I have a new install of unRaid, I have a pro license. I'm on version 7.0.1.

 

This box will mostly be used for Plex/Jellyfin (not sure which yet) along with some sort of torrenting. I'll also be using it as as NAS for file storage of my photography files. I'm not sure what else I'll really be using it for yet. I guess I've always kinda wanted to try NextCloud or something like that. I'm not a big power user, that's for sure.

Currently the only thing I have done is gotten an array set up (4 x 14TB HDD with one of them as parity) and got my media files on a share. I've installed both Plex and Jellyfin to see how those work and it seems to be going ok. I also have 2 x 1TB SSD and 1 x 2TB NVMe drive installed in my case, but do not have anything set up on them yet. It was suggested I could use the NVMe for cache and set up the 2 x 1TB for appdata and stuff like that.

My problem is, I am having trouble wrapping my head around everything right now. I just got out of the hospital a few days ago with significant diabetes complications and a mild heart attack so my brain is so so so scattered. I was hoping though to get this thing fully automated here in the next week or so because I'm scheduled for open heart surgery in a couple weeks and want to make sure this thing is humming along nicely during my recovery period.

I THINK what I should be doing is creating a pool called "cache" and adding the NVMe drive to that pool, and another pool called "data" and adding the two SSDs to that pool. But then I don't know what to do from there.

If anyone wouldn't mind helping me I would appreciate it so much, I'll buy you a coffee or whatever!

I Hear you with the kidney issues...

 

Dockers *ars setup?
plex / sonar / radar / bit torrent ....

Some tested recommendations. Your mileage may very....

 

I would have you look into immich. Regarding photo / media backup and sharing. I do not recommend nextcloud (pain to maintain and not secure out of the box...). look into Rejeto HFS... as what does nextcloud do that you can do with other dockers...

 

Immich Guides:
https://forums.unraid.net/topic/187792-guide-immich-docker-setup/

I would recommend Plex for a media center if using unraid.
https://trash-guides.info/File-and-Folder-Structure/How-to-set-up/Unraid/#unraid-612-cache_1

Plex is more robust. Jellyfin can be faster.
Plex can detect more media file types for playing (Transcoding). 

Looking into embry as well in terms of a shareable media location.
Plex has api and other built-in for easy Media Sharing. Jellyfin is getting better...
 

You big concern is how you ware handling your folder and file structures... I recommend reviewing trash guides and looking on how and where your want your docker Program files, Media and other System files are stored and come up with a folder / file structure that works for you...

 

So Lets review:
 

You're on the right track with setting up your pools! Given your use case and hardware, here’s a solid plan to set up your unRAID system for smooth operation:

 

1. Configure Storage Pools

 

You'll want to create two separate pools:

 

Cache Pool (NVMe Drive - 2TB)

-Used for write caching, making file transfers faster.

-Can also be used for Docker and VM storage to improve performance.

 

Appdata Pool (SSD Pool - 2 x 1TB)

-Stores appdata (Docker containers, databases, etc.).

-You can set it up as RAID1 (btrfs) for redundancy.

 

Steps to Set Up Pools

Go to Main > Cache Pools > Add Pool.

Name it Cache and assign the NVMe drive.

Click Add Pool again, name it Appdata, and assign the two 1TB SSDs (set to RAID1 for redundancy).

 

 

2. Configure Shares and Set Use Cases

Once pools are created, configure shares with specific cache settings:

 

*Using the Unriad array, we can leverage Mover...

Mover Behavior:

"Yes" → Data temporarily stored on cache and moved to array.

"Only" → Data stays on the assigned pool.

"Preferred" → Stays on cache but can move to the array if needed.

 

appdata (Set to "Only" or "Preferred" on the SSD pool)

-Used for Docker containers.

 

system (Set to "Only" or "Preferred" on the SSD pool)

-Stores Docker and VM metadata.

 

domains (Set to "Only" or "Preferred" on the SSD pool)

-If you plan to run VMs.

 

isos (Set to "Only" on the SSD pool)

-If you store ISO images.

 

media (Set to "Yes" on the Cache pool)

-Speeds up file transfers before moving to the HDDs.

 

downloads (Set to "Yes" on the Cache pool)

-Used for torrents, preventing constant HDD writes.

Example:

 

3. Install Community Apps and Docker Containers

 

Use the built in Community Applications plugin to install:

-Plex or Jellyfin (whichever you decide)

qBittorrent, Deluge, or any torrenting docker app...

NextCloud (if you want cloud storage)

Unassigned Devices Plugin (if you want to mount external drives)

CA Auto Update Applications (keeps your apps updated)

 

*Then look into your Backup paths.

