Device level support enables you to test local devices directly block-
   by-block.  You  can  use  this  to test any removable or fixed logical
   drive,  physical  hard  disk,  or  tape device. In bst5 this is seen a
   "low"  level test, bst5 writes/reads data directly to/from the storage
   device  without the use of any file system. In other word, the storage
   device  or  media  does not need to be partitioned or formatted before
   testing.  If  any  file systems exists on a storage device or media, a
   non-read only test will overwrite any data on it.
   Bst5  supports  very  large  volumes, up to 16 exabyte (17.179.869.184
   Gigabyte) enough to last for at least 30 years.
   
> Some history

   [#history]
   Bst  has  been around for a while. The first Dos version is from 1995.
   The  version  1  until  4 where never made "public". Bst5 is the first
   real  win32  version.  It  is  created  with  the  experience of the 4
   previous bst versions, together with scsitool and disktool.
   
> Supported Platforms

   [#platforms]
   Bst5 runs on:
     * Windows 95*
     * Windows 98*
     * Windows ME*
     * Windows NT 4.0
     * Windows 2000
     * Windows XP
     * Windows Preinstalled Environment (booted from CD-Rom)
     * ERD Commander 2002 (booted from CD-Rom)

   * Device level test is not supported on these platforms.
   As you can see bst5 does not run in Dos. It is my opinion that storage
   testing  tools  running  in  dos  will  disappear in near future. Why?
   Because  most  of  these  Dos based tools (like disktool) are limited.
   They use extended BIOS calls to access the device. Some modern BIOSes,
   using  very  fast  hard  disks, have a maximum transfer rate of around
   7MB/s. This is bad news if you want to stress test a hard disk that is
   capable of doing around 50MB/s.
   
> Practical use of bst5

   [#use]
   Can be done using the free edition...
    1. Test  a  local hard disk of any system which already has a windows
       operating system.
       Boot  the  OS  on  the  system. Run bst5 and start testing on path
       "c:\".  If  the  system  has more hard disk volumes start a second
       instance  of  bst5  and  let it test on path "d:\" and so on. Bst5
       will use almost all free space available for testing.
    2. Test a local CD-Rom or DVD drive of any system which already has a
       windows operating system.
       You will have to prepare a CD-Rom or DVD medium for this. Run bst5
       on  a  system  with  a CD-Rom or DVD recorder. Click "options" and
       select  operation "write pattern" and enter the maximum size valid
       for  your media. For example, a CD recordable media can hold up to
       700MB and a DVD recordable media can hold up to 4.5GB. Click "OK",
       enter  a  file  and  path  for example "c:\tmp\bst1.tmp" and click
       "Start".   Bst5  will  now  write  a  stuff  pattern  file  called
       c:\tmp\bst1.tmp  and stop. Next record this file on your CD or DVD
       media. Label it "Stuff test file media".
       With this media you can test any CD-Rom or DVD drive of any system
       which  already has a windows operating system. Boot the OS already
       on  the  system. Start bst5, enter the path to ":\bst1.tmp" (where
       is  the  drive letter of your CD-Rom or DVD drive) or click "...",
       select  folder  and  browse  to the file "bst1.tmp". Make sure you
       check  "Read  only".  Hit  "start"  and  bst5  will  read the file
       bst1.tmp until your stop it.
    3. Test server, network and workstations.
       Testing will include:
          + Server hard disk
          + Server network interface
          + Network hub/switches
          + Workstation network interface
       On each of the workstations start bst5. Enter a path to a share on
       the  server,  for  example  "\\server1\share" and hit "start". All
       workstations  will now test the server. Each workstation uses it's
       own file like "bst5*.tmp". When you have more hard disk volumes on
       the server divide the workstations.
       Warning:  this  test  will  put  very high load on your server and
       network. Other users will get very slow server/network responses!

