Bottleneck analyser

Determine the Real Speed of Your Server

Every storage system is only as fast as its slowest component. Our Bottleneck Analyzer tool allows you to precisely identify the speed limits of your storage chain, from your RAID arrays to your network interface card (NIC).

Don’t rely solely on the theoretical throughput of your RAID! The actual data transfer rate (in MB/s or Gbps) is often throttled by critical elements such as the PCIe Bus or your controller’s bandwidth.

Why Use This Tool?

  • Identify Limitations: Determine if performance is being held back by the disks, the RAID controller, the PCIe bus (generation and lanes), or the network connection (e.g., 10GbE).

  • Hardware Optimization: Plan your upgrades effectively. If your RAID controller can deliver 8,000 MB/s, but your PCIe 3.0 x8 link only supports 4,000 MB/s, you are wasting potential performance and money.

  • Real-World Performance: Get a realistic estimate of the maximum throughput your configuration can achieve in a production environment.

How Does the Analysis Work?

Enter the maximum throughput for each of your main components (RAID, Controller, Bus, and Network). Our bottleneck analyzer evaluates the maximum sequential throughput of every link in the chain and reveals which one represents your bottleneck. This ensures you invest in the right components for your infrastructure.

Use this tool before your next upgrade to ensure all components of your infrastructure are correctly sized for the expected performance.

Bottleneck Analysis

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Determine the theoretical maximum throughput of your storage system and identify the limiting component.

RAID / Disks performance

Debit obtained from your RAID Calculator.
IOPS obtained from your RAID Calculator.

Server/Bus Components

Maximum rate limit of the controller.

Network link

0 Mo/s
Enter your component specifications and start the analysis.

Technical Specifications & Performance Limits

To get the most out of the Bottleneck Analyzer, it’s important to understand the theoretical limits of modern hardware. Our tool accounts for the following standards:

  • Network Interfaces: From 1GbE (125 MB/s) to 100GbE (12.5 GB/s), network overhead often remains the most common bottleneck in NAS environments.

  • PCIe Generations: * PCIe 3.0: ~985 MB/s per lane.

    • PCIe 4.0: ~1,970 MB/s per lane.

    • PCIe 5.0: ~3,940 MB/s per lane.

  • Storage Controllers: SAS-3 (12 Gbps per link) and NVMe (Gen4 x4 reaching up to 7,500 MB/s) require high-performance buses to avoid data queuing.

Common Storage Bottleneck Scenarios

Are you experiencing slow transfer speeds? Here are the most frequent causes identified by our users:

  1. The “Lanes” Trap: A high-end RAID controller or NVMe drive installed in a PCIe slot wired for only x4 or x2 lanes.

  2. The Network Ceiling: Having a 5,000 MB/s SSD array but accessing it through a 1GbE or 2.5GbE network.

  3. Controller Saturation: Exceeding the maximum aggregate throughput of an entry-level HBA or RAID card with too many high-speed SSDs.

Optimize Your Server Performance with Our Free Tools

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