Copy Method Benchmark

With the Copy Method Benchmark tool, you can test the copy speed of copy methods A, B, and C with your storage devices. You’ll find the tool in the AllSync menu bar under 'Tools'.

Copy Test
Test Result
Toolbar
Overview
Folder
Copy Method
Test File
Log
CSV File

Copy Test

When starting a copy test, all file sizes, copy methods, and data blocks to be tested are first determined. Then, a separate copy test is performed for each file size.The procedure for a copy test with one file size is as follows:

First, all copy methods are tested:
1. A new test file of this size is created in the source folder.
2. The test file is copied from the source folder to the destination folder using one copy method.
3. The test file is then deleted from both the source and destination folders.
4. This process is repeated until all copy methods with all data blocks have been tested.
The test result is then displayed in the log.
The process is repeated until all file sizes have been tested with all copy methods.

Test Result

The test result shows the best results of all tested copy methods for a file size in the log, sorted by:

Shortest Copy Time
Lowest Average Time
Lowest Median Time

For each copy method, the following information is displayed per line in the log:

Copy Method (A, B, or C)
Block Size (only for Method C)
Copy time in milliseconds or seconds

Additionally, it shows which copy method achieved the best time. To calculate and display the average and median time, at least three copy repetitions must be defined.
Average Time
The average of all copy times for one method.
Median Time
The median of all copy times for one method.System and Drive Information in the Test Result
In addition to copy times, the following system and drive information is displayed in the log for each test result:

Test ID: Unique identifier of the test result
CPU: Model and configuration of the processor used
RAM: Size of the memory
Test File: File size used
Copy Repetitions: Number of repetitions per method
Source and destination folder: Paths of the involved folders
Drive Type: e.g., Local Disk
File System: e.g., NTFS
Cluster Size: e.g., 4 KB
Bus Type: e.g., RAID, USB
Storage Technology: e.g., Electronic (SSD) or Mechanical (HDD)
Serial Number: Unique identifier of the storage device

This information helps interpret the test results correctly and compare them with other system configurations if needed. The test ID is stored both in the log and in the CSV file and serves as a unique reference for a test result. This allows the measurements in the CSV file to be linked to the corresponding system and drive information in the log at any time.Summary Statistics at the End of the Test
After all copy operations are completed, a compact summary is displayed in the log. It includes:

Duration: Total duration of the test
Created Test Files: Number of files generated
Copied Test Files: Number of copy operations performed
Deleted Test Files: Total number of files removed from source and target
Errors: Number of errors encountered
Notes: Number of logged notes

This summary provides a quick overview and supports evaluation and error diagnosis.

Toolbar

The following actions are available via the toolbar:

Start Copy Test
Stop Copy Test
Clear Log Contents
Exit
Overview
Folder
Copy Methods
Test File
Log

Overview

This view provides a summary of the selected test parameters and the total number of copy tests that would be performed based on these settings.The following information is displayed:

Number of file sizes to be tested
Number of copy repetitions
Number of copy methods to be tested including data block configuration
Total number of copy tests to be performed.

Total = Number of file sizes × Number of copy methods (including block variants) × Copy repetitions

Folder

Source Folder
Specify the folder where the test file will be created.
Destination folder
Specify the folder where the test file will be copied.

Which Copy Method Should Be Tested?

Select the copy methods you want to test:

Copy Method A
Copy Method B
Copy Method C
- Test Individual Data Blocks (in KB)
  This option allows you to test various block sizes in kilobytes (KB). Multiple block sizes must be separated by commas.
  Example: 4,8,16,32,64,128,256,512,1024,2048
- Test Data Blocks Within a Size Range (KB)
  This option allows you to test multiple data blocks in kilobytes (KB) within a defined size range. The size range is defined by a start and end value. The step size determines how the block size is incremented.

Notes

For each data block, a separate test file is created and copied from the source to the destination folder using copy method C. This prevents distortion of copy time due to Windows file caching.
If a data block is larger than the test file, it is automatically reduced to the file size. The adjusted data block is only used if this block size has not yet been tested — to avoid duplicate measurements.

Test File

A test file is created with a specific file size in the source folder and then copied to the destination folder using a copy method. The test file is then automatically deleted from both the source and destination folders. A new test file is created for each test to avoid distortion of copy time due to Windows file caching.
File Size

Test Individual File Sizes
This option allows you to test various file sizes. Multiple file sizes must be separated by commas. The size format for file sizes can be specified in bytes, kilobytes (KB), or megabytes (MB).
Test Multiple File Sizes Within a Range
This option allows you to test multiple file sizes within a defined size range. The size range is defined by a start and end value. The step size determines how the file size is incremented. The size format for the start value, end value, and step size can be specified in bytes, kilobytes (KB), or megabytes (MB).

Copy Repetitions per Copy Method and Data Block
Specify how many times a test file should be copied per copy method and data block. Based on the copy durations of individual operations, the shortest copy time, average time, and median time are calculated. At least 3 copy repetitions must be defined to calculate average and median time.
Example: If you define 5 copy repetitions and test copy method B, the test file will be created 5 times in the source folder and copied each time to the destination folder using method B.

Log

Maximum Number of Lines in Log View
Specify how many lines should be displayed in the log view. Once the actual number of lines exceeds the set limit, the top 100 lines are automatically removed. This keeps the display performant and clear — even with long log histories.
Show Only Test Result in Log View
If this option is enabled, details of individual copy operations for a test file are written only to the log file — they do not appear in the log view. After all copy operations with a specific file size are completed, only the summary test result is displayed in the log view. If an error occurs during the copy operation, it is also shown in the log view.
Remove old entries from log file
When the benchmark tool starts, the file benchmark.txt is checked and all entries older than the defined number of days are removed.
Notes:
- Refer to the Compatibility section under the Time Format option.
- The log file is only checked once a day.
- When old log entries are removed, a new log file is always created and the old one is deleted.
Log Test Result to CSV File
This option saves all test results to a CSV file. If a CSV file already exists, new test results are automatically appended.

CSV File

The following information is saved per line in the CSV file:

Test_ID
The unique identifier for a test result. The test ID in each line of the CSV file matches the test ID in the log and allows clear assignment of measurements to the respective test conditions
File_Size_Bytes
Size of the test file in bytes.
Copy_Method
Copy method used: A, B, or C.
Block_Size_Bytes
Block size used with copy method C, in bytes. For copy methods A and B, the block size is listed as '0' since it is not used.
Copy_Time_Min
Shortest copy time for transferring the test file, in milliseconds.
Copy_Time_Average
Lowest average time for transferring the test file, in milliseconds.
Copy_Time_Median
Lowest median time for transferring the test file, in milliseconds.