Drivers & Software

[sleepydog]

I tried for a couple of weeks to use StoreMI, it installs and initially it works OK, but after a few days it invariably stops working: the pair goes red dot with a "cache offline" message. I'm using a 64GB SATA SSD as cache, with a 1TB HDD.

I think it has to do with the inability of StoreMI to handle the SSD cache filling up: when it goes "cache offline" the usage is always 6%, and 64GB is approx. 6% of 1TB.

I filed a bug using the AMD Bug Report Tool, but it simply isn't made for StoreMI: there was no option for it, so I put it under "platform / chipset driver" with a random application. I doubt it will ever be looked at.

[AMDeer]

provide system details, total drives used, Storemi version.

Also please check with latest released Storemi_2.1.0.191. If not tested with it.

[sleepydog]

System:

Ryzen 3600, asus-tuf-b450m motherboard, 16GB RAM
SSD: 64GB, Crucial realSSD C300 (SATA), all dedicated to StoreMI
HDD1: 1TB, Win10, OS build 19042.1083
HDD2: 400GB, Linux
StoreMI pair: SSD+HDD1

StoreMI version: 2.1.0.159

I will try the latest version and report, but at the moment the SSD is out of the PC.

[sleepydog]

I have reinstalled the SSD and StoreMI 2.1.0.191.
So far so good, and the fill rate is already at 17% after just one hour, so clearly something has changed, if only the calculation of the value.
Previously it took a couple of days for the cache to go offline, so I'll let it run for a few days.

[sleepydog]

Update:

Caching seems to work: the system seems faster, but there are 2 serious issues, probably related:

1. Sometimes (50% of the time) booting gets stuck at the windows logo + "waiting" dot circle, and it is necessary to press the "on" button to get it unstuck. This must be repeated a few times (boot stalls -> press "on" button -> boot resumes -> boot stalls -> press "on" button -> boot resumes -> ...)

2. Once Windows is loaded, and without any application running, the CPU has 3 cores CONSTANTLY at max frequency (4.2GHz) and max voltage (1.37V), according to Ryzen Master. In task manager, the top process is "system interrupts" at 6-7%, with total CPU load 10%.

These issues disappear uninstalling StoreMI: boot doesn't stall and CPU frequency and voltage are back to reasonable: as low as 250MHz @ 0.5V, always according to Ryzen Master.

These issues are complete showstoppers for me, which means that StoreMI is once again uninstalled.

There are clearly some serious bugs in the StoreMI driver (a race leading to deadlocks, an active spin waiting?). Is there a bug tracker where I can report these issues?

[RyZEN1]

Thanks for the Concerns. Your feedback is very valuable, StoreMI is being actively optimised based various feedback, your observations will be looked into to see if there is any Bug that needs to be addressed.

[AMDeer]

Hope you are not hitting offline issue with latest Storemi 2.1.0.191.

[sleepydog]

@AMDeer: I didn't see it go offline, but it only reached I think 50-60% and then I noticed the high CPU usage and uninstalled it. I'll (try to) try again the next version.

[RyZEN1]

Thanks for your feedback. Your continuous feedback helps in optimising the Products.

[sleepydog]

2.1.0.205 has solved the high CPU, but for me it's back to "cache offline" after a while. The only difference is that version 2.1.0.159 was going offline at approx. 6.5% "space cache used", and now 2.1.0.205 has gone offline at 100%, but I think in both cases it means the SSD has filled up, and the different value is because the ratio, with the old version, was computed against the HDD (1GB), and the new version computes it against the SSD (64GB).