Relative Performance

Your most precise indicator of cache effectiveness is the relative performance value displayed in the PC-CacheFS Monitor. After you restart your computer, relative performance displays at 100 percent, which indicates that the system performance is the same as without PC-CacheFS. As you retrieve information from a remote location, the relative performance increases or decreases to indicate the overall gain or loss of performance for your particular mix of applications. A low relative performance may indicate that while your network is fast, your local disk, where your cache is located, may be slow.

A relative performance under 100 percent can occur when PC-CacheFS automatically updates information in the cache, slowing the speed of your system below your regular system speed. A continued relative performance below 100% indicates you are not using the information on the current drive enough times to necessitate caching that particular network drive. Select a different drive to cache; one on which you use information more frequently.

Since PC-CacheFS has the benefit of reducing network traffic and server load, a slightly lower relative performance may indicate increased productivity across multiple clients at your site. A high relative performance indicates that your cache is performing well in relation to the network, thereby enhancing your personal productivity. Other indicators of cache effectiveness include an average cache-hit rate greater than 50 percent, and green lights in the Hits field more often than yellow lights in the Misses field.