Regarding data copy speed to databox

Question

Hi,

Can we copy some random data to data box disk to test the speed of data copy to the disk.

We just want to know how much time it takes to copy about 6 TB of data using PC connection instead of Server connection.

Once we test the Speed and time taken to copy the data, we want to remove this junk data to copy the actual data.

Answer 1

@KA Thanks for posting your query on Microsoft Q&A.

You can connect Azure data box to your PC using the USB 3.0 connection. This connection supports high-speed data transfer.

Copy your 6 TB of random data to the disk. You can use dd command (Linux/macOS) or WSL on Windows. You can use standard file copy tools or scripts to automate this process. The speed will depend on your PC’s hardware and the USB connection. Note the start and end time of the data copy process to calculate the total time taken. After testing, you can delete the random data from the disk to prepare it for the actual data transfer. Once you’re ready, copy the actual data to the disk and ship it back to Azure for upload.

Testing with Server vs. PC Connection:

• PC Connection: The speed of data transfer will generally be limited by the PC’s CPU, disk speed, and the network interface (if copying over the network).
• Server Connection: Servers tend to have more powerful hardware, optimized network configurations, and faster connections (e.g., 10GbE), so copying data will generally be faster.

Additional reading:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/databox/data-box-disk-overview#benefits

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/databox/data-box-disk-faq

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/databox/data-box-limits

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments.