Thoughts on NVMe SSD Use in Ugreen NAS

[tpullano]

I've been a Synology user (first NAS) for a few years. Purchased their low-end DS220J with two 2TB Iron Wolf HDDs. Have them raided (RAID 1) and an external 300MB external USB SSD attached (which I just use as a backup of my media folders). So I have 1.8TB of usable storage in the NAS, which is fine for the below that I've listed.

Need to move on since that NAS comes with only 512MB of RAM and not upgradeable. Tried installing Home Assistant, but no go. Simple movement within the DSM software drags, etc.

So I purchased a UGREEN 2-bay DXP2800 and a 16GB RAM card (which will replace the 8MB card that comes installed (only one RAM slot unfortunately)).

What I have and want going forward, in order of importance:

1. Raid 1 for the two drives
   
2. Backup of critical local device folders - I have 3 PCs running Linux (Synology uses the desktop app, Drive Sync). So maybe Syncthing? Or does the UGOS Sync & Backup up perform this?
   
3. Plex - current music, movies, etc. on DSM. Running Plexamp on my phone to listen to my library while away, so need remote access
   
4. Shared Contacts - Currently using Synology Contacts to centralize our contacts and their info to print out lists, etc. Seems a Docker app called Radicale that hosts a caldav server may be the way?
   

My question is using the two NVMe slots. I purchased two Crucial P3 Plus 500GB PCIe Gen4 MVMe's. Lots of banter on how to use them, so obviously I am confused. Should I:
[*]

1. My first choice...use one for read caching and the other for installing maybe Plex or Docker in order to run faster, leaving data on the NAS?
   
2. Raid both and use for read-write caching?
   
3. Use both for extra storage? Which I doubt I'll need
   

[*]Only using about 400GB of space currently. Appreciate any thoughts on which way to go, advantage/disadvantages

[ed]

Here are some tailored recommendations and considerations for your UGREEN DXP2800 setup based on your use case:

How to Best Use the NVMe Slots
Option 1: One for Read Caching, One for Apps (Preferred)

Advantages:
Improves read speeds for frequently accessed data, especially useful for Plex streaming.
Isolates apps like Plex and Docker to the NVMe, ensuring smoother performance and faster access times.
Disadvantages:
Limited write acceleration since only read caching is employed.
Option 2: RAID 1 for Read/Write Caching

Advantages:
Offers redundancy and accelerates both read and write operations.
Suitable if you expect to write large amounts of data frequently.
Disadvantages:
Overkill for your use case since you’re not handling intensive workloads or large datasets.
Option 3: Extra Storage

Advantages:
Provides fast additional storage space for apps or specific data.
Ideal if you eventually outgrow your HDDs.
Disadvantages:
Unnecessary now, given your current low storage usage (400GB).
Best Option for Your Use Case
Go with Option 1: Use one NVMe for read caching to speed up Plex performance and one for installing apps like Plex, Docker, or Radicale.
This ensures smooth media streaming, faster Docker operations, and avoids over-utilizing your slower HDDs for app-related tasks.
Additional Notes
Syncthing vs. UGOS Sync & Backup

Syncthing is a solid choice for syncing Linux folders across devices. It’s lightweight, open-source, and reliable.
Test UGOS Sync & Backup to see if it meets your needs before committing to Syncthing.
Plex

Running Plex on NVMe will drastically improve its performance compared to HDDs, especially for metadata retrieval and transcoding (if applicable).
Contacts Management

Radicale in Docker is a great solution for hosting a CalDAV server. It will likely perform better on your UGREEN NAS than your old Synology setup.
Final Thought
Your NVMe strategy should prioritize improving performance for your primary tasks (Plex, Docker) while leaving your RAID 1 HDDs to handle bulk storage and backups. Option 1 aligns well with this approach and maximizes your NAS’s capabilities without unnecessary complexity.

[tpullano]

Here are some tailored recommendations and considerations for your UGREEN DXP2800 setup based on your use case:

How to Best Use the NVMe Slots
Option 1: One for Read Caching, One for Apps (Preferred)

Advantages:
Improves read speeds for frequently accessed data, especially useful for Plex streaming.
Isolates apps like Plex and Docker to the NVMe, ensuring smoother performance and faster access times.
Disadvantages:
Limited write acceleration since only read caching is employed.
Option 2: RAID 1 for Read/Write Caching

Advantages:
Offers redundancy and accelerates both read and write operations.
Suitable if you expect to write large amounts of data frequently.
Disadvantages:
Overkill for your use case since you’re not handling intensive workloads or large datasets.
Option 3: Extra Storage

Advantages:
Provides fast additional storage space for apps or specific data.
Ideal if you eventually outgrow your HDDs.
Disadvantages:
Unnecessary now, given your current low storage usage (400GB).
Best Option for Your Use Case
Go with Option 1: Use one NVMe for read caching to speed up Plex performance and one for installing apps like Plex, Docker, or Radicale.
This ensures smooth media streaming, faster Docker operations, and avoids over-utilizing your slower HDDs for app-related tasks.
Additional Notes
Syncthing vs. UGOS Sync & Backup

Syncthing is a solid choice for syncing Linux folders across devices. It’s lightweight, open-source, and reliable.
Test UGOS Sync & Backup to see if it meets your needs before committing to Syncthing.
Plex

Running Plex on NVMe will drastically improve its performance compared to HDDs, especially for metadata retrieval and transcoding (if applicable).
Contacts Management

Radicale in Docker is a great solution for hosting a CalDAV server. It will likely perform better on your UGREEN NAS than your old Synology setup.
Final Thought
Your NVMe strategy should prioritize improving performance for your primary tasks (Plex, Docker) while leaving your RAID 1 HDDs to handle bulk storage and backups. Option 1 aligns well with this approach and maximizes your NAS’s capabilities without unnecessary complexity.

Very cool, thank you guys much.  I think we are aligned in our thought process for this, so thanks again for the confirmation. Already have it setup that way, now I just have to move apps to the NVMe.