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IOPS Calculator
Calculate storage performance metrics and estimate disk requirements
PerformanceCapacity Planning

Disk Configuration

Recommended: 70-80%. Higher values may result in decreased performance.

Workload Characteristics

Mixed file operations

16 KB

Common sizes: 4KB (OS), 8KB (Database), 64KB+ (Media)

70% Read
100% Write50/50100% Read
Workload Distribution
Read: 70%
Write: 30%
Random: 60%
Sequential: 40%
60% Random
SequentialMixedRandom

Results

Total IOPS

537,600

Read IOPS

294,400

Write IOPS

243,200

Total Throughput

8400 MB/s

Read Throughput

4600 MB/s

Write Throughput

3800 MB/s

Configured Disks4
Disk Utilization80%

IOPS Calculator: Find Your Storage Performance

This IOPS Calculator helps you estimate storage performance by calculating Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) based on disk types, workload characteristics, and system configuration. Whether you're designing a new storage solution or troubleshooting performance issues, understanding your IOPS requirements is crucial for optimal system performance.

What is IOPS and Why Does it Matter?

IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) measures how many read and write operations a storage system can perform each second. It's a critical performance metric that directly affects application responsiveness, database performance, and overall system efficiency.

High IOPS capabilities are essential for workloads that require frequent, small data transactions, such as databases, virtual desktop infrastructures, and email servers. Understanding your IOPS requirements helps you select appropriate storage solutions and avoid performance bottlenecks.

How to Use This IOPS Calculator

  1. Choose between "Performance" mode (calculate IOPS from disk count) or "Capacity Planning" mode (calculate required disks from IOPS needs)
  2. Select your disk type or enter custom disk performance specifications
  3. Enter the number of disks (Performance mode) or required IOPS (Capacity Planning mode)
  4. Set the maximum disk utilization percentage (recommended: 70-80%)
  5. Choose a workload type or customize workload parameters
  6. Adjust block size, read/write ratio, and random/sequential ratio as needed
  7. View the calculated IOPS, throughput, and disk utilization results

Understanding Storage Performance Factors

FactorDescriptionImpact on Performance
Disk TypeTechnology used for storage (SSD, HDD, NVMe)SSDs provide higher IOPS than HDDs; NVMe offers the highest performance
Read/Write RatioProportion of read operations vs. write operationsReads are typically faster than writes; heavily write-intensive workloads need more disks
Random vs. SequentialPattern of data access across the storageRandom access is significantly slower than sequential, especially for HDDs
Block SizeSize of data chunks being read or writtenSmaller blocks = higher IOPS, lower throughput; larger blocks = lower IOPS, higher throughput
Disk UtilizationPercentage of disk capacity being usedPerformance degrades at high utilization; best practice is to stay below 80%

Disk Types and Performance Characteristics

Disk TypeRandom Read IOPSRandom Write IOPSSequential Read (MB/s)Sequential Write (MB/s)
NVMe SSD (High-End)600,000 - 1,000,000500,000 - 800,0003,000 - 7,0002,500 - 5,000
Enterprise SSD100,000 - 200,00080,000 - 150,000500 - 600450 - 550
Consumer SSD80,000 - 120,00060,000 - 100,000500 - 550450 - 520
15K SAS HDD175 - 300150 - 250180 - 230160 - 210
10K SAS HDD125 - 200100 - 160150 - 200130 - 180
7.2K SATA HDD75 - 12060 - 100120 - 180100 - 150

Common Workload Types and Characteristics

Workload TypeDescriptionBlock SizeRead %Random %
Database OLTPOnline Transaction Processing8 KB70%80%
Database OLAPOnline Analytical Processing64 KB90%40%
File ServerMixed file operations16 KB60%60%
Web ServerPredominantly reads, small files4 KB95%75%
Media StreamingLarge sequential reads128 KB98%5%
Backup/RestoreLarge sequential operations256 KB20%10%
Virtual DesktopsMixed workload, boot storms32 KB75%80%

Understanding IOPS vs. Throughput

While IOPS measures the number of operations, throughput measures the amount of data transferred:

The relationship between IOPS and throughput is:

Throughput (MB/s) = IOPS × Block Size (KB) ÷ 1024

This means a storage system with 10,000 IOPS at 16KB block size would have a throughput of approximately 156 MB/s.

The Impact of Random vs. Sequential Access

The performance gap between random and sequential access is most dramatic with HDDs, where random access can be 100× slower than sequential. SSDs show a smaller difference, but random operations still incur more overhead.

Real-World IOPS Requirements

Use CaseTypical IOPS RequirementRecommended Storage
Personal PC500 - 2,000Consumer SSD
Small Business Server1,000 - 5,000Enterprise SSD or SSD Array
Small/Medium Database5,000 - 20,000SSD RAID Array
Large Database20,000 - 100,000+NVMe Array or SAN
E-commerce Platform10,000 - 50,000NVMe or Enterprise SSD Array
Virtualization Host15,000 - 80,000NVMe or SAN

Questions About IOPS

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