Test

Problems

Comprehensive testing of a storage system is absolutely critical before it can be put on the market. This process must be repeated with each new hardware or software release.

While many parts of the test process can be automated, manual intervention is always required to insert and remove drives, power supplies, canisters and cables. This greatly slows the test process and risks introducing uncertainty and human error into tests. Failures that occur are often difficult to repeat.

  • Thorough testing is critical to the final quality of a new product
  • Repeated testing of builds is slow and costly
  • Manual intervention is slow, tedious and introduces uncertainty
  • Failures are difficult repeat
  • Tests requiring intervention cannot run when the lab is closed
  • A slow test cycle increases time-to-market

The Quarch Solution

The Torridon Test System enables automated removal and insertion of hot-swappable devices. A Drive, Canister/IO Module or Power Supply may be inserted into a system in a fully programmable and 100% repeatable manner.

Any number and combination of drives can be inserted simultaneously or in sequence. Every change can be precisely timed, removing uncertainty and increasing consistency of the results. By removing manual intervention, test sequences can be run much faster and on a 24 hour schedule, making full use of available test hardware.

It is cost effective to run a far larger range of test scenarios. This will helps locate bugs much earlier in the test cycle. Fully scripted and logged tests will increase repeatability and confidence in the results.

Test engineers can focus on product quality instead of plugging drives.

Example: System Test

96 bay enclosure under test

A qualification system can be setup so that each drive can be connected / disconnected from the host. Tests that requires manual intervention can now be fully automated.

By running tests 24 hours a day, at high speed, the total time to complete a test cycle can be greatly reduced.

Entire ranges of new tests such as data corruption and drive failure can be added with little extra effort.

Products To Consider

Test Lab Systems

Torridon Array Controllers are ideally suited for larger systems where multiple drives, SBB canisters, etc are tested at the same time. In this way, every removable part of the system can be tested without the need to alter any part of the physical setup.

Control

Most Effective Modules

Under Development / Custom Modules

  • PSU Control Modules
  • Cable pull Modules

Test Reuse

Tests scripts that are built up for one product can be easily modified for testing others. The tests required for a 12 or a 48 bay enclosure will be very similar.

Scripts can also be reused in qualification testing, for example when qualifying a new drive for use in an enclosure. Examples of how the Torridon System can help during qualification can be found here