   Requires the Pro edition...
    1. Test  tape media inter-exchange compatibility. On the first system
       with  a tape drive, use bst5 to create a stuff pattern media using
       "write  pattern"  operation.  You can enter a size for the pattern
       image,  for  example  400mb, Or you can leave the size empty, then
       bst5  will  write  until end of media. Take this media to a second
       system with a tape drive that is capable of reading the media. Run
       bst5, check "Read only" and start on the tape device.

   You can mix all of these test, for example you can:
     * Run first bst5 to test a local hard disk and a second bst5 to test
       a CD-Rom or DVD drive.
     * With "3) Test server, network and workstations" you can also start
       a  second  bst5 on the workstations to also test local hard and/or
       CD/DVD drives.
     * Or  even  start  bst5  on the server to test it's tape device (pro
       edition).

> Screen shots

   [#screen]
   Some screen shots, just click on the links below...
    1. Main screen [screen1.gif]
    2. Testing local folder "C:\" at file level [screen5.gif]
    3. Testing network folder at file level [screen7.gif]
    4. Select device dialog (*) [screen2.gif]
    5. Testing harddisk device (*) [screen3.gif]
    6. Testing tape device (*) [screen4.gif]
    7. Testing CD-Rom device (*) [screen6.gif]

   * Pro Edition only!
   
> Buy the Pro Edition

   [#buy]
   Device    level    testing   requires   buying   the   "Pro   Edition"
   [/bst/buypro.php]...
   
> Installation

   [#install]
   There  is  no  need  to  install  Bst5,  just unpack bst5.exe from the
   archive file and start it...
   
> Faq

   [#faq]
    1. Q: Why am I not seeing my tape drive in the device list?
       A: In Windows NT 4.0 you need to add a tape driver.
       If you have arcserve installed, you have to stop the arcserve tape
       engine.
    2. Q:  Is the way that bst5 writes and reads a hard disk similar to a
       way a normal user does? Does bst5 "emulate" a normal user?
       A: No! Bst5 puts a non-interrupted 100% load on the tested storage
       device.  A  normal  user  does not do that. Imagine this: it would
       take  a  year  before  a  normal user has his hard disk full. Bst5
       writes it full within half an hour.
    3. Q: Can bst5 break down my harddisk?
       A:  Good  question, no bst5 does not break down your harddisk. But
       when you use bst5 a lot (and I mean really a lot) on the same disk
       it  can  shorten  the  MTBF (mean time between failure). This also
       means  that  if  your hard disk, that was running fine, does break
       down during bst5 testing, it was already faulty before you started
       testing,  but  you  never  stressed  it  hard  enough  to show any
       failures.
    4. Q:  Sometimes  bst5  reports  that  my  tape drive's capacity is 0
       bytes, how come?
       A:  Not  sure  why  it  happens, but bst5 will go and write to the
       media anyway...

> Changes

   [#changes]
   Version 5.1.3
     * Added quick speed test operation.
     * Tape  devices (like DLT) some times return volume size is 0 bytes,
       bst5 would reduce the blocksize down to 8KB. Fixed.
     * Some minor changes.

   Version 5.1.2
     * Attempt to write passed end-of-tape on second loop. Fixed.
     * Smart  read  sometimes  enables pattern compare on media that does
       not have a valid stuff pattern on it. Fixed.
     * Changed license files. License dialog now does word wrap.

   Version 5.1.1
     * Bst5 left bst5*.tmp files of 0 bytes behind, fixed it.
     * When  trying  to  start  "c:\" in readonly mode, it came up with a
       strange error message. Now it says open() failed, that's OK.

   Version 5.1.0
     * Added license information.
     * Several small fixes.
     * Improved error messages.

   Version 5.0.5-BETA
     * Made  a lot of changes and fixes, to many to keep a list. There is
       not much code from the 5.0.2-BETA version that is unchanged!
     * Added  support  for  testing  media  inter-exchange  (write  stuff
       pattern and smart read).

   Copyright   (c)   2002-2003   Bart  Lagerweij.  All  rights  reserved.
