QNAP NAS Community Forum

Hi,
I got TVS-882BR with 8 10Tb HDs (thick volume) with 64 Gb RAM. The main purpose is a video (Plex) server.
Now I'm upgrading with 2 256Gb m2 SSDs to speed up my server. And got a question about how to use them.
I can see 3 options: 1) a cache, 2) a simple static volume to store apps (PLEX eg), 3) Qtier.
As mentioned here a cache is useless for PLEX.
A volume for the app is better. But not a word about Qtier.
As I guess the main disadvantage of a static volume is I should define and relocate data I need to be fast by myself and manually.
Qtier defines frequently used data (PLEX app and database) and moves them to SSD by itself.
And not only PLEX but also the other data accessed often.
But wouldn't it load the server with a unnecesarry activity to move data back and forth (video files eg)? Or some other troubles might be...
What do you think what scenario should I choose?

And another question. If I (I'm inclining to this option) went to seperate volume (Raid 1) on SSDs for system and apps would I do it without complete removing my existing volume?
I mean I wouldn't like to move my data stored on HDDs volume somewhere else and clean install QTS. It would be great to move (or install a brand new) system to SSD volume and later remove system files from HDDs?
Is it possible? Did someone do it before? Is it any manusl or how-to?

QTier is somewhat of a black box, so while it MAY have some benefit to plex, you can't guarantee that. Also QTIER works at a block level, not a file level. To get the most control, you would probably be best off creating a new static volume just for Plex DB/app/etc. While you can "migrate" the Plex app to your static volume (via app center) there are issues when you manually update to the next version.

What I ended up doing was symlinking the "Library" directory from within the plex app over to my SSD volume so I get the speed up without the upgrade headaches.

As for using your ssd's for system volume, they are probably a little smaller than I would recommend (generally 500gb+ would be better) and there is no easy way to do that right now without basically wiping the config and re-initializing the system to install QTS on them.

Trexx wrote: ↑Tue Sep 10, 2019 1:14 am QTier is somewhat of a black box

Isn't a bit strange for Qtier to be a 'black box' since an almost 5 years? Hasn't nobody used it? No feedback?

Trexx wrote: ↑Tue Sep 10, 2019 1:14 am What I ended up doing was symlinking the "Library" directory from within the plex app over to my SSD volume

It may help but it seems a bit of compromise.

Trexx wrote: ↑Tue Sep 10, 2019 1:14 am As for using your ssd's for system volume, they are probably a little smaller than I would recommend (generally 500gb+ would be better)

What space Qnap Linux may require? 512 GB really?
My home last MacOs without user folders but with all the apps (inc. Adobe CC) takes about 100 Gb on 500 Gb SSD.
My work Windows 10 is installed on 256 Gb system SSD (with all apps, Adobe too) and has no probs with a free space, at least 100 Gb is free.
Are you sure QTS requires more space? Is 256Gb not enough?

I used QTier and have since removed it. I don’t know that I could quantify it’s perf improvement. I know how it works, but there is no GUI to show you what files/parts of files are being stored in it.

As for using the symlink, it definitely speeds up Plex library, and transcoding operations which Plex does a lot of.

As for System volume, that is where all QNAP apps install by default, databases, logs, home drives, etc. So it is used a lot more than just the “os”. Plus if you have a large Plex library, that can get into 100+ GB size usage just for it.



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Trexx wrote: ↑Tue Sep 10, 2019 5:32 am I used QTier and have since removed it.

Why did you remove it? No significant improvement in speed a separate volume for Plex does?

As for QTS disk requirements... I’m not a guru of Linux but never heard it’s more greedy to disk space than Windows eg. Quite the opposite. Especially without GUI.
Ok, tomorrow I’ll take a look how much QTS itself (wo shares) takes in my case. I would wonder if it’s more than 50Gb.

ginfonic wrote: ↑Tue Sep 10, 2019 1:07 pm

Trexx wrote: ↑Tue Sep 10, 2019 5:32 am I used QTier and have since removed it.

