Follow up disk level caching

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Follow up disk level caching

Post by points »

This is a follow up to the post I have made here: viewtopic.php?f=33&t=4077

The issue is that I am having a fde encrypted disk that Primocache fails to recognize. Therefor it cannot be cached. This is very bad.
I just downloaded Fancycache disk again to verify and it shows the disk that Primocache does not show.

As the Fancycache features were the reason I took part in the beta test and finally bought a license for Primocache it is non acceptable that this feature was built into Primocache. The code is already in Fancycache and I don't see a reason why it should not built into it.

I am strongly requesting this to be done. This way Primocache is useless for my intended scenario.
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Re: Follow up disk level caching

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I'm sorry for the trouble caused because of the project migration.
I don't think we'll continue on the disk level caching, but we'll try to support these encrypted/unrecognized partitions.
Thanks.
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Re: Follow up disk level caching

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Thank you for reply. It is sad to hear that you have no plans to integrate the disk level caching into Primocache. It is also quite hard to understand as the code in Fancycache seemed to work. Also you might not see that this type of caching is a huge USP, competitor products like Supercache are having exactly the same issue like Primocache: The do not see the encrypted disk at all and they do not see it when it has been mounted so caching is impossible.
If you find ways to make those volumes visible to Primocache, that would be a step into the right direction. However chances are that Primocache wants to cache decrypted data which is a no-go from a security perspective. Therefor Fancycache disk was also security wise the best approach and also a huge USP.
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Re: Follow up disk level caching

Post by Support »

In Windows 10, since v2.6 PrimoCache caches encrypted data instead of decrypted data. Prior to Windows 10, PrimoCache also has the option (through CLI) to decide caching encrypted or decrypted data.
However, you're right, if encryption is made in disk level instead of volume level, PrimoCache can only cache decrypted data. But I think most of today's encryption software encrypts data in volume level.
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Re: Follow up disk level caching

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My point is a bit different though: If implemented on disk level, it would not matter if data is encrypted or not. The entire file system would not matter at all. All the software would have to do is to move bits and bytes regardless if encrypted or not.
In my opinion this it a superior approach compared to caching on volume level. And it shows as encrypted volumes aren't even recognised by the software.
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Re: Follow up disk level caching

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support wrote:Prior to Windows 10, PrimoCache also has the option (through CLI) to decide caching encrypted or decrypted data.
Can you point me to that option? I could not see it: https://www.romexsoftware.com/en-us/pri ... rface.html
support wrote:However, you're right, if encryption is made in disk level instead of volume level, PrimoCache can only cache decrypted data. But I think most of today's encryption software encrypts data in volume level.
This is why caching on disk level would be superior. Encrypted data could not leak. This way it would be safe to use.
Also it would be superior to similar software from your competitors.
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Re: Follow up disk level caching

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points wrote:Can you point me to that option? I could not see it: https://www.romexsoftware.com/en-us/pri ... rface.html
Command below makes PrimoCache caches encrypted data (volume level)
rxpcc stack 0 -r

If you want PrimoCache to cache decrypted data (default)
rxpcc stack 1 -r

you need to restart the computer to apply the change.
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Re: Follow up disk level caching

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@support: In the meantime are there any news on this? Any roadmap to incorporate disk level caching again?
If not, what workarounds can be implemented? Fyi, the underlying problem is that a mounted container or HD encrypted with truecrypt and others will not show up in disk management and therfor Primocache will not detect it as cacheable volume (btw not as L2 cache destinate as well).
As the mounted containers/disks are fully operational there should be ways to change code that PrimoCache could detect and use them even if they don't show up in disk management.
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Re: Follow up disk level caching

Post by Support »

@points, I totally understand your scenario. However, I'm afraid that disk level caching might not come out in near feature. Probably within this year, but I cannot assure you.
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Re: Follow up disk level caching

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support wrote:@points, I totally understand your scenario. However, I'm afraid that disk level caching might not come out in near feature. Probably within this year, but I cannot assure you.
Thank you. At least this sounds that there is hope for this feature. As currently there doesn't seem to be a way to cache a mounted encrypted volume in any way, it would be great to have a solution. I believe disk level caching would be perfect as it would not compromise encryption.
If there are other ways to cache a mounted enrypted volume, it would be required to make sure that decrypted data will not be stored on the cache volume at any time not just for Bitlocker protected volumes, but also for volumes protected by 3rd party applications like Truecrypt, Veracrypt, Bestcrypt, DiskCryptor, Drivecrypt and many others.
Disk level caching would exactly help with that.
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