How to setup a custom diy fusion drive system?

[steveyg777]

Hi there. I have a late 2013 imac still under warranty so i don't want to open it up and change drives.

I am running el capitan and have an internal 1tb hdd and i have an external 128gb ssd (connected via an external usb 3.0 uasp caddy).


My current system in the internal hdd involves a:

system partition 830gb "hybrid"

Second partition that has osx and basic apps on for maintenance, like a recovery drive but with desktop functionality etc - 40gb "imac rescue drive"

A Windows partition (yet to install Windows 10 into) - 130gb "Windows"


I tried installing isx to the ssd and then migrating accounts to it (and then moving large files /folders to the hdd and making symbolic links to them) but didn't get a far as the system loading back up once i had migrated any data. Both times u tried to do this osx bit process froze on the progress bar (about the quarters of way the first time and half the second time i tried doing this).

So i just don't know what was going on there (i am fairly certain the first time was because there was no room left on the ssd (164mb?) to boot properly but the second time i only migrated a small enough amount of data to keep enough free space on all to be able to boot up again).

I don't to keep messing about trying to get crap done i just want my system back preferably booting off ssd.

I have looked into making a diy fusion drive since and like the idea.

My question is should i (1) somehow set my system up, like initially trying to, with the system booting off the ssd and data moved and linked to the hdd or
(2) setup a fusion drive and restore my time machine backup to it?

If it's number 2 is there a way that i can tell core storage not to try and move certain files to the ssd/to keep make sure certain files remain on the hdd (ie; large media folders and files etc)?

This is my time machine backup of my setup :

Accounts -
Admin 9.44gb
Ruth 339.1mb
Steve 88.66gb
Work 6.82gb
Computer and network settings 1.7mb
Applications 106.65gb
Other files and folders (includes alot of my media and docs that i have in the shared user folder basically) 479.15gb

As you can hopefully see i have a problem if i am to migrate, move (to hdd) and then symbolically link (to ssd) user accounts, applications and other media data due to sizes and the tiny size of my ssd.

I am under the impression i can do this but in sizeable chunks but, as i said previously, i have tried twice and it just doesn't seem to work

Please can anyone give me advice and a step by step guide in how to do this?

 

[fisherking]

the current issue of "maclife" magazine has detailed instructions, perhaps that will help...

 

[steveyg777]

Got a link?

 

[fisherking]

http://www.techradar.com/tag/apple

altho the article is in the physical magazine (and am sure, the ipad version), April 2016 issue.

 

[steveyg777]

I can't find the article. What should i search for?

 

[steveyg777]

I had a go at creating a fusion drive, which worked, but upon restoring my time machine backup of didn't actually being over my users apart from one although they are all in the accounts prefs page

 

[bent christian]

Hi there. I have a late 2013 imac still under warranty so i don't want to open it up and change drives.

I am running el capitan and have an internal 1tb hdd and i have an external 128gb ssd (connected via an external usb 3.0 uasp caddy).

I have a 2015 internal Fusion drive for storage and I boot externally via USB 3 UASP. In my experience with the two, I think you will have a fairly slow Fusion drive with that set up. You might be disappointed after all that work. USB 3 UASP will not be nearly as fast as current Apple SSDs, and about 100MB/s slower than Apple SSDs available in 2013. I would not bother. You also might run the risk of file damage if the external drive is disconnected in any way while communicating with the internal hard drive. I have monitored my internal Fusion drive and found quite a bit of writing going back and forth between the drives. Off-loading to the hard drive happens during idle time. I would use the external drive to hold you OS and applications and use the internal dive for storage. If your external boot drive becomes disconnected in any way, the machine will freeze, but you won't lose any data.

 

[drummer5645]

I am leaning towards using my Samsung portable 250G T3 and simply using it as my front end boot and normal high activity apps, like airmail. The rest I will just figure out how to move stuff to the 1Tb Hdd. I think it simpler that way. Frankly I could use the 250GB and put everything on it and kill the HDD.
Biggest question, install 10.11.3 before or after the the T3 install? On 10.10.5 now

 

[fisherking]

I can't find the article. What should i search for?

page 48, it's mentioned on the cover. meanwhile, if you google, should be lots of tutorials on this...

 

[bent christian]

I am leaning towards using my Samsung portable 250G T3 and simply using it as my front end boot and normal high activity apps, like airmail. The rest I will just figure out how to move stuff to the 1Tb Hdd. I think it simpler that way. Frankly I could use the 250GB and put everything on it and kill the HDD.
Biggest question, install 10.11.3 before or after the the T3 install? On 10.10.5 now

The Samsung T3 looks slow. I am guessing it is not running UASP. This not one of the best drives for booting from. Also, it is unclear to me if the encryption key entry on the "T" series will pop up every time you login. The T series has encryption built into the controller, so no amount of formatting will remove this feature.

If you are going to boot through USB 3, I think it pays to have a top quality drive. Not only will they be faster, leveling will be better and garbage collection probably will as well. TRIM support does not exist for USB 3, so lots of free space, good GC and leveling will be important. I boot from a Samsung 850 Pro 256GB in this Inateck enclosure. Read speeds are ~400MB/s write / ~430MB/s read. That's twice as fast as the T3. The Pro series uses the MEX controller, which is the best that Samsung makes.

 

[drummer5645]

Thanks bent. It is UASP. They say its a alot faster and is basically a T1 with UASP and 3.1 and encryption. If I find the speeds don't meet expectations, I will return under the 30 day return policy. I looked at the configuration you use and almost went that way, thought for $50 savings the T3 was worth the try.

Just checked. You have to enable encryption as it comes disabled. In my use I won't enable. Talked with tech support at Samsung. I gave them my configuration and they said 400 speeds or return it. Hey this could get interesting

 

[rdav]

Just checked. You have to enable encryption as it comes disabled. In my use I won't enable. Talked with tech support at Samsung. I gave them my configuration and they said 400 speeds or return it. Hey this could get interesting...

How did it go, did it get interesting?

 

[drummer5645]

How did it go, did it get interesting?

Works flawlessly, write 375, read 425. Great investmnt

 

[rdav]

I have a 2015 internal Fusion drive for storage and I boot externally via USB 3 UASP. In my experience with the two, I think you will have a fairly slow Fusion drive with that set up. You might be disappointed after all that work. USB 3 UASP will not be nearly as fast as current Apple SSDs, and about 100MB/s slower than Apple SSDs available in 2013. I would not bother. You also might run the risk of file damage if the external drive is disconnected in any way while communicating with the internal hard drive. I have monitored my internal Fusion drive and found quite a bit of writing going back and forth between the drives. Off-loading to the hard drive happens during idle time. I would use the external drive to hold you OS and applications and use the internal dive for storage. If your external boot drive becomes disconnected in any way, the machine will freeze, but you won't lose any data.

Great info, thanks. Had been considering the diy fusion route before (for an iMac), thou I understand that this has been made a lot more difficult in 10.12 Sierra.
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Works flawlessly, write 375, read 425. Great investmnt

Cool. What's your final configuration?