Cache Function - Unraid v5 vs v6

[PeterNet]

Hi all,

 

Just migrated from Unraid v5 to v6.

 

 

I've been testing around with v6 cache function and can't find a way to set it up like in v5.

Would like the cache to be transparent to my main array share and display the same directory structure, where I simply navigate and place the files in the right folder. Then start the Mover.

 

Btw, I'm not going to use the Docker and VM fuctions. It will just be a plain File Storage Array.

 

Or have I missed something?

 

Thanks,

Peter

[trurl]

Been a while since I used V5, but I think the only difference with the Use cache setting is the addition of Prefer. No, Yes, and Only work just as before. Mover runs as scheduled or you can run it manually. Anything on cache for a user share is part of the user share just as it has always been.

38 minutes ago, PeterNet said:

Would like the cache to be transparent to my main array share and display the same directory structure, where I simply navigate and place the files in the right folder.

This is exactly how it works in V6 just as in V5. Why do you think it isn't working?

[PeterNet]

That's strange.

It seems like when I saved files to the array share, they were place on the disk array immediately and not on the cache.

Like: 192.168.x.x\sharename\folder1\folder2

 

The cache seems to have its own share:

192.168.x.x\cache\sharename\(-empty-)

 

But I couldn't find my directory structure like I would in the disk array share.

[itimpi]

2 minutes ago, PeterNet said:

But I couldn't find my directory structure like I would in the disk array share.

You only get a folder structure on the cache drive if there are files for the relevant share.   When mover runs then after moving any files for a share it removes any empty folders.

[PeterNet]

1 minute ago, itimpi said:

You only get a folder structure on the cache drive if there are files for the relevant share.   When mover runs then after moving any files for a share it removes any empty folders.

Well, then it no longer works as it used to do in v5.

Turning on the cache, it was transparent with the Disk Array share.

I just saved files to:
192.168.x.x\sharename\folder1\folder2\etc...

 

But instead of being placed directly on the main array, the files were placed on the Cache disk (with a copy of the folder structure).

Then doing the Mover, it would transfer everything to the actual Disk Array.

 

So that is no longer possible then?

[HNGamingUK]

9 minutes ago, PeterNet said:

Well, then it no longer works as it used to do in v5.

Turning on the cache, it was transparent with the Disk Array share.

I just saved files to:
192.168.x.x\sharename\folder1\folder2\etc...

 

But instead of being placed directly on the main array, the files were placed on the Cache disk (with a copy of the folder structure).

Then doing the Mover, it would transfer everything to the actual Disk Array.

 

So that is no longer possible then?

I would check the "Cache" setting of the share in question and confirm that it hasn't been set to "No"

[ChatNoir]

What you describe is exactly how it works in v6.

 

Copy files from a client to a share.

The files are ending up on the cache until 3am when my mover starts.

The files are on the array in the morning.

 

A few question to try to understand your issue:

• How How do you check that it does not happen as you expect ?
• Are your Shares setup with cache Yes ?
• Maybe post your diagnostics so people can check if something is misconfigured.

 

Edit: simultaneous post with Conmyster  

Edited September 12, 2020 by ChatNoir

[PeterNet]

27 minutes ago, ChatNoir said:

A few question to try to understand your issue:

• How How do you check that it does not happen as you expect ?
• Are your Shares setup with cache Yes ?
• Maybe post your diagnostics so people can check if something is misconfigured.

I did setup the cache with 2 SSD:s, RAID1.
Then changed "Use Cache" to Yes on my Disk Array Share.
When copying to the Disk Array Share, there were only disk activity showing on the Array Disks. Not the Cache Disks.
Ergo, The Cache weren't used at all.

[trurl]

The user shares are simply the aggregate of top level folders on cache and array. The top level folders have the same names as the user shares. Cache has always been part of user shares. If a file is in /mnt/cache/share1, then it is also seen in /mnt/user/share1, and it is in the share1 user share. If the share1 user share is set to cache-yes, then any files in /mnt/cache/share1 will be moved to the array disks according to the settings for the share1 user share.

 

This is how it has always worked, even before V5, and this is how it still works in V6. The only new thing is the cache-prefer setting, which tells mover to move files TO cache. 

[trurl]

2 minutes ago, PeterNet said:

Disk Array Share.

You seem to be confusing "disk shares" with "user shares". If you copy directly to a disk, it goes directly to that disk. If you copy to a user share, it goes to cache if the user share is cache-yes, cache-prefer, or cache-only. Then later mover will move any cache-yes from cache to array.

