Unraid NAS/Game Server Storage Config

[CRDark]

I'm looking to set up an unraid server for the first time next month and trying to figure out what the best pool and share configuration would be. I'll be using this as a NAS for family, multiple game servers, and media streaming. The following is what I initially was thinking for storage, I'll probably be getting a 13700k as the CPU for transcoding and abundance of threads.

8 x 4TB HDDs

4 x 1 TB Sata SSDs

2-3 x 1 TB Nvme SSDs

The HDDs will be the array with 2 of them being parity. Here are the questions I have when setting up the shares:

1. I want to set a 2 of the SSDs to be a write cache in raid, should they be the Nvme or Sata ssds?
2. Should I have a separate write cache for media files? The media files themselves I would pin to 2 of the HDDs while the others would be for files.  
3. Should game severs SSDs be Nvme or Sata? 
4. The game servers are mostly going to docker containers (minecraft/valheim/the forest/etc). From what I've read/watched the game data of this (docker containers) is under appdata, which I can attach to a pool. I was initially thinking I'd use 2-3 of the ssds as game servers to split the usage of them so it's not all hitting one drive to extend the life (I would have backups to the array). If I add 2 ssds under a pool for appdata (not in raid) will it split it evenly across them. Also, would data for a single game be split across the 2 drives, such as a minecraft world be split across both, and would it affect performance? Or would it be better to do a single larger drive even though it means it would all be on the same drive? 
5. I will possibly setup VMs though depending on the game, or maybe other type of projects. Should these be a separate pool as well?
6. Is there any other pools that should I create as well? 

Any input would be greatly appreciated since this will be the first time setting up something like this.  I have decent linux experience though so I can do things through command line if need be. 

Edited October 1, 2022 by CRDark

[CRDark]

Bumping this topic. If anything I at least would like to know if it's better to run game server and the write cache off Sata or Nvme SSDs, or does it really matter? I'm guessing I can only run docker containers off one cache pool so I can't spread them across multiple drives so probably Nvme might be good to run all of them. Since I have limited PCIE lanes, I was only hoping to use 2 Nvme but should I just use 4 Nvme? 

[Vr2Io]

On 10/1/2022 at 12:16 PM, CRDark said:

If I add 2 ssds under a pool for appdata (not in raid)

Pool only support single disk or RAID, so you need according capacity need and arrange how SSD allocate.

 

For SATA or NVMe, you should try your best to use NVMe as it almost same cost as SATA but perform much better usually.

 

I don't think put file / application across different disk for maximize SSD life was a good solution, best way is well identify their load first and try estimate how long SSD could life for such loading, i.e. 1 yrs, 2 , 3 etc ....

 

You shouldn't buy all SSD at one time, start up by two NVMe first and think next after deep observation.

Edited October 9, 2022 by Vr2Io

[CRDark]

21 hours ago, Vr2Io said:

Pool only support single disk or RAID, so you need according capacity need and arrange how SSD allocate.

...
I don't think put file / application across different disk for maximize SSD life was a good solution, best way is well identify their load first and try estimate how long SSD could life for such loading, i.e. 1 yrs, 2 , 3 etc ....

Ah sorry I mean RAID 0 to have the capacity of both but I could just get bigger drives instead of splitting them across multiple drives. I'll stick to one then. 

 

21 hours ago, Vr2Io said:

For SATA or NVMe, you should try your best to use NVMe as it almost same cost as SATA but perform much better usually.

It would be nice to do all Nvme but just to make sure I really need it since they have the same TBW performance (comparing the 870 evo and 970 evo plus) so it's just making sure I need the speeds. With Sata drives I could get a hotswap bay which would be pretty nice but if having all Nvme is that much better I can look at getting an expansion card. 

 

21 hours ago, Vr2Io said:

You shouldn't buy all SSD at one time, start up by two NVMe first and think next after deep observation.

I was going to go with 4 drives after watching some spaceinvaderone videos. 2 for protected write cache, 1 for docker containers, and 1 for VMs. I could combine docker containers and VMs onto 1 pool but might as well just set them up like that now. 

[Vr2Io]

2 hours ago, CRDark said:

With Sata drives I could get a hotswap bay which would be pretty nice but if having all Nvme is that much better I can look at getting an expansion card. 

That's true, SATA are easy to connect as much as device, NVMe just not.