Use multiple threads to load data file faster

alexkrishnan

<div class="IPBDescription">How to test performance?</div>This option, in the "advanced" preferences tab, states that checking this may not improve performance on faster SSDs. I recently got myself a new Momentus XT hybrid SSD-HD, that basically behaves as an SSD for frequently accessed files such as my 1Password database. Does leaving this box checked actually REDUCE performance on SSDs?



Also, is there a way that I can try loading the database with and without this box checked to compare performance? Because right now I've noticed that after unlocking the keychain for the first time, 1Password seems to hold something in memory, and even if I quit and re-launch the app, unlocking it a second time is nearly instantaneous. This means that I can't compare the unlocking speed with this box checked and un-checked.



Thanks, absolutely love 1Password, it's a life saver!

tuesday_erica

this is not confusing..

cdenesha

[quote name='alexkrishnan' timestamp='1281486205' post='8199']

This option, in the "advanced" preferences tab, states that checking this may not improve performance on faster SSDs. I recently got myself a new Momentus XT hybrid SSD-HD, that basically behaves as an SSD for frequently accessed files such as my 1Password database. Does leaving this box checked actually REDUCE performance on SSDs?



Also, is there a way that I can try loading the database with and without this box checked to compare performance? Because right now I've noticed that after unlocking the keychain for the first time, 1Password seems to hold something in memory, and even if I quit and re-launch the app, unlocking it a second time is nearly instantaneous. This means that I can't compare the unlocking speed with this box checked and un-checked.



Thanks, absolutely love 1Password, it's a life saver!

[/quote]



If you decide to do the time testing with a reboot in between, please post the results here.



thanks,



chris

roustem

[quote name='alexkrishnan' timestamp='1281486205' post='8199']

This option, in the "advanced" preferences tab, states that checking this may not improve performance on faster SSDs. I recently got myself a new Momentus XT hybrid SSD-HD, that basically behaves as an SSD for frequently accessed files such as my 1Password database. Does leaving this box checked actually REDUCE performance on SSDs?



Also, is there a way that I can try loading the database with and without this box checked to compare performance? Because right now I've noticed that after unlocking the keychain for the first time, 1Password seems to hold something in memory, and even if I quit and re-launch the app, unlocking it a second time is nearly instantaneous. This means that I can't compare the unlocking speed with this box checked and un-checked.



Thanks, absolutely love 1Password, it's a life saver!

[/quote]



Thank you for the kind words, Alex!



You can see the database load times in Console. Search for "load time":



[img]http://img.skitch.com/20100815-8f8fkrj735khug4gi6n36u6mjf.png[/img]



The multithreaded loader is identified as "NSOperationQueue" and the sequential loader is "Standard".



"Cache" is when 1Password does not scan the data folder and loads everything from the Cache. This will happen when nothing was changed in the data folder.

cdenesha

[quote name='roustem' timestamp='1281915037' post='8844']

The multithreaded loader is identified as "NSOperationQueue" and the sequential loader is "Standard".



"Cache" is when 1Password does not scan the data folder and loads everything from the Cache. This will happen when nothing was changed in the data folder.

[/quote]



Cool. Alex - turn off the cache in prefs to test without rebooting!



chris

alexkrishnan

Wow, totally forgot about this thread, it's been a busy month! I will test this soon and get back to all of you. Thanks for the help!

alexkrishnan

I FINALLY got around to testing this. Sorry for the massive delay. Long story short, the testing was a bit more complicated than I thought since the more times I loaded the data file the faster it got no matter what due to the adaptive tech inside the drive. So I had to edit the file after every test in order to change the data. If I loaded the file a couple times in a row, the performance between threaded and un-threaded was about the same, but under more "real-world" situations, I found that it was about 9% faster to use threading. I used a sample set of 8 tests.



[font="Arial Black"]Short answer: Use threading.[/font]





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