Hi all,

I set up a new Unraid 7.3.4 server (Starter license, TPM-based) with internal boot on a single 256 GB KIOXIA NVMe, using the “boot + data partition” option. I want to use the data partition as a cache for shares (appdata, system and so on), but I can’t select it.

Setup

• Unraid 7.3.4, internal boot on one NVMe (single disk, not mirrored)

• Array: 1x 8 TB parity + 1x 8 TB data disk (XFS), array started

• The NVMe has the 15.6 GB boot partition (zfs, online) and a data partition of 237 GB

What I see

• The data partition shows under “Boot Pool” as a row named “Boot”. After starting the array I formatted it from the Main tab, and it is now mounted as btrfs with 237 GB.

• The “Pool Devices” section is empty.

• When I add or edit a share, the “Primary storage” dropdown only lists “Array”. The boot pool’s data partition is not offered.

• “Add Pool” and the internal boot tool in Tools both say no compatible devices are available (I assume because the NVMe is already assigned).

• The blue “Boot” link on the data partition row goes back to the Main tab. The link icon to its left opens the file browser.

What I tried

• Hard refresh of the Shares page

• Checked that user shares are enabled in Global Share Settings

• Stopped and restarted the array

Question
According to the Internal Boot FAQ, the remaining capacity of a “boot + data” device can be used as a normal pool. How do I make this data partition selectable as primary storage for shares (as a cache)? Is this a configuration step I missed, or a known limitation or bug in 7.3.4?

tower-diagnostics-20261028-1528.zip

How did your data partition get named "boot"? Probably a reserved word. Seems to have caused other problems. The boot partition is mounted at /boot, but that data partition is mounted at /mnt/boot1.

The problem is the name of the pool. Your boot + data pool is named "boot1", and pool names must not end in a number. Unraid uses a trailing number to identify the individual devices of a multi-device pool, so the GUI reads "boot1" as device 1 of a pool named "boot". That pool does not exist. Because of this, the pool is not offered as primary storage, the row shows as "Boot" on Main, and the link takes you back to Main.

Your pool is still empty, so you can fix it like this:

1. Stop the array.

2. Remove the empty "cache" pool that you added: click on Cache in Main, then click Remove Pool.

3. Open a terminal and rename the pool's configuration file:

mv /boot/config/pools/boot1.cfg /boot/config/pools/cache.cfg

4. Reboot.

5. Check that Main now shows the pool as "Cache", then start the array. The pool should now be available as primary storage for your shares.

Could you also tell us how the pool got the name "boot1"? For example, did you type it in the internal boot step of the setup wizard? Normally the GUI does not accept a pool name that ends in a number, so we want to check where this was allowed.

Two days of troubleshooting to be fixed in 10 minutes and due to a user error, FML.

I see the problem now, and the fix you gave worked perfectly. I remember setting the name to boot1 in the iso wizard. Don't know why I did it, but I did.

It is fixed now, thank you so much!!

14 minutes ago, MelvinLauwers said:

I remember setting the name to boot1 in the iso wizard.

The wizard should not accept numbers, do you remember which Unraid release?

Yes, I installed 7.3.4 two days ago. It allowed me to choose a boot name and write numbers.