Confused on how to use cache and data drives

[ExitusLSU]

I have the latest stable release of unRAID installed.  I just recently upgrade to Pro and am a little confused on how the cache drive is suppose to be used.  I have 4 2tb data drives, 1 2tb parity drive, and 1 60gb cache drive.

 

I have two shares, both with "Use cache disk" set to No: Apps, HTPC

HTPC share has two directories: TV, Movies

 

I have the following plugins installed: SABnzbd, CoachPotato, Plex, and Sickbeard.

 

SABnzbd plugin is installed as follows:

• Install directory: /usr/local/sabnzbd
  
• Data directory: /mnt/cache/Apps/SABnzbd
  

 

SABnzbd itself is setup as:

• Default Base Folder: /mnt/cache/Apps/SABnzbd
  
• Temporary Download Folder: Downloads/incomplete
  
• Completed Download Folder: Downloads/complete
  

 

My questions:

[*]How does the mover know where to move the downloaded files from Downloads/complete to my data drives?  I'd like my TV shows moved to my HTPC/TV share and my movies to HTPC/Movies.

[*]I'm getting issues when post processing files.  It says I don't have access to create folders /TV/<Show Name> and /Movies/<Movie Name>.

[*]I have Plex library and Temp directories set to /mnt/usr/Apps/Plex/Library and Temp.  Should I move these to the cache drive?  ie. /mnt/cache/Apps/Plex/Library and /mnt/cache/Apps/Plex/Temp

 

Thanks for any help.

[Helmonder]

I think you understand it a bit different then to how it actually works, I'll try to explain:

 

First of all set your HTPC share to "use cache drive".

 

Then set up sickbeard and couchpotato to save your completed movies and series to /mnt/user/HTPC/TV and /mnt/user/HTPC/Movies.

 

This will make it work. Unraid will save the completed on your cache disk now but it will aboslutely look like they are on the array when you look at the folders, at night the mover script will actually physically move them to the array.

 

Try that at first, if that works you can go a bit further. I have my temporary download directory (so where sabnzbd does it thing) set to a share that is "cache drive only", that will make sure all downloading is done on the cache drive, your array will not spin up. When sabnzbd is finished it should move the completed files to a cache drive share out of which sickbeard and couchpotato will pick up the files, they will do their post-processing and save the files to /mnt/user/HTPC/TV (but the files will actually still live on your cache drive untill the mover runs). Doing it that will will keep your array theoretically spun down untill either the mover runs or untill you start to watch something..

 

Please note however that that is theoretical, Sickbeard and Couchpotato will periodically spin up your array, no way to prevent that.

[ExitusLSU]

I think you understand it a bit different then to how it actually works, I'll try to explain:

 

First of all set your HTPC share to "use cache drive".

 

Then set up sickbeard and couchpotato to save your completed movies and series to /mnt/user/HTPC/TV and /mnt/user/HTPC/Movies.

 

This will make it work. Unraid will save the completed on your cache disk now but it will aboslutely look like they are on the array when you look at the folders, at night the mover script will actually physically move them to the array.

 

Try that at first, if that works you can go a bit further. I have my temporary download directory (so where sabnzbd does it thing) set to a share that is "cache drive only", that will make sure all downloading is done on the cache drive, your array will not spin up. When sabnzbd is finished it should move the completed files to a cache drive share out of which sickbeard and couchpotato will pick up the files, they will do their post-processing and save the files to /mnt/user/HTPC/TV (but the files will actually still live on your cache drive untill the mover runs). Doing it that will will keep your array theoretically spun down untill either the mover runs or untill you start to watch something..

 

Please note however that that is theoretical, Sickbeard and Couchpotato will periodically spin up your array, no way to prevent that.

 

So, does that mean I should let Sickbeard and CouchPotato handle the post processing of the files?  Right now I have SABnzbd doing the post processing via categories/sorts that I have set up (one for TV, one for Movies).  I set the HTPC share to use cache, then I added a new Downloads share that is cache only that SABnzbd will download to.  I figured, once SABnzbd is finished downloading, it does it's post processing and copies files to the HTPC share.  The mover at night should then move the files to the data disk correct?

 

Thanks for the help and sorry for the late response (holiday travel and plans last week).

