ioping

Show disk I/O latency using the default values and the current directory

$ ioping .

$ ioping [[-c|-count]] 10 [[-s|-size]] 1M /tmp

$ ioping [[-R|-rapid]] [/dev/sdX]

$ ioping [[-RL|-rapid -linear]] [/dev/sdX]

ioping [OPTIONS] TARGET
TARGET can be a file path (e.g., /tmp/testfile) or a block device (e.g., /dev/sda1).

-c COUNT
    Stop after sending COUNT requests.

-D
    Measure I/O using a direct I/O path, bypassing the kernel page cache.

-F
    Measure latency for fdatasync() operations, syncing file data only.

-i INTERVAL
    Wait INTERVAL seconds between I/O requests. Default is 0 (no delay).

-L
    Measure latency for fsync() operations, syncing file data and metadata.

-p PRIORITY
    Set I/O priority (0-7), where 0 is the highest priority.

-q
    Quiet output; only show the summary results.

-R
    Perform read-only I/O tests.

-s SIZE
    Set the test block size to SIZE bytes. Default is 4096 bytes.

-W
    Perform write-only I/O tests.

-h
    Display help information and exit.

-V
    Display version information and exit.

ioping is a specialized utility designed to measure and report local disk I/O latency. Much like the ping command assesses network responsiveness, ioping gauges the performance of storage subsystems by performing rapid, small-block read and write operations on a specified file or block device. It then calculates and displays critical I/O metrics such as the minimum, average, maximum, and standard deviation of I/O response times. This detailed statistical output provides valuable insights into the disk's responsiveness, helping users diagnose performance bottlenecks, benchmark storage devices, or simply monitor I/O behavior under varying conditions. It's an essential tool for system administrators and developers needing a quick and reliable way to check disk performance without setting up complex benchmarks.

ioping provides a snapshot of I/O latency, but actual application performance can vary due to factors like concurrent I/O, CPU load, and specific application I/O patterns.

Running continuous write tests on SSDs can contribute to drive wear.

Direct I/O (-D) is crucial for bypassing caching effects and getting a true measure of raw disk performance, otherwise, results might reflect cache performance rather than disk performance.

Requires root privileges to test raw block devices.

Diagnosing Slow Disk Performance: Quickly identify if a storage subsystem is a bottleneck.
Benchmarking Storage: Compare the I/O performance of different disk types, RAID configurations, or storage solutions.
Monitoring I/O Health: Observe disk latency under load or over time to detect potential issues.
Validating Configuration: Ensure newly installed disks or storage arrays are performing as expected.

ioping emerged as a lightweight, focused tool to address the need for quick disk I/O latency checks, mirroring the simplicity and utility of the ping command for network diagnostics. Its development focused on providing a direct and easily interpretable measure of storage responsiveness, making it a valuable addition to the sysadmin's toolkit for rapid performance assessment and troubleshooting without the complexity of more comprehensive benchmarking suites like fio.

ping(8), fio(1), dd(1), iostat(1), iotop(8)