I have a 2017 iMac 27" with the internal OEM 256 GB ssd. For extra space, I plugged in a Samsung x5 via thunderbolt and moved my home folder to the external drive. I think only the OS and applications are stored on the internal SSD.
Back when I first bought the computer, I originally planned to create a disk set from both drives and JBOD them using disk utility. However, I think High Sierra and early Mojave had this functionality removed. It appears it is back again from this:
The concatenated set has the advantage of simplicity. Also, I think there is some wasted space on the internal SSD as the OS and applications are pretty much stable and only the Samsung drive is used for files etc. The separate drive system is better (if I understand correctly) in that if the external drive is unplugged, the computer still boots and is usable. If unplugged this will error out in the concatenated system.
I guess here are my questions:
-Am I missing something related to functionality or reliability in the concatenated situation? Once in a blue moon, the computer boots up and doesn't see the thunderbolt drive right away. It blinks an icon for a second, before proceeding. Not sure if this hiccup becomes a show stopper.
-Any thoughts if it is worthwhile to switch back to my original plan of concatenated disks?
- I think all I need to do is make a time machine backup, boot up on the emergency partition, do my disk utility JBOD thing and then time machine the stuff back. Or is there something else?
Thanks in advance!
Back when I first bought the computer, I originally planned to create a disk set from both drives and JBOD them using disk utility. However, I think High Sierra and early Mojave had this functionality removed. It appears it is back again from this:
Create a disk set using Disk Utility on Mac
Use Disk Utility on your Mac to create a RAID set to optimize storage performance and protect your data.
support.apple.com
The concatenated set has the advantage of simplicity. Also, I think there is some wasted space on the internal SSD as the OS and applications are pretty much stable and only the Samsung drive is used for files etc. The separate drive system is better (if I understand correctly) in that if the external drive is unplugged, the computer still boots and is usable. If unplugged this will error out in the concatenated system.
I guess here are my questions:
-Am I missing something related to functionality or reliability in the concatenated situation? Once in a blue moon, the computer boots up and doesn't see the thunderbolt drive right away. It blinks an icon for a second, before proceeding. Not sure if this hiccup becomes a show stopper.
-Any thoughts if it is worthwhile to switch back to my original plan of concatenated disks?
- I think all I need to do is make a time machine backup, boot up on the emergency partition, do my disk utility JBOD thing and then time machine the stuff back. Or is there something else?
Thanks in advance!