[lionelhutz]

Just as another note. Any top level directory you create on the cache (or on any array drive too) becomes a user share. If you don't set the share on the cache drive to be cache only then it will be moved to the array disks by the mover.

 

You should have the Apps share set to be cache only and delete any Apps directories that exist on the array drives.

[pcgirl]

I have mine setup like this except I noticed that my Plex server was not updated with the TV shows that I had downloaded.  They were sitting on the cache drive and they were moved in the middle of the night.  The next morning Plex was seeing them.  So does Plex and XBMC not see the new downloaded files until they are moved to the TV Shows disk?  If this is the case, how do I fix this?

[StevenD]

I have mine setup like this except I noticed that my Plex server was not updated with the TV shows that I had downloaded.  They were sitting on the cache drive and they were moved in the middle of the night.  The next morning Plex was seeing them.  So does Plex and XBMC not see the new downloaded files until they are moved to the TV Shows disk?  If this is the case, how do I fix this?

 

I can confirm that Plex does NOT update files from the cache drive.  I have Plex set to use /mnt/user and it does not add new shows and movies until after the mover runs at night.

[itimpi]

I have mine setup like this except I noticed that my Plex server was not updated with the TV shows that I had downloaded.  They were sitting on the cache drive and they were moved in the middle of the night.  The next morning Plex was seeing them.  So does Plex and XBMC not see the new downloaded files until they are moved to the TV Shows disk?  If this is the case, how do I fix this?

 

I can confirm that Plex does NOT update files from the cache drive.  I have Plex set to use /mnt/user and it does not add new shows and movies until after the mover runs at night.

I think that is due to the way that you have plex set to scan for new files.  The issue might be that when User Shares are in use due to the abstraction level between the physical media and the logical view Plex has to actively look rather than waiting for an update notification from the OS level.

[pcgirl]

So how should Plex be setup to find these files then before they are moved?

[gundamguy]

I have mine setup like this except I noticed that my Plex server was not updated with the TV shows that I had downloaded.  They were sitting on the cache drive and they were moved in the middle of the night.  The next morning Plex was seeing them.  So does Plex and XBMC not see the new downloaded files until they are moved to the TV Shows disk?  If this is the case, how do I fix this?

 

I can confirm that Plex does NOT [automatically] update files from the cache drive.  I have Plex set to use /mnt/user and it does not add new shows and movies until after the mover runs at night.

 

Edited your mostly correct post.

 

Plex will find them if you manually scan for new media. Plex may not automatically add them (unknown to me, and not my use case). 

 

[Edited for word choice, manually is the better word.]

[pcgirl]

I just noticed that I had my folders set to /mnt/user0/Movies and /mnt/user0/TV Shows.  What is the user0 in Unraid?

[eroz]

I just noticed that I had my folders set to /mnt/user0/Movies and /mnt/user0/TV Shows.  What is the user0 in Unraid?

I think it doesn't count what data you have in the cache drive.

[pcgirl]

This might explain why Plex couldn't see my new downloads until they were moved from my cache disk to my array.

[trurl]

I just noticed that I had my folders set to /mnt/user0/Movies and /mnt/user0/TV Shows.  What is the user0 in Unraid?

I think it doesn't count what data you have in the cache drive.

This is exactly right. /mnt/user0 is the user shares excluding any data still on cache.

[kitono]

Forgive me if I missed it then but what is the best fix for having Plex recognize new downloads into the cache drive without doing a manual sync?

[eroz]

That is all on how you want it. You would need to change that setting on plex. Do you want it constantly searching your shares for a change? Do you want it to update your library only when it detects a change? Or do you just want plex to update every X hours? Those settings are done via plex.

[switchman]

Set SB and Sab to notify Plex Server on completion.  This will kick of a scan of the specific area TV or Movies.  I don't remember if you have to set anything else in Plex or not.

 

It will see them even on the cache.  It does not now about any of the underlying drives.  Unraid hides the fact that the individual drives exist and presents a consolidated view as if a single disk is used.

[pcgirl]

Once I changed the directory to /mnt/user/TV Shows instead of /mnt/user0/TV Shows it seems to be working.

[switchman]

It would.  The ""user" path includes the cache while "user0" does not.