SSD as pagefile location for memory swaps

Virtualmin
1

I have this server setup: http://www.server4you.com/root-server/server-details.php?products=5

That gives an extra 60 GB OCZ Vertex 2 SSD hard-disk. I dont want to use it as storage. What should i do with it? Can i use it like extra ram or something for mysql cache? Whats your opinion?

While i was searching for answer for this, i found this:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1013117/ssd-as-inline-cache

Discrete SSD as a dedicated pagefile drive. Windows (and, of course, UNIX, et al) will let you use an SSD as your pagefile location for memory swaps. It's indirect, but will accomplish the same thing. Windows Vista/7 also has ReadyBoost, which is supposed to take more direct advantage of SSDs. Not wildly popular, but something else to try.

I checked Webmin->Partitions on Local Disks and disc shows in there… with “This disk has no partitions yet.”

What do you think about it? possible? worth to try? if yes, how can i do it?

2

Do you have a swap file or partition setup now? If so, one possibility is that you could disable that, and place a swap file/partition on your SSD drive.

However, before doing that – how much RAM is in your server? I see your server is capable of 32GB of RAM… at a certain point, you don’t really need a swap file any longer :slight_smile:

What is the output of this command:

free -m

3

yes its 32gm ram :stuck_out_tongue:
btw:

total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 32164 4752 27412 0 254 3416

4gm ram is used but in virtualmin panel says: Real memory 31.41 GB total, 1.10 GB used
is it normal?

for disc… normally i will not pay extra for this but that was a suprise for me too that hosting firm gives that package to me as a gift for same price with another package. So that ssd disc was not something i planned. But i have it now so i can use it if i can find way ^^

Its about limit of my project on this system. For now, i am thinking to give 30.000~ wordpress multisite as test drive on this server. Maybe i can increase this if i can use my resources better… like this disc

4

oh and for your question:

1 Linux RAID 509.88 MB 1 65 /dev/md0
2 Linux RAID 1.82 TB 66 243070 /dev/md1
3 Linux swap 1 GB 243071 243201 Virtual memory
its raid1 by software. btw main storage discs are 5400 rpm so if i can use that ssd disc for mysql cache somehow, it will be better for me too. Or maybe someway to reduce disc I/O on main storage discs.

I asked question here too:
http://serverfault.com/questions/263981/what-should-i-do-with-an-extra-ssd-disc

someone suggested Flashcache but its kernel change etc… i checked its not supported on virtualmin so i prefer a better,safety way which virtualmin can suggest.

5

Virtualmin is subtracting memory that is listed as “cached”, since that memory will be made immediately available if it’s needed by the OS.

Since you have 32GB of RAM, I don’t think it’s worth using your SSD drive for swap. You have plenty of RAM :slight_smile:

I’d suggest finding something else to do with it… maybe even just a local place to put your backups.

-Eric

6

its raid1 by software. btw main storage discs are 5400 rpm so if i can use that ssd disc for mysql cache somehow

I don’t know the specifics of setting all this up, but MySQL can be configured to hold more in RAM.

Since you have 32GB of RAM, that sounds like a good opportunity to tell MySQL to hold onto everything it can in memory. I’m not sure that you’d need to use your SSD drive for that, though I suppose it’s an option.

-Eric