Do you use a cache device in your unRAID server?



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I selected Yes but it is NO on the majority of my servers right now.  I only add a cache drive temporarily to move files around on my server when I get some directories split between drives.  That may/will change when I switch from ESXi to unRAID/Xen once 6.0 is out of beta.  I expect I will be using a cache drive on each server.  However I may want to mount outside the array so I can use a larger drive for cache drive periodically as needed.  My intent is to use my Raptors (300GB) or SSDs (120GB) for VMs but when I have a cache drive present I need 2+TBs to save me time consolidating directories to one drive.

 

 

NOTE I get directories split like this because I have only been moving files to my unRAID servers infrequently as my SageTV recording drives fill up.  And this usually happens when I don't have time to wait and move to specific folders or use unRAIDs capabilities with allocation method and split.  I'm wanting to move all files off of my recording drives at one time to avoid possible problems when recording.  I copy the files from the drive with the least space on my SageTV box and Sage is set to record to the drives with the most space thereby not writing to the same drive as is being read for the copy.  Because of this I end up with TV series on multiple drives in unRAID since the files are move to a temporary directory on unRAID that is not visible to SageTV.  Then once all the disks are clear on the SageTV server I combine the files into directories on the unRAID server buy moving series to the cache drive in a single folder which then gets copied to the correct array drive in unRAID.

 

 

Sorry about the rambling post but thought I should define why I voted the way I did and the reasons for my process when transferring to unRAID.

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I selected yes SSD but actually have a hard disk cache and separately mounted SSD. I do not use the cache in the regular way.

 

The cache drive is a sort of working space for preparing files to copy to the array. I am not using user shares so there is no auto moving going on. The SSD is for VM images.

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Answered no because on my current "production" server, I'm still running unRAID basic.  I have a drive (HDD) mounted outside the array to host an application VM.

 

For my new server (in the works), I will be eventually upgrading to a PLUS license, assuming I can get all the virtual machines running how I like.  I might use a cache drive if I think I have space to share with VM storage, but honestly I don't see the need for my purposes.  In this case the cache/vm storage would be on an SSD. What I really would like to do is have a btfrs raid1 volume mounted outside the array for VM storage, but this is a long way off in my todo list.

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Currently using HDD as cache, leftover from the move from V5 to V6. Using it to host VMs and a plugin (APCUPSD).

 

Will plan to move from cache to outside the array to free up a data drive space in the Plus plan (if thats possible)

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Will plan to move from cache to outside the array to free up a data drive space in the Plus plan (if thats possible)

You do not get an extra data drive if you do not use a cache drive (which is what I think you were asking).  The maximum number of data drives is what specifies a license level with the parity and cache drives being optional extras.  You would therefore gain little from moving the current cache drive to being outside unRAID control.
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Will plan to move from cache to outside the array to free up a data drive space in the Plus plan (if thats possible)

You do not get an extra data drive if you do not use a cache drive (which is what I think you were asking).  The maximum number of data drives is what specifies a license level with the parity and cache drives being optional extras.  You would therefore gain little from moving the current cache drive to being outside unRAID control.

 

I rechecked the licensing after and saw that. Will have to move to Pro anyway as i have capacity for 9 data plus cache. May mount a drive externally via USB for VMs in that case (again if possible)

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