Why did you remove it? No significant improvement in speed a separate volume for Plex does?

As for QTS disk requirements... I’m not a guru of Linux but never heard it’s more greedy to disk space than Windows eg. Quite the opposite. Especially without GUI.
Ok, tomorrow I’ll take a look how much QTS itself (wo shares) takes in my case. I would wonder if it’s more than 50Gb.

I removed it part to test the capability in 4.4.x beta, but also as I couldn't quantify the performance gain. I ended up also swapping those m.2's for bigger ones which I am currently using as an SSD cache (have my 2.5 SSD's for Plex/VM's). I may one day decide to flatten the system and then use my 1TB m.2's to put QTS on and such.

As for QTS disk requirements, it is not just Linux that is being installed, but all of your apps too (QSirch, Plex, QVPN, etc.). My QPKG folder (where all the apps are installed) is 77GB alone and that isn't even where all app data for each app is stored.

Bad things happen when you run out of system drive space, and not all applications support migration to other drives (although more and more of them do).

I am where u want to be and have been where u are now.

I have two 8bay boxes. 1282 and new 1277.

I use them as plex servers and the usual stuff.
After much experimenting this is how the new box will end up

Put in 2 ssd 500 (my 1282 uses about 80gig for qts and app)
and let qnap set those 2 up as storage pool 1. Raid 1
Then i put in my Hd as storage pool 2

So with that plex will run from the ssd .

I am also testing plex by moving it to a raid1 pair of nvme drives.
I did not and have not had any issues migrating plex from my app drive to the nvme. (or any other drives on Box#1)
I also have 2 ssd set as cache for my HD pool.

So for u as u have the apps on your HD.
Migrate plex to a static raid 1 with your 2 x 250gb

Thanks men,
I ended up ordering two 512 Gb SSDs. You’re right, more is always better then less )
And wanna migrate all my QTS to them leaving HDs only for shares.
As I realized the only way to do it is only from scratch?
Does anybody know the cheapest online service to temporarily store 20T?
I found only OpenDrive with Rclone and unlimited space for $10 per month. They don’t like multimedia but Rclone can encrypt...

ginfonic wrote: ↑Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:23 pm Thanks men,
I ended up ordering two 512 Gb SSDs. You’re right, more is always better then less )
And wanna migrate all my QTS to them leaving HDs only for shares.
As I realized the only way to do it is only from scratch?
Does anybody know the cheapest online service to temporarily store 20T?
I found only OpenDrive with Rclone and unlimited space for $10 per month. They don’t like multimedia but Rclone can encrypt...

Create a static pool and migrate plex to it.

See how it work while you work out how/where to back up 20TB

I have 500GB SSD for system, databases and apps. It's barely enough. 20% for overprovisioning. 20% for snapshots - which with Roon and Plex databases is filled full quickly. 250GB would be possible but not comfortable.
In your case I'd use SSD for system volume, apps and databases for Plex. Cache is useless with Plex. Qtier probably isn't yet working as it suppose and for Plex useless as well.
For use SSD as system volume you must reinitialise and start from scratch with only SSD installed. Maybe use hardware encryption available in 4.4.1? It's fast but probably not 100% secure because Samsung had serious flaws in former versions of evo SSD.

janwer wrote: ↑Sat Sep 14, 2019 2:08 pm I have 500GB SSD for system, databases and apps. It's barely enough. 20% for overprovisioning. 20% for snapshots - which with Roon and Plex databases is filled full quickly.

Do you mean?
1) You use two 500G disks in RAID1, I hope.
2) You use a thick volume for system on SSD not a static one as most of users here, don’t you?
As I realized a speed for system volume is more important than a reliability (RAID 1 already ensured). Why thick volume?

1. Yes.
2. Yes. I like snapshots and fast restore. What is the difference in speed? Do you think it's possible to measure speed difference between thick and simple volume? How to do it?