Sequential Disk I/O: How Physical Block Layout Enables 3x Faster File Transfers

File copying remains a daily bottleneck for systems engineers because standard tools like cp, rsync, and SFTP ignore fundamental disk I/O mechanics. Fast-copy addresses this by reading files sequentially based on physical disk layout and eliminating duplicates, achieving significant speedups for real-world workflows like backups and cross-server migrations. Understanding low-level storage optimization transforms seemingly basic operations into high-performance tools.