I've searched and read posts and watched videos, but I'm just not getting how to do this.

My cache is practically full now, and it's mostly files I don't think should be on the cache:

For example, Games is set up to use the array. There's no secondary storage settings or anything i can see that would make it write to cache.

How can I move the files of these shares off of the cache drive, and stop it from writing more there?

Edited May 22, 20251 yr by VulpesDormiens
extra info in title

So I'm guessing that I need to set those shares to move from cache -> array like this setting available in my appdata share:

But this setting does not exist for the shares I'm trying to get off the cache drive:

i

Is there a reason I don't have that setting on all shares?

5 hours ago, VulpesDormiens said:

s or anything i can see that would make it write to cache.

You need to set the pools as primary, then you can select a secondary.

5 hours ago, JorgeB said:

You need to set the pools as primary, then you can select a secondary.

Where do I set the pools as primary?

Is that not the setting I have for my Games share, where "Primary storage (for new files and folders_:" is set to Array?

Make sure you are writing to the Share and not to the pool...

45 minutes ago, VulpesDormiens said:

where "Primary storage (for new files and folders_:" is set to Array?

Yes, it must be a pool as primary, not the array, or there won't be a mover option.

1 hour ago, JorgeB said:

Yes, it must be a pool as primary, not the array, or there won't be a mover option.

I'm a bit confused.

I have 3 HDDs that make up the array, and one SSD that is the cache pool.

I can't make a pool that uses the array devices.

Do I need to set the cache (my only pool) as the primary, then set the mover action to Cache-> Array, run the mover, then set the primary location back to the array to get those files off the cache to the array?

And then figuring out why things are written on to the cache at all is a separate issue?

37 minutes ago, VulpesDormiens said:

Do I need to set the cache (my only pool) as the primary, then set the mover action to Cache-> Array, run the mover,

Just this part, you also need to set the array as secondary, more info here:

https://docs.unraid.net/unraid-os/release-notes/6.12.0/#share-storage-conceptual-change

45 minutes ago, JorgeB said:

Just this part, you also need to set the array as secondary, more info here:

https://docs.unraid.net/unraid-os/release-notes/6.12.0/#share-storage-conceptual-change

OK, awesome. I think I'm getting it.

So now everything new will start on the cache, and be moved to the array whenever the mover runs?

So having a share use the array as primary storage is just not the proper way to do it?

30 minutes ago, VulpesDormiens said:

So now everything new will start on the cache, and be moved to the array whenever the mover runs?

Correct.

31 minutes ago, VulpesDormiens said:

So having a share use the array as primary storage is just not the proper way to do it?

It is if you want that any new data written to that share goes directly to the array.

This section of the Manual may be of help also:

https://docs.unraid.net/unraid-os/manual/shares/user-shares/

And make sure that you create Shares using the SHARES menu in the GUI. Not with a file manager. I believe it can still be done with a File manager but you have to know the fine points of the how Unraid handles Shares to get things set up correctly.