Unbalanced distribution of duplicated and non-duplicated files

[markus912]

Hello,

I am using DrivePool 2.3.12.1683 on Windows Server 2022 Standard.

The pool consists of six Western Digital Green 3TB drives.

I also have a 1TB SSD, which is split into two partitions:

• 250GB for the operating system and programs

• 750GB for DrivePool cache

Duplication is configured per folder:

• Some folders (e.g., with photos) are duplicated 3 times

• Some folders are duplicated 2 times

• Some folders (e.g., with movies) are not duplicated

Balancing settings here:

The following balancers are enabled, in this order:

1. Disk Space Equalizer

2. StableBit Scanner

3. SSD Optimizer

Settings for Disk Space Equalizer:

Settings for StableBit Scanner:

Settings for SSD Optimizer:

 

As a result, data is distributed across the drives in a way that seems strange to me:

• Disk 2 is completely empty

• Disk 3 is filled only with non‑duplicated files

• Disk 1 and Disk 6 contain no non‑duplicated files at all

In my opinion, balancing should work differently. I expect all archive drives to be evenly filled with both duplicated and non‑duplicated files. This was the case at some point (maybe in an older version, I don’t remember exactly).

How should I configure StableBit DrivePool to achieve even distribution of both duplicated and non‑duplicated files across all archive drives?

Thank you.

[Shane]

Hi! I would first order the priority of balancers as follows:

1. StableBit Scanner - if a disk goes bad you want the evacuation to take priority over anything else
2. SSD Optimizer - when disks aren't bad you want the SSD caching to happen before anything else
3. Disk Space Equalizer - then you want the archive disks equalized (per the manual's notes this balancer overrides anything beneath it)

I also seem to recall that in some cases the Equalizer and Optimizer do not play nice together - both are "aggressive" - so of the two you might try enabling only the Equaliser first and then once the HDDs are balanced to your liking enabling the Optimizer instead (new files by default should go to whichever drive has the most available space, so if they're all the same capacity over time they should stay more or less evenly filled).

[Shane]

7 hours ago, markus912 said:

Should I remove disk SSD_Cache out of pool, so it would not be used by Equalizer?

I would do so. Then just re-add it for Optimizer.

[markus912]

Thank you, Shane!

Quote

you might try enabling only the Equaliser first

Should I remove disk SSD_Cache out of pool, so it would not be used by Equalizer?

 

[markus912]

And as soon as I switch SSD Optimizer on, it shows that it will empty the latest disk in it's list.

On the "Settings for SSD Optimizer:" screenshot Disk 2 is latest - and it's empty.

After recommended steps Disk 3 became latest - and now Balancing empties it.

Maybe it's a some kind of bug?

It seems I can't use SSD as a cache, because SSD Optimizer balancer makes more bad to the pool than SSD caching makes good.

[markus912]

After night of balancing.

StableBit Scanner - on

Disk Space Equalizer - off

SSD Optimizer - on

Hmmm, better. And Disk 3 is filled.

Switching Disk Space Equalizer on - and it immediately shows, that Disk 3 will be empty.

Now I try to move Disk Space Equalizer from second place to third and leave it for a day. Let us see whether it balance as I expect it...

[Shane]

That latest screenshot (after the night of balancing with only Scanner and Optimizer) looks promising even if having Equalizer as well in third place doesn't work out.