When using a RAMdrive image on a cached volume (that starts up with/during the Windows boot process), it ends up taking up cache space. I would like to be able to have a list of file/folder exclusions so that we can deny Primocache loading of those image files. They are only usually accessed on boot anyway, or during shutdown for image saving. Having the image contents taking up cache space is unproductive.
I am sure it could be used for other items we don't want to cache as well. Right now it's cutting my L1 cache down from 20gb to roughly 10gb, which impacts system performance negatively.
File/Folder Exclusions [Progress!]
File/Folder Exclusions [Progress!]
Last edited by Jaga on Wed Jul 13, 2016 1:37 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: File/Folder Exclusions
A little more information on what I'm seeing:
I'm using a free Ramdrive solution right now (won't post the name out of respect, PM if you'd like it), and the 8gb RAMdrive I make that is mounted at boot time (before Windows) is taking priority in the L1 cache. It will *always* end up cached and taking up 8gb of my 20gb L1. That along with the other contents from my boot drive, means there's little to no room for my gaming drive contents to get cached.
Just adding in a list to exclude items would avoid this problem entirely. I suspect your own RAMdrive software would have the same issue.
In the meantime I've had to shrink my ramdrive to the bare minimum size, and increase my L1 to as large as possible, leaving little free RAM for the OS to work with.
I'm using a free Ramdrive solution right now (won't post the name out of respect, PM if you'd like it), and the 8gb RAMdrive I make that is mounted at boot time (before Windows) is taking priority in the L1 cache. It will *always* end up cached and taking up 8gb of my 20gb L1. That along with the other contents from my boot drive, means there's little to no room for my gaming drive contents to get cached.
Just adding in a list to exclude items would avoid this problem entirely. I suspect your own RAMdrive software would have the same issue.
In the meantime I've had to shrink my ramdrive to the bare minimum size, and increase my L1 to as large as possible, leaving little free RAM for the OS to work with.
Re: File/Folder Exclusions
Actually it's not a problem that your cache space is full. PrimoCache is able to discard old cached data to storing new data when the cache space is full. This means that you still can cache your gaming drive contents.
Re: File/Folder Exclusions
Primocache caches the RAMdrive image file at every boot from what I can see, and my gaming drive prefetch and overall amount of cached content is way down. I used to get 99% or higher hit rate on my gaming drive with ease, now I'm lucky to have it over 75% most of the time. The primary data folder for the game is around 29gig in size, and yet with a RAMdrive image cached the prefetch (after several days of use) on the gaming drive is only 2.67GB. In the past that number was over 10GB consistently. It seems like the image file is fighting for L1 space with my gaming drive contents.
I don't see the logic here. There is no good reason to ever load a large RAMdrive image file into a L1 or L2 cache. Doing so is making the system work against itself - using RAM for a file that is normally never accessed while the system is running.
In my opinion Primocache is working against itself and the use of a RAMdrive image. Is it just too difficult to implement exclusions? Primocache was working much better before I started using a RAMdrive image.
I guess I'll have to shrink the boot volume (on the mechanical drives) and dedicate an uncached partition specifically for the use of a RAMdrive image, if Primocache can't be told what not to load into memory.
I don't see the logic here. There is no good reason to ever load a large RAMdrive image file into a L1 or L2 cache. Doing so is making the system work against itself - using RAM for a file that is normally never accessed while the system is running.
In my opinion Primocache is working against itself and the use of a RAMdrive image. Is it just too difficult to implement exclusions? Primocache was working much better before I started using a RAMdrive image.
I guess I'll have to shrink the boot volume (on the mechanical drives) and dedicate an uncached partition specifically for the use of a RAMdrive image, if Primocache can't be told what not to load into memory.
Re: File/Folder Exclusions
Update:
For now to get around the problem, I simply did what I mentioned: shrunk the mechanical drive partition and created a new one, uncached, specifically for the use of RAMdrive image(s). I don't see any other way (short of purchasing a separate physical drive) to tell Primocache not to load that type of file. It takes *far* too long for it to repopulate the cache, to simply have the boot process toss out ~10gb of that every time it loads up to access a single file one time.
For now to get around the problem, I simply did what I mentioned: shrunk the mechanical drive partition and created a new one, uncached, specifically for the use of RAMdrive image(s). I don't see any other way (short of purchasing a separate physical drive) to tell Primocache not to load that type of file. It takes *far* too long for it to repopulate the cache, to simply have the boot process toss out ~10gb of that every time it loads up to access a single file one time.
Re: File/Folder Exclusions [To fix issues]
Well, you're right. PrimoCache automatically stops prefetching if it sees the cache space is insufficient. So the loading of image file is a problem to affect the hitrate. I'm sorry that so far PrimoCache cannot exclude certain files/folders. However, we will work on this problem to develop a solution. Many thanks.
Re: File/Folder Exclusions [To fix issues]
It's okay, glad to hear you can recognize it as a possible problem. 
As a bit of further feedback: more than 24 hours after making the change (and ~4-5 reboots with several app launches) I can proudly say that the hitrate on the gaming drive is back up over 95%. It gets into L1, and stays in there, as desired. If anyone else is looking to use Primocache with a RAMdrive, this is currently the best solution I can suggest.
Thanks for taking the time to discuss.
As a bit of further feedback: more than 24 hours after making the change (and ~4-5 reboots with several app launches) I can proudly say that the hitrate on the gaming drive is back up over 95%. It gets into L1, and stays in there, as desired. If anyone else is looking to use Primocache with a RAMdrive, this is currently the best solution I can suggest.
Thanks for taking the time to discuss.