Need help running Dockers & VMs on Unassigned SSD

[Pinozul]

Noob here: Just set up my unRAID server over the last week and despite reading what feels like 100s of threads, I'm still confused on Unassigned Devices and what to do with them.

 

Currently I'm running the Crashplan Docker and intend to use others. I also intend to run a Win10 VM on the server eventually. I have successfully got the system, appdata and domains shares to reside on the cache pool in "Prefer" mode.  The isos share writes to the cache pool but resides on one of the array data disks (i.e. "Use cache disk" set to "Yes").  I have a 480GB SSD mounted in Unassigned Devices and from what I've read, it sounds like this is the preferable place to store my Dockers and VMs rather than take up space in the cache pool.  However, I can't figure out how to get the various shares onto the unassigned SSD.

 

Also I assumed it might make sense to configure the SSD into multiple partitions, perhaps 1 for Dockers, 1 for VMs, and then another spare partition but I'm not certain whether this has value or not.  I could also add a regular HDD to Unassigned Devices if that makes sense but I just don't fully understand when to use Unassigned Devices.  [i think I've got this much straight: I've got all my "data" (e.g. media, docs, backups, etc.) on the array data disks.]

 

So:

1. Since I have the 480GB SSD, should I use it for Dockers and VMs instead of the cache pool?

2. If yes, how do I do that?

3. If yes, is there value in partitioning the SSD prior to putting the Dockers and VMs on it? If so, any suggestions for partition sizes?

4. Should my isos share also be on an SSD (either the cache pool or the Unassigned Device)?

5. Aside from Dockers and VMs, is there some other common use case for physical drives installed as Unassigned Devices?

 

Thanks for the help.

[itimpi]

There is no need to run VMs or Dockers from an Unassigned disk unless you have insufficient space on the cache disks.  The commonest use in that case is to consider putting VM vdisks on an Unassigned disk as they can be large files.

 

You cannot move user shares to an Unassigned disk - shares can only reside on the array disks and the cache disk. 

 

You CAN set up an Unassigned disk to be a share in its own right - but in that case the share covers a partition on the disk.  Most people would have an Unassigned disk as a single partition.

 

[trurl]

I would just put it in cache, especially since your cache pool is already pretty big. It is much simpler to let unRAID manage a cache pool with its user shares than to add the complications of Unassigned Devices, unless you actually know why your specific use case would be better with Unassigned Device.

 

You may have seen some threads talking about using Unassigned Device for these things, but probably most people aren't doing it that way so don't talk about it, and some of the people who are doing it that way don't know why.

 

See the unRAID V6 FAQ sticky for how to work with your cache pool.

[Pinozul]

Alright, thanks for the advice.

 

But that reminds me of another question: I'm going to backup the server onto a pair of 4TB drives that I'll rotate in/out of a removable drive bay (keeping one offsite while I'm using the other). Since each of these backup drives will be in the system for just 2 weeks before I swap it out, I thought it would be appropriate to keep these drives out of the array and have them mounted in Unassigned Devices.

 

Does that make sense?

[trurl]

Alright, thanks for the advice.

 

But that reminds me of another question: I'm going to backup the server onto a pair of 4TB drives that I'll rotate in/out of a removable drive bay (keeping one offsite while I'm using the other). Since each of these backup drives will be in the system for just 2 weeks before I swap it out, I thought it would be appropriate to keep these drives out of the array and have them mounted in Unassigned Devices.

 

Does that make sense?

That's exactly what I do.

 

In fact, I have those Unassigned Devices formatted as NTFS so I can read them in Windows if I want. Unassigned Devices can work with several filesystems that unRAID itself can't.

[Pinozul]

Great.  Much appreciated!