I want to use SSDs for a write cache. The purpose is to reduce runtime and spin-ups of HDDs.
I’d like to use a pair of 64GB M10 Optane drive for read & write cache volumes, probably upgrading to the x4 M.2 drives later.
45 Drives’ AutoTier is a solution, but it hasn’t been supported in 4 years and is not validated for the latest Ubuntu LTS or Proxmox builds.
Has anyone tried AutoTier on current versions of Ubuntu or Proxmox? Is anyone aware of an alternative? Thanks!
Edit:
I plan to use ZFS as the underlying file system.
They are trash. They just slow things down.
Because tiering doesn’t really work that well. It’s a bit like dedup…sounds awesome but is a mostly horrible experience in actual use and requires a lot of babysitting.
ZFS itself has a pseudo-tiering system. ARC already has you covered for reads, sophisticated caching algorithm + compression = maximum efficiency. And you can use all kinds tuning to get faster writes.
My main “problem” I am looking to solve is electricity costs and drive wear. My wife and I give ourselves limited “fun” money, so I am using a bunch of old worn out drives and I want to invest my “fun” money in a way that reduces our overall expenses. Hence this setup.
They are trash. They just slow things down.
Having used a TrueNAS setup without a read cache (and less data than I will have), I am certain even these will be a big help. I will also be hosting services for ~20-30 people, so drive endurance is important, hence Optane, and I already have them.
ZFS itself has a pseudo-tiering system. ARC already has you covered for reads, sophisticated caching algorithm + compression = maximum efficiency. And you can use all kinds tuning to get faster writes.
I won’t rely on ARC, because I will be powering down my services after 10pm. L2ARC is in mind for at least metadata. I was hoping for write cache tiering, mainly.
It’s a bit like dedup…sounds awesome but is a mostly horrible experience in actual use and requires a lot of babysitting.
Interesting. I’ve never heard that dedup is painful - only positive things.
Because tiering doesn’t really work that well.
Also interesting. I have looked on the interwebs for a while, and just haven’t found any solutions to even try that could lead to this conclusion (other than AutoTier). Do you have sources or experience?