Computer Networks and Scheduled Defrag

A company's computer network is the backbone of its business. It carries information and resources that are vital to a company's success. Ensuring that the computer network runs efficiently requires a schedule of monitoring and maintenance, including regular disk defragmentation.

The Efficient Hard Drive

Whenever files are opened, modified or saved, or programs are accessed, the hard drive stores files. An efficient hard drive will organize the files according to usability and similarity. Over time, however, the hard drive may have difficulty keeping space organized due to large amounts of files being stored, deleted and updated.

Fragmentation on a Computer Network

As a result, files are broken down and stored in pieces or spread out across multiple locations of the disk. This scattering of files and information on a hard disk is referred to as fragmentation, and can cause many computer network problems over time.

The Impact of Disk Fragmentation

A fragmented hard drive causes computers on a network to run slowly and inefficiently. This slowdown is due to the hard drive having to search through many files before finding what it needs. The hard drive must work harder than it should to find files and over time, it could cause a hard drive burnout and the computer to crash. In a computer network, this can result in data loss or network downtime.

Defragmentation

Defragmentation will take divided files and organize them according to usage and similarity. This helps the hard drive find what it needs quickly and easily. It also frees up space on the hard drive for additional files so that storage space is maximized. Altogether, regular defragmentation keeps your hard disk running efficiently while maximizing existing resources.

Scheduling Network Defrag

Lagging computer performance and inefficient storage space are good reasons to run a defrag program regularly. Computer and network systems should be defragged on a regular basis in order to avoid frustrations related to poor performance.
 
Defragging a computer network requires a few more considerations than simply defragging a single workstation. In a network setup, multiple computers are accessing a central data storage area, which may contain files and programs that they need to access. During defragmentation, some files and resources are locked or unavailable in order to prevent data corruption and extensive memory use. As a result, it is best to perform defragmentation when users are less likely to access data and use processes.
 
Disk defragmentation programs for computer networks will usually include a "schedule defrag" feature. This feature will allow you to schedule the disk defragmentation when computers are idle or during off-peak hours. Running this operation outside of business hours has many benefits, including:
  • avoidance of hardware and software conflicts with other users
  • decreased chance of overtaxing memory and resources
  • reduced possibility of defrag software interrupting working hours.

Improving Computer Performance

By improving computer performance and reducing the incidence of system errors, defragmentation can contribute to an efficient computer network. In both home and office environments, disk defragmentation software takes the time and guesswork out of defragmentation, so you can get the most productivity from your computer and computer network.
 
Resources
 
Computer Services Birmingham. (2007). How often to run computer disk defrag? Retrieved March 21, 2009, from the Computer Services Birmingham Web site: http://computer-services-birmingham.com/computer-maintenance/151-how-often-to-run-disk-defrag-.html.
 
Raxco Software, Inc. (2009). PerfectDisk solutions for business. Retrieved March 21, 2009, from the PerfectDisk Web site: http://www.perfectdisk.com/business.
 
Vista Rewired. (2007). Know when to defragment your drive. Retrieved March 21, 2009, from the Vista Rewired Web site:
http://www.vistarewired.com/2007/03/01/know-when-to-defragment-your-drive.