4. Automate Backups

Since you’re heading into surgery, automation is key:

- Backup AppData (Use CA Backup/Restore plugin)

-Set Up Notifications (unRAID → Settings → Notifications)

-UPS Setup (if you have one) (Prevents unexpected shutdowns)

 

Final Checks

Parity Check: Ensure your parity drive is healthy.

Test Dockers: Make sure Plex/Jellyfin can read from media share.

Enable Mover Schedule: Move data from cache to array overnight.

Edited March 18, 20251 yr by bmartino1
typo - Data

Or You can ditch the unraid array all together and go ZFS.
 

using 1 disk fro cache and 3 disk of the same size in a raidz1 storing meida there.

_This Process may require formating and coping off data on your current disk.

I appreciate your very robust replies. I will read them very closely shortly. 

 

One thing that might be changing is my motherboard/CPU setup, which gives me a bit of a different situation now, perhaps. 

 

So I had the 2TB NVMe drive and the 2x1TB SSDs. With my new motherboard I'll have an additional NVMe slot, and I have a 1TB NVMe drive available to use as well. 

 

If it were you, how would you utilize these drives? I'm ok with the original plan if that's best. If it might be better somehow to use 2x NVMe and ditch the Sata SSDs I could do that. Heck, I would be ok using 2TB NVMe, 1TB NVMe, and both 1TB SSDs if that made sense.

I've used mixed media in a zfs pool.

3x 1TB (2x ssd and 1x nvme) as a zfs raid z1.
-Lose one disk keep all the data.

going zfs you may get 2-2.5 TB of use

 

Other notes:

Depends on board. ATM using ebay with combo buys on a amd epyic bards taken from data centers are fairly cheap.

I have and would recommend using my expansion slots of going full nvme. Using bifurcation cards or turning x4 into nvme holders.

Some boards bifurcate killing stat slots and other ports. Looking to the # of pcie lanes the cpu has and teh block diagram of the baord to make sure all disk are able to be read and used. usualy the top nvme slot next to the x16 is direct to teh processor in its own IOMMU IRQ group and doen't count towards the pcie bandwith lanes number. the additional NVME on board may for bifurcation as it taps into the pcie lane or may force some sata ports to become disabled to use.

I've used mixed media in a zfs pool.
##########

Are your maintaining the 4x14 ? Moving that in or separating them between 2 different boxes?

For ease of use I'd recommend staying with the traditional Unraid Array. any new disk setup pools.

 

Recommended Storage Setup

Array (HDDs)

-4 x 14TB HDDs (1 as parity)

Purpose: Bulk media storage, NAS storage.

File System: XFS (recommended for single drives in unRAID).

 

Cache Pool (Fast NVMe for Writes & Performance)

-2TB NVMe (Primary cache drive)

-1TB NVMe (Secondary cache or appdata pool)

 

Purpose:

Caches writes before moving to the HDD array.

Stores frequently accessed data for faster read performance.

Used for downloads, media metadata, and active storage.

File System: Btrfs (if you want future expansion) or XFS (if single drive).

 

AppData Pool (SSD for Docker & Metadata)

-2 x 1TB SATA SSDs (RAID1 for redundancy)

Purpose:

Stores appdata (Plex, Jellyfin, NextCloud, etc.).

Holds databases, metadata, and Docker configurations.

Provides protection against data loss if a drive fails.

File System: Btrfs (for RAID1 redundancy).

############

Why This Setup?

Keeps NVMe cache for fast writes → prevents slowdowns when moving large files to HDDs.

Dedicated SSD pool for appdata → ensures your Docker containers, metadata, and databases remain stable and don’t suffer from parity-related slowdowns.

Avoids overcomplicating with ZFS RAIDZ1 → unRAID works best with pools instead of RAID for caching and appdata.

 

 

Alternative: If You Want to Ditch SATA SSDs

If you prefer to move away from SATA SSDs and use only NVMe:

Use 2TB NVMe + 1TB NVMe in a cache pool (Btrfs RAID1 or just separate caches).

Use one SATA SSD for appdata (Btrfs or XFS).

Keep the second SATA SSD as a cold backup (not in use, or for extra storage).

 

 

This then goes back to how you handle shares, fodlers and data between teh disk array and pools:
 

*Create Cache Pool (Cache - Assign both NVMe drives)

Set Primary Storage: Cache, Secondary: Array.

Set Mover to move files once a day (overnight).

 

*Create AppData Pool (Appdata - Assign SATA SSDs in RAID1)

Set Primary Storage: AppData Pool, Secondary: None.

Change appdata share settings to Only: AppData.

I personally prefer a ZFS Unriad. But ZFS Unraid systems require a bit of performance and can be ram intensive.

I would recommend sticking to the traditional array in this case. may look into hba / nvme pcie addon cards for future storage.