128GB SSD or 2TB Raid0 or 1TB Raid1 or other?

[jeffreywhunter]

I am building my 2nd unRAID v6b15 server.  Trying to decide on the configuration of the cache drive.  I have several options.

 

1. 128GB SSD - quick and snappy, but small - given that mover won't move files as they are written (or will it?) - and there is no redundancy (perhaps i should consider a Raid1SSD?

2. 2TB Raid0 - quick and snappy, larger, but failure prone - better than SSD sizewise, but not as fast.

3. 1TB Raid1 - not as quick, larger than SSD, but better protected

 

I will also store some small amount of apps on cache (the usual suspects, plex, etc).

 

I'm curious about VM's, but need to learn the basics of Linux first!

 

Wisdom Oh saged ones?

[Leifgg]

I would say SSD for the cache. The mover will run at the intervals you set, if the cache gets filled up files are written to the array instead. You could have 2 SSD´s as RAID1?

 

The need for storing VM´s and Dockers is something to consider, the mostly end up at the cache drive taking some of your valuable space. I added one more SSD outside the array mounted with the “Unassigned Devices Plugin” and moved my VM´s there instead. It’s also a place where I can store downloads before they are cleaned up and moved to the array.

 

BTW, having Plex on SSD is nice, a lot quicker when updating your library and I would guess it’s good for the files generated when transcoding as well.

[garycase]

Two thoughts ...

 

=>  Why such a small SSD?  SSD prices have dropped dramatically in the last couple years ... a 250GB SSD is now in the ~ $100 range.

 

=>  With v6 you can have fault-tolerance btrfs cache pools ... so your cached data/apps stored on the cache are all protected

 

Bottom line:  I'd simply get 2 or 3 250GB SSDs

 

[jeffreywhunter]

@garycase - yep its small, but its "free" and I'm just trying to use up 'stuff'.  So would it be better to use a 2TB Raid 0 then...or 1TB Raid1?  What's more important.  Speed or size?

 

128GB - Fastest

2TB Raid0 - Next Fastest and Bigger

1TB Raid1 - Bigger but slower...

[garycase]

Given those choices I'd use a 1TB RAID-1

 

 

Free is good  :)

 

[jeffreywhunter]

So you'd choose safe vs fast because mover only runs once a day?

[garycase]

So you'd choose safe vs fast because mover only runs once a day?

 

First of all, it's NOT any slower => it's still faster than your network, which is the limiting factor for writes to your array (unless these are very old low areal density drives).

 

And no, I wouldn't choose it because mover only runs once a day ... I'd choose it so that when you write something to the array, you can know that it's now in a fault tolerant data store, regardless of whether it was cached or not.

 

[jeffreywhunter]

Excellent thanks!