Solved DRAM-Less NVMe for SSD Cache?

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Solved DRAM-Less NVMe for SSD Cache?

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Hi everyone, I just purchased a DS918+ (Yep, just a few days after the DS920+ was leaked) :oops: For the price I got my 918+, I was able to squeeze 2 NVMes in my budget.

But it was too late as I noticed later on that the NVMes I got were DRAM-less. Now my questions are, is anyone using DRAM-less SSDs for caching? Does it work? How stable is it? I'm wondering, does DSM support HMB - or something similar?

Synology doesn't say if they are implementing HMB in DSM (or something similar). Although I was reading this article and this is the closest sentence that resembles like HMB - "A memory map will be created in the system RAM to record which data blocks are on the SSD Cache." (Page 6)

I haven't installed the NVMes yet as I'm still waiting for an enclosure so that I can update the firmware of the NVMes 1st.

I appreciate any comments/feedback/answers. Thanks!
 
I strongly advise consulting this Synology compatibility check as it can give you some clues whether your choice of NVMes was hit or miss. Also, do not rush ahead without a good plan how you want to use those drives. Setting up write cache could drive a wear and shortened drive lifespan. If you intend to use VMM for limited virtualization, you might consider creating a separate disk volume for VMs so single NVMe can be bound to that volume caching algorythm.
 
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I strongly advise consulting this Synology compatibility check as it can give you some clues whether your choice of NVMes was hit or miss. Also, do not rush ahead without a good plan how you want to use those drives. Setting up write cache could drive a wear and shortened drive lifespan. If you intend to use VMM for limited virtualization, you might consider creating a separate disk volume for VMs so single NVMe can be bound to that volume caching algorythm.

Thanks. I already looked into the compatibility chart and all of them are equipped with DRAMs.

Right now my use will be active backups, file storage and Plex. No VMs for now but in the near future, yes. You mentioned it will shorten the drive's lifespan - you were referring to the NVMes and not the HDDs right? - since it's DRAM-less. (Still learning) If yes, I really don't mind as I got my NVMes dirt cheap - $33 for Transcend MTE110S 128GB. So they can wear out fine so that I can exchange them later on with proper NVMEs with DRAMs. :) What's more important to me are the HDDs. :)
 
I had that same type of Transcend (110S), albeit 256GB, failed on my 918+ setup six months ago. It passed initialization but then invoked crash of whole volume triggering a lenghty disk consistency check. My conclusion was that I run out of mere luck and ate a faulty unit; now much better with a Kingston.
Plex database is a good candidate for SSD cache. I noticed my Plex thumbnails rendering speed went up when I added SDD. No (s)wear on HDD ☺. For VMM future usage, check out some Crucial SODIMMs on Amazon as Synology's official 4GB upgrade will cost you both arm and leg.
 
I had that same type of Transcend (110S), albeit 256GB, failed on my 918+ setup six months ago. It passed initialization but then invoked crash of whole volume triggering a lenghty disk consistency check. My conclusion was that I run out of mere luck and ate a faulty unit; now much better with a Kingston.
Plex database is a good candidate for SSD cache. I noticed my Plex thumbnails rendering speed went up when I added SDD. No (s)wear on HDD ☺. For VMM future usage, check out some Crucial SODIMMs on Amazon as Synology's official 4GB upgrade will cost you both arm and leg.

Approximately how long did your Transcend 110S last?

Yes, I already got myself a 4GB 1866Mhz Crucial SODIMM - it's already installed. :D The only thing not installed are the 110s as I'm still waiting for the enclosure - I want to update their firmware 1st before installing them.
 
And also, did you notice any performance improvements when you changed from Transcend to Kingston? I assume that your Kingston now has DRAM?
 
Oh I see, I thought the 110s were already working in your system and just failed.

Thank you for your replies. You've been very helpful. (y) Will just return the 110s and get DRAM equipped NVMes.
 
I have bought 2 WD SN550 500GB DRAMless SSD for my DS918+. I use them as a read-write cache for two days, and it works well.

截屏2020-05-17 上午11.37.39.png截屏2020-05-17 上午11.37.10.png
 

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