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Added 128GB of SSD cache to a 4TB RAID-1 array on TS-x53D (NVMe > PCIe x4). This server as cache for my VMs secondary storage LUNs (iscsi @2.5Gb/s), for images and configuration files (NFS), and for syslogs and packet captures (SMB). I don't yet know if it's an improvement really.. but I am thinking further configuration is order. The SSD is runnning on its own RAID array (This might need to be reconsidered) and under cache acceleration with LUNs and shares under "cached storage". Set to Cache-Type: Read Write and Cache Mode: All I/O. Was this worth it?
I paid about $10.00 USD total for a no-name expansion card on ebay - which to my surprise actually worked! Was it worth it or am I wasting my time?? Cheers!
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It sounds like you've made an interesting move with the SSD caching on your QNAP TS-x53D. The impact of SSD caching, especially when it comes to workloads like VMs, NFS shares, syslogs, and packet captures, can vary, but there are some general things to consider.
The read/write cache mode is designed to improve both read and write operations by storing frequently accessed data in the SSD, which can reduce latency for frequently used files. With the configuration you've set up, especially with the RAID-1 for your 4TB array, it could indeed boost performance for random I/O tasks, such as small files and database reads.
However, whether it’s “worth it” depends on a few factors:
Your specific workload: If you're doing a lot of small, random writes (which syslogs and VM files tend to be), SSD caching will likely offer noticeable improvements. However, for large sequential writes (like media files), the improvement may not be as significant.
Your current disk setup: With a RAID-1 configuration, your array's read speed is typically already decent. The SSD cache could help with write-heavy operations, but you might not see a huge performance gain for all types of usage.
Given that you’ve got a no-name SSD expansion card, it’s impressive that it worked, but make sure that it’s providing stable speeds. Low-cost cards can sometimes lead to performance or reliability issues, especially in heavier workloads.
In the end, if you're not noticing much of an improvement yet, you could try tuning the cache settings or experimenting with different workloads to see if it becomes more noticeable. If you find the system still slow, you might need to reconsider the setup or upgrade the SSDs to more reliable and higher-quality options.
If it’s helping your VMs and smaller file transfers, I’d say it was probably worth it, but it might need a bit more fine-tuning.
