WD’s Discovery software provides management functions, and enables the drive, with included Backup utility, to backup host system files on a settable schedule.
Smaller randomly-addressed files are stored temporarily in a cache and then, when the drive is idle, written out in a sequential manner, with address translation to speed the writing process. Large sequential files are accepted by the drive and written with no interruption.
Fresh data writes to empty tracks proceed as normal. This slows the data rewrite process as blocks of tracks have to be read, the data altered, and then the block re-written to the drive. The 5TB drive, claimed to be the thinnest such drive available, uses drive-managed shingling. The case is part-diagonally ribbed and available in blue for Mac and black, red and a different blue for Windows. The 4TB and 5TB drive’s extra thickness and near doubled weight reflects the two extra platters inside. The device has a SATA interface, spins at 5,400rpm, and the actual capacities available are 1TB, 2 TB, 4TB and 5TB, using 1TB platters.
