Stop cache files first read ?

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Taner
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Stop cache files first read ?

Post by Taner »

Hello. My English is bad sorry.

I start using PrimoCache yesterday. All work fine but i have big problem about caching files first hit.

My system:
C: 500gb ssd only for windows and apps
D: 3tb seagate disk for games
(111gb ssd only L2 read cache for D:)

Cache is working fine. One of my games get updated (game folder is 73gb). Before update only 11gb is cached from other games. After game update PrimoCache make all 73gb to cache on first read/write. How can i block cache files first read ? Or block cache everyting from steam.exe doing ?
If my ssd was small the cached files before lost(right now i have only 20~ free space cache). Plus my ssd will dead sooner if every read files cached first read. I want to cache files if same file read 3 or more times not first read.

Thanks.
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Jaga
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Re: Stop cache files first read ?

Post by Jaga »

One way is to pause the cache task before launching Steam. That way if Steam does any large downloads, that data won't be put into the L2 cache. Then when Steam is done with any updates, you un-pause (resume) the cache task. It is the same strategy that we use so that backup software doesn't fill our cache up with useless data when it reads the whole drive. Pause cache, run backup, unpause cache. Just use that with Steam and it should help keep only the games you play the most in the cache.

The other thing you can do (and probably a better solution) is to set the games you are not currently playing to "Only update this game when I launch it". That way it will only update the games you play. The games you are not curently playing will just be queued until you either run them, or change the setting back to automatically update that game.

Image

Unfortunately there isn't a way to set a "don't cache blocks until they are read X times or more" setting in Primocache. It tries to use all the cache space you give it. It is easier to try and control what goes into the cache.
Taner
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Re: Stop cache files first read ?

Post by Taner »

@Jaga thanks for the answer.

I did some games verify to test.

Image

After verify this:

Image

All cache hdd fill-up with junk files. The cache files i really need is gone.

Pause and resume is not practical. 73gb game get 200mb update and all 73gb writes to cache because steam read all game files. If you forget pause all your real cache data will be deleted and ssd life will be shortened for junk files.

PrimoCache need 2 things:
Block applications (For me its steam. Steam read/write must not write to cache disk)
Options to don't cache files if read less than 3-5.


PrimoCache working perfect for game cache. I really want to use this app all the time.
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Jaga
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Re: Stop cache files first read ?

Post by Jaga »

Yeah, it's unfortunate we can't specify files/folders for Primocache to ignore (a blacklist). But Romex is always watching and adding in features they think will be desirable in the future.

Your best option then would be the second one I suggested - set the games you don't play to only update when you launch them. That way you know when a big game that you aren't playing needs to update (it shows in the Steam library that way), and you can pause the cache before letting it do the update.
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Nina
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Re: Stop cache files first read ?

Post by Nina »

This is all because the Romex developer has removed -F option. I used it before to avoid this problem, but after removing it I no longer use this application, and I'm using another alternative caching app.
Taner
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Re: Stop cache files first read ?

Post by Taner »

Nina wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 9:55 pm This is all because the Romex developer has removed -F option. I used it before to avoid this problem, but after removing it I no longer use this application, and I'm using another alternative caching app.
Which is other app ?
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