Moving files between datasets on same HDD is very slow.

[vyktrii]

I've been using truenas on a single 5tb hdd mainly for Plex, but I also download on the same HDD itself on a different data set and then move it to Plex folder, but that process is extremely slow, is there any solution ?

If I attach another 1tb hdd for downloads and then move data from there to my previous hdd, will the moving speed increase substantially ?

PS. I'm new to nas, so pls forgive me if this is a basic question, I was just tired of getting crappy video quality after paying shitton of money to streaming services

 

[anodos]

I've been using truenas on a single 5tb hdd mainly for Plex, but I also download on the same HDD itself on a different data set and then move it to Plex folder, but that process is extremely slow, is there any solution ?

If I attach another 1tb hdd for downloads and then move data from there to my previous hdd, will the moving speed increase substantially ?

PS. I'm new to nas, so pls forgive me if this is a basic question, I was just tired of getting crappy video quality after paying ****ton of money to streaming services

When you move files from one dataset to another, we have to copy then remove the original. If you keep everything inside the same dataset, we can simply rename(), which is more-or-less instantaneous.

 

[vyktrii]

If I attach another hdd and create a dataset and I move data between two HDDs, will it be substantially faster?

 

[Heracles]

Hi,

If I attach another hdd and create a dataset and I move data between two HDDs, will it be substantially faster?

No matter faster or not, it would be foolish. You would ruin your pool, a situation that would be fixable only by destroying and re-creating your pool completely.

Single pool vDev are not to be used. When you have only one, then you drop to a point where do you do benefit from ZFS' most important feature: data integrity. Should you have a second one, you then turn ZFS to a time-bomb and it will loose your all your data whenever a first drive fails.

For us to have a clue about your performance (or lack of), you must post your complete setup : hardware, CPU, RAM, disk controller, hard drive, etc. If you have one of these terrible Western Digital SMR drive, you will have to get rid of it.

 

[vyktrii]

I'm actually not buying anything specially for a NAS, I'm using my old laptop for it and extra HDDs, (it's a i3 4005u, 8gb ram, 256gb SSD), I'm using the SSD to boot and I have a 5tb hdd (Seagate) attached through usb 3.0 port ( 5tb HDDs are 15mm so I can't fit them internally) , my purpose is just a plex server and torrent downloader, since transferring torrents from one dataset (downloads) to Plex folders (other dataset) takes alot of time, I'm thing to attach a spare 1tb hdd(for downloads) in the dvd drive slot on laptop using a caddy, so then transfer will be on seperate drives,
currently I don't have much data in my 5tb drive. I can easily format and start fresh if needed

Im new to NAS and I understand that my setup is not ideal at all, but I'm just trying it for a few months, to understand if I even need a NAS or not, if I realise I do then I will create a proper NAS setup with something like 16TB*4 drives

 

[Heracles]

I'm using my old laptop for it

I have a 5tb hdd (Seagate) attached through usb 3.0

No surprise it is slow...

my setup is not ideal at all

Not that it is not ideal : it is plain terrible, very high risk and without any potential.

You would be better served by a Raspberry PI running linux instead. That one is meant to run a single external drive (or two), out of very low hardware resources and at basically no cost.

TrueNAS and ZFS are designed to be much more than what you are looking for. Also, no matter how well designed your NAS server will be, a single server will always be a single point of failure. As such, you will always need backups and these should be part of the initial plan.