32 | Barracuda 2LP Installation Guide, Rev. E |
Enabling write cache
Write caching is a feature that allows the drive to transfer write data to its own cache, tell the controller that the task is complete, and then actually complete the write at a later time. This improves write performance by freeing the CPU to go on to its next command.
Warning. Information can be lost is you enable write cache and there is a system failure (for ex- ample, power failure) before the data has actually been physically written to the disc.
OEM drives are shipped with write cache disabled by default. If you want to enable the write cache, refer to your system’s drive controller and software utility documenta- tion. Seagate provides an ASPI utility that you can use in a PC compatible system to enable the write cache. It is available on Seagate’s CompuServe forum and on the Seagate BBS (refer to “Technical support services” on page 9).