Mover is moving files FROM the array TO cache. I'm confused


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I have just added two spare SSD's. I setup one as 'apps' to store appdata, system, docker image, etc... and a public share with common files, installers, etc... Another to be used as a write_cache for files written to the server. Maybe I don't understand the settings properly, but when set the write cache to 'Prefer', and manually run the Mover, it's writing files to the cache drive from the array. Is the only way to have the opposite occur, to set the share to 'Yes' and risk it filling up completely?

Edited by cam94z28
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Prefer will move files to the cache. This is normal. If you set the cache to yes the files will initially go to the cache and move to the array when you run the mover. If you look under setting and scheduler you can set the mover to run when you want. Personally I run the mover once a day in the early morning. 

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14 minutes ago, cam94z28 said:

set the share to 'Yes' and risk it filling up completely?

As already mentioned, yes is the required setting to get files moved from cache to array.

 

As for filling up completely, whether you set a share to prefer (to have on cache) or yes (move to array), it will overflow to the array based on the Minimum Free setting for the pool (cache). You must set it larger than the largest file you expect to write to the pool. Minimum Free doesn't control how much space is kept free. Instead, it controls how much space must be free for the pool to be chosen. If the pool doesn't have the minimum, it will write to the array instead (for cache-yes or prefer).

 

Each user share has a Minimum Free also. If a disk doesn't have the minimum, another will be chosen.

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Thank you. The word "Prefer" makes it confusing, but the text at the right in the share settings makes it clear. I changed to 'Yes', stopped the mover from the terminal ('sudo mover stop', and re-ran it. Now, it is reading from the cache and writing back to the array.

 

I will try the mover tuning plugin and also install the appdata backup plugin, as my pools are single-drive.

 

Just out of curiosity, with things set to 'Yes', is there any protection from the drive filling up during the process?

Edited by cam94z28
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9 minutes ago, cam94z28 said:

Thank you. The word "Prefer" makes it confusing, but the text at the right in the share settings makes it clear. I changed to 'Yes', stopped the mover from the terminal ('sudo mover stop', and re-ran it. Now, it is reading from the cache and writing back to the array.

This is one reason that additional text was added as many people do not read the Help text which gives the fuller explanation of the settings.

 

Originally only the No and Yes settings existed.    When the mover behaviour was enhanced to support the additional options that are now provided by the Only and Prefer settings there was too much legacy code and documentation to consider changing the Yes and No options so new keywords had to be found for the new options.   I suspect if we were starting with a clean sheet the Yes and Prefer settings would be the other way around.

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