 

I recommend not sharing disks on the network, and only working with user shares. It is possible to get yourself in trouble by sharing disks, including data loss.

 

All this is exactly as it was before V6.

[trurl]

12 minutes ago, PeterNet said:

Then changed "Use Cache" to Yes on my Disk Array Share.

There is no cache setting for disk shares, only for user shares. And there really isn't any concept named "Disk Array Share".

 

When speaking about disks shared on the network, it makes sense to talk about "Disk Shares". But as mentioned I recommend not sharing disks on the network.

 

When speaking about disks on the server, then there isn't any reason to talk about disk shares because sharing isn't in play.

 

When speaking about user shares, that concept is relevant whether looking at it on the network or on the server, because user shares on the server are the aggregated view of the top level folders on all array disks and cache. On the server they are in /mnt/user.

 

Again, all this is exactly as it has been since before V5.

[trurl]

13 minutes ago, PeterNet said:

When copying to the Disk Array Share, there were only disk activity showing on the Array Disks. Not the Cache Disks.

If you copy a file over then network to a shared disk, it always goes directly to that disk. Cache is not involved when you are working directly with the array disks. It is also possible to work directly with the cache disk.

 

All this is exactly as it was even before V5.

[PeterNet]

12 minutes ago, trurl said:

You seem to be confusing "disk shares" with "user shares".

My bad.
I meant User Share, but referred to it as Disk Share. Sorry for that.
The User Share is set to All Disks.

Edited September 12, 2020 by PeterNet

[trurl]

6 minutes ago, PeterNet said:

I meant User Share, but referred to it as Disk Share. Sorry for that.
The User Share is set to All Disks.

It still seems like you have some confusion on how user shares have always worked though. If you are sharing disks on the network, then you will see a file in the user shares, and you will also see the file on whichever of the shared disks the file actually exists on. And cache is a disk just like the array disks, and cache can be shared.

 

Go to Global Share Settings and turn off disk shares. Then you won't see any of the disks on the network. And when you write to a cached user share, it will go to cache and later moved to the array if the share is cache-yes.

[PeterNet]

User Share setup:

 

What happens when copying.

No activity on cache.

(now tested with RAID0 on cache to see if it worked better)

Have I missed something?

[itimpi]

Is that a new file or are you overwriting an existing file?    Only new files will go via the cache, existing files are over-written in-situ.

[PeterNet]

Just now, itimpi said:

Is that a new file or are you overwriting an existing file?    Only new files will go via the cache, existing files are over-written in-situ.

A new file.

[trurl]

Still not clear from your screenshot if you are accessing disks, or accessing user shares with that copy.

 

Did you turn off disk sharing as I suggested?

[PeterNet]

2 minutes ago, trurl said:

Still not clear from your screenshot if you are accessing disks, or accessing user shares with that copy.

The User Share: \\192.168.x.x\Container\(Ztore)

Edited September 12, 2020 by PeterNet

[trurl]

Do you mean the source and destination are both in the Container user share?

[PeterNet]

5 minutes ago, trurl said:

Do you mean the source and destination are both in the Container user share?

Source: My table computer (Downloads folder)
Destination: Standalone Unraid Server with User Share: \\192.168.x.x\Container\Ztore (Subfolder Ztore after User Share "Container")

[PeterNet]

24 minutes ago, trurl said:

Did you turn off disk sharing as I suggested?

Never had Disk Share turned on for my disks.
Cache Share seems to be turned on by default, after activating Cache.

[trurl]

Go to Tools - Diagnostics and attach the complete Diagnostics ZIP file to your NEXT post in this thread.

[PeterNet]

1 hour ago, trurl said:

Go to Tools - Diagnostics and attach the complete Diagnostics ZIP file to your NEXT post in this thread.

Great, thank you!

Here it comes.

 

Cheers,

Peter

tower-diagnostics-20200912-2128.zip

[trurl]

In those, config/shares.cfg has

shareCacheEnabled="no"

That doesn't seem to be the usual setting in other diagnostics I have looked at. I don't see where to change that in the beta I'm running but that may just be a bug due to the introduction of multiple pools. Maybe we can find it in your version.

 

Go to Main - Array Operation and Stop the array.

 

Then get 2 screenshots from Settings and post them, Disk Settings and Global Share Settings.